Brisket by the numbers...what do you really get at the end?

[GrillsGoneWild]

So I hear lots of percentages on "yield" when cooking a brisket. Usually anywhere from 40% to 60%. What do you think you get?

I got out my scale and set out to come to a conclusion on this. I started out with a full packer bought at Walmart. USDA Choice weighed in at 13.85 lbs. I trimmed all the hard fat that protrudes out and trimmed the fat cap down to the usual 1/8"-1/4". I left the fat between the point and flat alone.
Weighed it again and it was 10.5 lbs. Yep, 3 pounds of trimmed fat and like I said, it wasn't overly aggressive trimming and it wasn't an unusual brisket. (I'm just glad I got it for $1.97/lb.)
Cooked it Hot-N-Fast today and after a 7 hour cook and it probing like butter, the final weight was 6.3 lbs.

That gave me a 45% yield from the untrimmed and 60% yield from the trimmed. I'm going to do this over the next couple of briskets to see if I get the same thing.

 

[jbounds286]

that kinda sux

 

[MAB52]

That is alot of rendering going on. Thanks

 

[JoSal73]

Wow. I didn't expect final weight to be half the start weight. I'm looking forward to your subsequent tests to confirm if the numbers are constant. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[chambersuac]

I believe you, but I'm a bit surprised. So,cooked weight price is over four bucks a pound. Not really that bad.

 

[sliding_billy]

Good experiment.

 

[chris1360]

WOW ok so let me try the math on this.....

13.85lbs x $1.97 per lb = $27.28 + 7% sales tax = $29.19 (what you paid for the meat)

So trimmed was 60% or 10.5 lbs....

10.50lbs x $1.97 per lb = $20.69 - 7% sales tax = $22.14 (So if it would have been trimmed before buying you would have saved about 7 bucks)

Then the final product was 40% yeild...

6.3lbs x $1.97 per lb = $12.41 + 7% sales tax = $13.28 (In a perfect world you would have saved 15 bucks if you bought this brisket cooked... but that never happens)

So fo what you actually yeild in edible meat, when it is done cooking.....

$29.19 / 6.3 lbs = $4.63 per lb

WOW.... Almost 5 bucks a pound for cooked brisket.... and you got it cheap to. I pay 2.98 per lb. Ok my head hurts from doing math. I am going to buy a chuck roast. Thanks for sharing the experiement. I never really thought of that.

 

[BBQ Bandit]

WOW ok so let me try the math on this.....

13.85lbs x $1.97 per lb = $27.28 + 7% sales tax = $29.19 (what you paid for the meat)

So trimmed was 60% or 10.5 lbs....

10.50lbs x $1.97 per lb = $20.69 - 7% sales tax = $22.14 (So if it would have been trimmed before buying you would have saved about 7 bucks)

Then the final product was 40% yeild...

6.3lbs x $1.97 per lb = $12.41 + 7% sales tax = $13.28 (In a perfect world you would have saved 15 bucks if you bought this brisket cooked... but that never happens)

So for what you actually yeild in edible meat, when it is done cooking.....

$29.19 / 6.3 lbs = $4.63 per lb

WOW.... Almost 5 bucks a pound for cooked brisket.... and you got it cheap to. I pay 2.98 per lb. Ok my head hurts from doing math. I am going to buy a chuck roast. Thanks for sharing the experiement. I never really thought of that.

Don't forget about the free hourly labor rate, too.

 

[Goddahavit]

I see roughly 40% yield from cryo to table i think your findings are right on.

.

 

[BDAABAT]

Thanks for doing this!

FWIW: uncooked brisket in Maryland was $5.99 a pound at BJs this past weekend. :shock:

Will be heading to Wallyworld for sure!

Bruce

 

[Ron_L]

That sounds about right. One of the Brothers who cooks a lot for catering and a restaurant posted his results a while back at it came out to 49% yield from raw (untrimmed) weight.

I'll try to find the post, but it was a while ago.

 

[deguerre]

Makes sense. Also, with Bandit's comment, gives me a better appreciation for retail pricing for cooked. Really not a bad deal at most places, considering.

 

[Drake]

I dont even want to do the math for what I pay for brisket. The last time I bought, it was right at 4.00/lb.

Thanks for posting your results.

 

[deguerre]

I paid 3.59/lb for a CAB packer Friday.

 

[cdollar]

Thanks for the report.
I've done the same experiment many times over the years and the results have always fallen between 40 and 50 per cent yield. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less. Never tried comparing choice vs select, though. I may give that a look in my next few cooks, see if there is a difference.



Chuck

 

[Bludawg]

WOW ok so let me try the math on this.....

13.85lbs x $1.97 per lb = $27.28 + 7% sales tax = $29.19 (what you paid for the meat)

So trimmed was 60% or 10.5 lbs....

10.50lbs x $1.97 per lb = $20.69 - 7% sales tax = $22.14 (So if it would have been trimmed before buying you would have saved about 7 bucks)

Then the final product was 40% yeild...

6.3lbs x $1.97 per lb = $12.41 + 7% sales tax = $13.28 (In a perfect world you would have saved 15 bucks if you bought this brisket cooked... but that never happens)

So fo what you actually yeild in edible meat, when it is done cooking.....

$29.19 / 6.3 lbs = $4.63 per lb

WOW.... Almost 5 bucks a pound for cooked brisket.... and you got it cheap to. I pay 2.98 per lb. Ok my head hurts from doing math. I am going to buy a chuck roast. Thanks for sharing the experiement. I never really thought of that.

That is not really a true statement because the playing field is not even. At my local Walmart & HEB pre trim is 2.5 times more per lb. a 5lb pre trim flat or point costs as much as a 13 lb packer.

 

[darkoozy]

Good test!

I always felt like I was ending up with 50% of what I started with. That's one of the reasons I moved to cooking larger briskets. When I started my bbq addiction, I would look for 10-12lb briskets and the end product was somewhat "small".

I have been cooking 18-20lb briskets for a year now and feel that's the most optimal size for yield and serving portions.

 

[Dwl9113]

My buddy just paid $6.89 a pound from the butcher over the weekend for the 4th. You TX guys are very lucky!

 

[DownHomeQue]

im going to ask next time i purchase a brisket can they trim the fat first.. lol

 

[GrillsGoneWild]

My buddy just paid $6.89 a pound from the butcher over the weekend for the 4th. You TX guys are very lucky!

We are lucky, but we still complain they aren't $.99/lb like they were for a long time.