Another brisket probing question

[shtrbc]

For the experts. I understand the concept of "probing until tender/done" vs temp or time. My question is: "from the time it is "probe tender" how long would it take to be overdone if you continued to cook it?" I honestly believe I have always not cooked brisket long enough. I get to the point that the probe may seem to slide in nice but I honestly can't say that it's been like a knife in soft butter etc... Doing a 12-14 lb packer this weekend for a comp and I plan to start it about 10-11pm on Friday, cook until "done" then settle in for a long rest in the Cambro until we separate the point n flat to do burnt ends. I have never done a Cambro rest for more than a hour or so. Will probably end up being a 4-5 hour stay in the Cambro. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

[Diesel Dave]

Once you get that probe tender feeling it's done. It will quickly get over done from there.
Then be sure when you take it off the cooker you let it steam off for a good 10/15 minutes. This will keep it from still cooking in the cambro.
I hope that helps you out.

[cpw]

Make sure it's probe tender in the spot you want to get your slices from...meaning the thinner sections might end up being a little over done. Don't worry about holding it in the cambro for several hours, it'll still be too hot to hold even after 5 or 6 hours.

[smoke ninja]

The hotter you cook the faster it goes from perfect to over.

[shtrbc]

I typically cook @ 250*. If I put the brisket on at say, 9pm, I don't want to miss the "being probe tender" phase in the middle of the night. I intend to monitor it for color/bark up to say 160*, then wrap it until it probes like butta. Then remove from smoker, let it steam off for 15 minutes or so, then hold in the Cambro until we separate it for burnt ends. And opinions on cooking it in a tin pan with a wire rack elevating it off the bottom of the pan? Then just wrapping the whole pan vs. the brisket itself. Keep all the juices etc.. for basting slices for turn in?

[shtrbc]

Bttt

[landarc]

At 250°F, as long as you are not wrapped in foil, you have 30 minutes before you are overdone, and closer to an hour before it is badly over-cooked. It takes time, but, once you really cook one to probe tender, you will know for certain you hit it.

If you probe with a thin probe, such as a Thermapen, it really is like you don't feel any resistance at all. With a thicker probe, such as a wood skewer or shish kebab skewer, than you feel a slight push, and then the probe slides in.

Cooking in a pan, on an elevated rack works fine.

[PekingPorker]

And opinions on cooking it in a tin pan with a wire rack elevating it off the bottom of the pan? Then just wrapping the whole pan vs. the brisket itself. Keep all the juices etc.. for basting slices for turn in?

I cook my briskets this way, however I've learned over time that the wrapping process goes MUCH better if the brisket is wrapped tightly in foil instead of just wrapping the whole pan. Just put the fully wrapped brisket back into the pan, that way it can catch any possible small leaks, and open in in the pan and easily drain any au jus from the foil directly into the pan.

[SDAR]

I'll probably get knocked for saying this, but this is my experience with wrapped brisket and getting it done perfectly.

While it is wrapped even though it may have a few "probe holes" in the foil, if I unwrap it completely to set the bark (after softening the bark in the foil); it stiffens up a little. I leave it unwrapped while setting the bark it will start to loosen up again. I think the brisket swells somewhat with all of the steam in the wrapped atmosphere and fools a lot of folks into thinking it is done.

My 2 cents. :loco:

[Headgear]

The last couple I have done were cooked in a 275 pit till I like the look of the bark, then I wrap in unwaxed butcher paper to about 200 internal temp. That's when I start probing. When I like it, I pull it off and let it sit on the counter, still wrapped until the IT is around 150 so it stops cooking and then put it in the Cambro.

I was cooking at 235 and some of the guys here told me to cook at a higher temp but to watch that it doesn't over cook in the Cambro. You have to let the IT come down before holding or it will over run. So cook it till it probes right, let it cool for a while, then put it in the holder. It worked great each time for me so far.

Good Luck

[Jason TQ]

The temp you cook at dictates how long after tender you have till overdone. That being said in the 250-300 range you probably have 30-45mins before you overshoot. People slam cooking to temp hard on this forum, but here's what I do at comps and it never has failed me and brisket is our best category. I have a temp probe in the meat and don't look at the panned/foiled brisket till 204 and never earlier. It is never done before then for me on wagyu. Choice I will start at 202 as they seem to finish earlier. Now finishing temp seems to be affected by cooking temp. The hotter you cook the higher the finishing temp in my experience. So 204 might not be your magic number, but it is mine. When I cooked at 400 they finished closer to 210.

I check to see if it is done at 204 and if it doesn't probe smoothly I give it 30mins and check again. If you check too often and the temp fluctuates and the brisket cools off it may never probe tender and sieze up. That is still ok, but you have to know how to identify the seize and deal with that.

I really feel that the "knife/butter" analogy throws folks off. It is not that feel at all for me. Some it works obviously, but not me.

Another thing I disagree with many is venting. Some say to vent till it comes down to a certain temp like 170 or even less, but I know teams that when it's done straight shove it into the cambro for 4-5 hours with zero venting and no over cooking. So you have to play and see what works for you.

[shtrbc]

Thanks for all the input folks!! I respect the fact that everyone has techniques that work for them, and it may not be what the neighbor is doing. I like to gather as much as possible and this forum rocks!!

[landarc]

Jason, you rebel!

[shtrbc]

And to be clear, if one were going to monitor internal temp with a probe, inserted into the flat, about where your slices are coming from correct? And then when I am at the point that I am happy with the way the probe is sliding into the flat, what has everyone seen for temps on the point? Just curious if there is a 20* difference, 100* difference, you get the idea. Thoughts?

[landarc]

For me, as low as 195F and as high as 220F.

[Jason TQ]

And to be clear, if one were going to monitor internal temp with a probe, inserted into the flat, about where your slices are coming from correct? And then when I am at the point that I am happy with the way the probe is sliding into the flat, what has everyone seen for temps on the point? Just curious if there is a 20* difference, 100* difference, you get the idea. Thoughts?

I probe pretty much right in the middle of the flat. I go in from the point end and down in towards the far end of the flat stopping in the middle. The temp in the point is normally higher. Maybe 210'ish. But this depends on how much you trim out your point. So another variable to think about.