Burned my first brisket tonight....

[DECENT BBQ]

Not exactly sure what happened, so I am going to explain this cook and see if yall can help me figure out what went wrong.

Chargriller Competition Pro Offset smoker. Started out with a 19lb Prime from Costco. Trimmed it down like I usually do, leaving ~1/4" fat cap and separating the point and flat. I quartered up the flat to try different rub and injections. I've done this before with no issues.

Started this cook off like I normally do, chimney full of lit kingsford charcoal into the fire box, with a hickory split on top. Let the smoker get up to 225* then put everything on. Instead of just keeping my temps up with straight hickory splits (like I have always done up until this point) I tried using Royal Oak lump charcoal with small spits this cook. Temps remained constant between 225-250*, just like I always do.

I wrapped everything in foil when the flats reached 155-160*, about 5 hours in. I was trying some rib rub combinations, so in order to have room for the ribs and briskets I placed the point on top of the flats, all wrapped in foil. I think this may have been my biggest mistake.

Brisket flats and point were probe tender at 8 hours, to my surprise. Its usually 10 hours at least. Temperature was 190-201* when I pulled them off. Vented the foil and let them rest for an hour until the temp was 160*. 3 out of 4 of the flat quarters were all burned on the bottom (side facing the grate). BAD. Like, my knife wouldnt even cut through it burned.

I'm pretty sure putting the point on top of the flats after wrapping with foil caused the bottoms of the flats to burn. Kinda like when you squish a hamburger patty against the flattop. That's the only thing I can come up with at this point as to what went wrong. Open to opinions on this.

I did manage to salvage enough to do a practice turn in box, though. The point turned out great lol. There were six pieces, picture was cropped by instagram. My first ever plating attempt, I have a lot to learn.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49896058_2359023541050611_4878950206780997632_o.jp g?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=e5815d1498090cc77e2bc42bb84390cd&oe=5CD21E5C

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Sounds more like the rub "over-caramelized" than burned. I've had this happen before when I place something in foil and the meat and foil are very strongly in contact with each other...meaning no liquid or air gap. So the rub / meat on that side gets no oxygen or moisture and it caramelizes up very hard, but it's not really burned.

Going by what you're saying you putting the point on top of the flat definitely pushed the flat harder into the foil, so that's likely the culprit.

On a side note your box looks pretty good for a first try. That smoke ring looks almost purple (in the pic anyways) and only time I get a smoke ring of that color is when I'm cooking at 300° or higher. You said you kept temps at 225-250 but how are you monitoring those temps? If you're only using the thermometer which came with the smoker then I would suggest checking it with ice water / boiling water to see how accurate it is. You also said the cook took about 2 hours less than you would normally expect, which also leads me to believe that you were cooking hotter than you thought you were.

[IamMadMan]

Picture looks great.....


I have to agree with SmoothBoarBBQ, the meat itself doesn't look burned, and if just the outer crust was hard, and the meat itself was fine, he hit the nail on the head on all accounts.


My question would be, does the Chargriller Competition Pro Offset smoker output the heat directly under the grates?



Many put the fat cap toward the heat to act as an insulator and help to facilitate even cooking. The age old debate of fat cap up or fat cap down.


I used to have a Brinkman Pro Offset smoker many years ago and had a similar problem with heat control. Although I never had anything burn the bottom of the meat, the meat closest to the firebox and the bottoms always cooked the fastest.

I had to rotate and turn the meats to allow even cooking until I found a modification online for a heat baffle and flow plates for the bottom of the smoker.

[Burnt at Both Endz]

Wonder if the probe part of your temp gage needs cleaning, you may have been cooking hotter with the lump then what you thought.

[DECENT BBQ]

Lots of good feedback here, thanks everyone! To answer some questions...

This is my smoker. I installed 2 Tel-Tru thermometers at grate level at opposite ends of the smoke chamber. Brisket was on the end farthest from firebox.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/35970269_2193052344314399_4033427925389803520_o.jp g?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=32850036648f276f206ff867721c2007&oe=5CB410BF

I did wrap the brisket tightly with aluminum foil. The rub did have brown and white sugar in it. It was more caramelized than burned now that you mention it, heres a pic of what it looked like
https://i.imgur.com/92UgHZrl.jpg

Sounds like we found the problem! I was able to just cut this part off and salvage the rest of the meat, although it was pretty overdone and just fell apart. Still not sure why this one got done so quickly, perhaps its the combination of wrapping too tightly coupled with having the point resting on top of the flat.

[Czarbecue]

Lots of good feedback here, thanks everyone! To answer some questions...



This is my smoker. I installed 2 Tel-Tru thermometers at grate level at opposite ends of the smoke chamber. Brisket was on the end farthest from firebox.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/35970269_2193052344314399_4033427925389803520_o.jp g?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=32850036648f276f206ff867721c2007&oe=5CB410BF



I did wrap the brisket tightly with aluminum foil. The rub did have brown and white sugar in it. It was more caramelized than burned now that you mention it, heres a pic of what it looked like

https://i.imgur.com/92UgHZrl.jpg



Sounds like we found the problem! I was able to just cut this part off and salvage the rest of the meat, although it was pretty overdone and just fell apart. Still not sure why this one got done so quickly, perhaps its the combination of wrapping too tightly coupled with having the point resting on top of the flat.


Try butcher paper next time instead of foil.

[JWACKS]

After wrapping, meat will continue to lose water as it cooks. If the foil is sealed, it will braise in these "juices". I've had the bottom burn when cooking at higher temperatures and my foil leaked. If there was no liquid in your foil when opened, this could explain what you experienced.