Brisket fail

[Westx]

Since nobody else mentioned it, your first mistake was checking the temp in the point. Always put your probe in the thickest part of the flat if you are going to monitor the meat temp.

 

[Mike in Roseville]

Probe by feel. I have had some done at 195-200...others didn't feel right til 210.



I have had only one brisket not get to where I wanted it using hot and fast and probing. Not because it never got to temp, but it still didn't feel right up until 211. It was a little over in the flat, but not crumbly.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I like to knock my briskets out in 6 hours total time........

Ignore the point -it is evil and it will fool you. Like WestTx said - probe the thickest part of the flat from the side for probe tender.......

 

[ssv3]

I like to knock my briskets out in 6 hours total time........

Ignore the point -it is evil and it will fool you. Like WestTx said - probe the thickest part of the flat from the side for probe tender.......

:nod: Yes! I average about 6-8 hours total cook time.

 

[ssv3]

Thanks everyone this has been really helpful. I think my biggest mistake was cooking to a magic number and when it took so long to go from 195-203 I think I killed it. Next time I will follow the same process but start probing around 190 and when it’s feels like it’s done just pull it and stick in cooler.
I did let it rest for about an hour and a half. Didn’t vent it but kept the thermometer in it and it gradually dropped from 203 to 180 over that time so I don’t think it kept cooking then. Keeping it on for 6 hours or so after 195 probably dried it.
Next day I made an au jus and reheated and it was great - had some nice beef dip
sandwiches - wish I had just been ready for that the first day...
Thanks again for the suggestions and help I will definitely try again!

None of us nailed brisket from the get go. It's a learning experience and you have landed at the best place on earth for doing brisket right. This place is a diamond in the rough and there is endless content on Brisketology?? :laugh::laugh: Well bbq in general. You've got novice to old timers that have been doing it forever. A lot of material to go through for your homework. Look nowhere else. IMHO there are basic rules to BBQ but where you take it from there is on you. Lead and don't follow. I mean that in a humble way.

I know briskets are expensive but you gotta keep going. Well, really with anything in life. :becky:

 

[Zunah]

Thanks again everyone - learned a ton from you all!

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Overcooked.


It drives me nuts when I read the supposed magic number of 203.:icon_bugeyed That's fake news. Probe tender or probing like butter is key. Probe at the thickest part of the flat.

Fat cap towards the heat source

Pretty sure your brisket was warmed to death and you were cooking at sub 200* temps. 6 hours to go up 6* only? Something was wrong. Usually the higher the temp the faster temps climb.

Put the probe at the thickest part of the flat next time

Did you rest? When I pull I open up the wraps and let the brisket breathe for about 10 mins to stop the cooking then rest. Chances are it continued cooking after pulling since at serving time your temps were at 180.


Don't give up and give it another go at 250-275* minimum.

No need for me to retype. ^^^ Dude just said it all. It ain't about temp. Every cut is different. And the Cardinal rule, It's done when it's done.
Lastly, I refuse to cook any under Choice grade but that's just me.


Good Luck! :becky:

 

[mwild103]

What everyone else has said here plus I would probably verify your probes/thermometers were still accurate to insure your cooking temps are what you think they are. Probes/thermometers go bad but still give readings sometimes that are off. Stick them in a cup of ice water and see if they show 32 and into a cup of boiling water should be around 212. This just helps remove one thing in the chain that could have been off. Just keep trying till it goes right.

 

[scp]

I am no expert but when I started cooking at higher temps 300+...I started getting more consitant results.

 

[smoke ninja]

That brisket was still cooking, if the middle was 203, then the outside was higher than that, its called carryover which is why people suggest venting a bit before the rest to minimize carryover heat. Even at 180* it is still "cooking" just like if you were to sous vide something and hold it at 180 indefinitely. The problem with carryover heat is that if you were already borderline overcooked when you pulled it, you can go even further with it.

When i reach 180-185F i dial down the temp on the cooker. Most of the time it stays at 185F as its in this so called "stall" But that is exactly where i want it. I want it to stall for atleast 6+ hour depending on how long it took to get there. Maybe even 8-10 hours if it reached 185F quick enough.

ok this is my wheel house. low temp finish on brisket. yes anything over 180 will still work to tenderize the meat. sous vide is a good example. I was amazed coming from hotter cooks where they would temp out over 205 to find briskets finished as low as 190 IT. another advantage is low cook temps at the end of a cook give a large window of perfection, with hotter cook temps your timing has to be spot on.

get there fast, stay there long.

 

[Sean "Puffy" Coals]

Many other have already said this, but I'm saying it with a picture. :-D