Need Help with first brisket....6.5# flat

[Philly-QueMaster]

Hey everyone, I need some help doing my first brisket. I picked up a 6.5# flat from Sams club the other day....they only had flats. I want to cook it for my grandmothers 89th birthday party this saturdayd. I'm trying to determine the timing for the cook or at least get a general idea. I have to be at the party saturday sometime around 1:30 so I'd have pull off the brisket around 1pm. I was wondering if it would be better to cook it up a day before and then just reheat it on saturday...or if I should throw it on first thing Saturday morning...then foil and take down to the party.

Any ideas how long a 6.5# flat might take....it seems pretty thin almost like a steak thickness. I'm somewhat concerned about it getting dried out. Here are some pics.

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

I forgot to mention I plan to do a simple rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and smoke it on the drum.

 

[sfbbqguy]

I'm certainly no expert but I'd cook the day before. Otherwise you're gonna be up real early getting things going and may or may not get the brisket to the "butta" phase.

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

Thanks. Thats what I was thinking. I want to make sure I have the time to let it go as long as it needs.

 

[Boat-n-BBQ]

I don’t use a UDS, but your cook temp will drive your time. So it depends on what you temp you can run stable for a long cook.

On my Bubba’s at that size I’d say..
200-215* = 12 hours +/- 1 hour
225 = 10 hours +/- 1 hour
250 = 7 hours +/- 1 hour

Double foiled, wrapped in towels and stuffed in a cooler you can hold it above 140* for several hours easy. I’d shoot for getting it done a bit early to be safe and use this to transport it. Slice at her house.

That said listen to the UDS pros, not me. They know your cooker better than I. Oh, BTW brisket is tricky. Taking your first brisket to your grandma’s 89th Bday shows real guts!!! I’ll be rooting for ya..

Luck,
Boat

 

[Three porks]

Philly,

I just did a 6.5 lbs flat from Sam's cause they had no packers available as well. I smoked the flat with Hickory/Pecan and rubbed heavily in Montreal with cayenne. Smoked at 200 for 2 hrs(for increased smoke absorption) then ramped up to 325. I've been doing more and more hot and fast briskets. Once the brisket hit 150 foiled till 185. Once at 185 unfoiled to crisp/darken bark. Brisket was officially done at 206 (probe tender everywhere). I saved my foil drippings and used it as a drizzle. (Make sure its not bitter thought.) This time my drippings tasted great! Once pulled from the smoker, I wrapped in butcher paper and wrapped in towels and placed it in a cooler. I rested for 2 hrs then sliced. Even after 2 hrs it was to hot to hold.

If your plans are to have it ready by 130, I would have it resting by 1130.

Theres nothing worse than being stuck in the plataue phase of the cook and being on a time constraint. My brisket got stuck at 179-183 for almost 2 hrs....then once it broke, it hit 207 in 40 min.

Good luck!

 

[mgwerks]

I don't know what you are using to smoke on, but you might be able to do the hot/fast method and be done in a few hours: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81796

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

Philly,

I just did a 6.5 lbs flat from Sam's cause they had no packers available as well. I smoked the flat with Hickory/Pecan and rubbed heavily in Montreal with cayenne. Smoked at 200 for 2 hrs(for increased smoke absorption) then ramped up to 325. I've been doing more and more hot and fast briskets. Once the brisket hit 150 foiled till 185. Once at 185 unfoiled to crisp/darken bark. Brisket was officially done at 206 (probe tender everywhere). I saved my foil drippings and used it as a drizzle. (Make sure its not bitter thought.) This time my drippings tasted great! Once pulled from the smoker, I wrapped in butcher paper and wrapped in towels and placed it in a cooler. I rested for 2 hrs then sliced. Even after 2 hrs it was to hot to hold.

If your plans are to have it ready by 130, I would have it resting by 1130.

Theres nothing worse than being stuck in the plataue phase of the cook and being on a time constraint. My brisket got stuck at 179-183 for almost 2 hrs....then once it broke, it hit 207 in 40 min.

Good luck!

THanks for the tips. How long was your whole cook time? I may just do it the day before so I'm not rushing or on a time contrstraint. I figured I could just reheat on saturday.

 

[bigabyte]

I agree with the above, plan it to be done a couple hours early, then wrap and put in a warm cooler until you serve. I find brisket to really only be good that day it comes off the smoker. It loses some quality afterwards, and maybe after all these years of eating it I'm burnt out to the point I don't want to eat it unless it's fresh. Because of that, I wouldn't want to chill and reheat, but there's nothing wrong with doing that, many people do and love it.

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

Ok thanks for the advice everyone. Maybe I'll try the hot and fast method...bring it up to about 160* and then foil with some beef broth until it comes up to temp and is probe tender. I will then wrap in towels and put it in a cooler for the trip down to the party.

 

[Three porks]

THanks for the tips. How long was your whole cook time? I may just do it the day before so I'm not rushing or on a time contrstraint. I figured I could just reheat on saturday.

I started at 10am and sliced at 700pm (2hr rest) ...so figure 9 hrs total with resting....

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

I started at 10am and sliced at 700pm (2hr rest) ...so figure 9 hrs total with resting....

Wow...9hrs total?? Looks like I will be cooking it up the day before and reheating. Any tips on storing and reheating for best taste and moisture?

 

[dannypat21]

Its always better to let it rest a bit longer wrapped in towels than to run out of time and have undercooked brisket. You would need alligator teeth to eat it

 

[Boat-n-BBQ]

Take it from the UDS, double foil wrap and strait into the frig! Don't unwrap it.. Next day place in the oven (still foil wrapped) and heat at 250* till 165* internal temp. Unwrap and slice.

 

[Boat-n-BBQ]

Its always better to let it rest a bit longer wrapped in towels than to run out of time and have undercooked brisket. You would need alligator teeth to eat it

Ditto :thumb:

 

[Philly-QueMaster]

Thanks everyone! I'll be sure to post pics this weekend of the cook.

 

[augie]

Depending on how hot you cook it, tightly wrapping in foil could result in a great deal of extra cooking from the residual heat of the brisket.

I also don't like to put meat straight out of the cooker into cold storage - that could result in the internal portions being in the "danger zone" for too long.

If you get it all the way to "buttah" tenderness then tightly wrap you could end up with over cooked and mushy brisket. If I get brisket that's cooked to how I like it I will tent it under foil for a half hour or so, then slice it.

I find it easier to reheat slices than reheating a whole flat, then slicing.

YMMV

Good luck!