Getting a Brisket Flat Tender

[SwineAndBovine]

I’ve been having a heck of a time getting my brisket flat tender. I smoke on a 65 gallon offset smoker and cook fat cap up. I try to keep the temp at 275 but have swings between 225-325. I use prime briskets from either Costco or Sams. I either wrap in butcher paper or use the boat method. The point always turns out incredible, but I can’t seem to get the flat as tender as I’d like. The flavor is on point but it certainly doesn’t pass the bend or pull test.

This past Saturday I thought I had it as the flat felt probe tender. I let it rest to 150 then threw it in a 150 degree oven for around four hours. The point was perfect but the flat still ended up tougher than I expected. Also, the bottom of the brisket feels somewhat hard as well.

Any suggestions on how to get it more tender? I’ve tried keeping it on a longer but dried out one brisket doing that (it was previously frozen but still prime grade), so I’m a little gun shy to leave it on too long.

 

[Smoke on]

This you probably already know but, I generally let my briskets go to about 180 before I start probing, and I wrap around 165. Maybe try to pull your temps in around 240° and just wait it out.
On my offset, ill start the cook with the point towards the firebox, when it reached around 155°-160° I'll turn it so the flat takes the heat for a while. When it catches up temp wise ill turn it again.
Maybe someone else will chime in with some suggestions

 

[darita]

Well, my first thought is, the flat hasn't had time to render all it's fat and tissue. I use 200* as a starting point for probing the thick of the flat. Past that temp, it's all probe and wait, probe and wait. Is it just not tender or is it dry as well, because dry usually means underdone too? The point will always render first and you run little risk of overcooking it, so don't worry about that. The hardest lesson for me to learn was patience.

 

[sudsandswine]

Well, if it wasn't falling apart and it wasn't tender then it sounds like you're undercooking them. It's frustrating to probe a brisket and have it feel like it's tender then find out when you're slicing it, that it was undercooked - been there done that! Be sure you're probing in the thickest part of the flat for tenderness and not a fat pocket, an edge/end, etc.

This is a brisket I cooked the other day - each brisket is different but this one aligned with my general experience where the "probe test" needs to be performed. The sides/ends of the flat will be nice and soft and the area in the circle still too dense - only when these areas let the probe slide in almost effortlessly would I pull the brisket. For this specific brisket, I only probed when the fat side was up, but the fat side down pic is where I would've probed had that been the side facing me.

 

[Steve68]

I made a flat this weekend on my WSM that came out very tender. In case it's helpful, I cooked it in the smoke (over a water pan) for about seven hours until a temp of about 165, then wrapped in foil and cooked for another two hours until a internal temp of 203. (The probe went in like butter at this point). Kept the foiled brisket in a cooler with towels for another two hours before slicing. Nice and tender with a nice bark and a thin smoke ring too. I'm a brisket amateur, but was very happy with this result.

 

[Steve68]

Well, if it wasn't falling apart and it wasn't tender then it sounds like you're undercooking them. It's frustrating to probe a brisket and have it feel like it's tender then find out when you're slicing it, that it was undercooked - been there done that! Be sure you're probing in the thickest part of the flat for tenderness and not a fat pocket, an edge/end, etc.

This is a brisket I cooked the other day - each brisket is different but this one aligned with my general experience where the "probe test" needs to be performed. The sides/ends of the flat will be nice and soft and the area in the circle still too dense - only when these areas let the probe slide in almost effortlessly would I pull the brisket. For this specific brisket, I only probed when the fat side was up, but the fat side down pic is where I would've probed had that been the side facing me.

Thanks for the great information! Just curious, what's the highest internal temp you ever had the brisket reach in order to get the right probe tenderness? Would you ever pull it by a certain temp regardless?

 

[blackdogbbq21]

Sounds like the flat was a little under. Not sure if you probed it when you pulled it or saw the temp of it. Just be sure it's probe tender when you pull it.

 

[sudsandswine]

Thanks for the great information! Just curious, what's the highest internal temp you ever had the brisket reach in order to get the right probe tenderness? Would you ever pull it by a certain temp regardless?

I only know because I use my Thermapen as my probe on the "probe tender" check, but I've had quite a few be 213*+, a couple 215*, but that's more a function of what temp the cooker is running at and the fat content of the brisket I think. Higher cook temp = higher finishing temp generally, in my experience. In those instances I was probably cooking at 300* +/- on my stick burner. Not a "pro" but I'm sure I've cooked a hundred or two of them by this point so I have a good sample size to draw upon.

I try not to let the temp on the screen influence when I pull the brisket - I know by now that no matter what number the screen says, if the texture isn't right when I probe I will not be happy with the results. It's hard to not let it influence your decision on when to pull it, I have to actively resist it sometimes. If seeing the temp were a problem I'd just choose a different tool for probing, but I like data so I use the Thermapen.

 

[SwineAndBovine]

Thanks for all of the responses! Sounds like I’m undercooking them. Patience is key so I’ll try and get less concerned over the temp next time and only focus on probe tenderness.

 

[darita]

Just FYI...I saw one guy use a cheap, dull, chopstick to probe for tender. If that dull chopstick doesn't slide in easy, it's not done. Sounds like a good test for me to try as well. Good luck!