Second Brisket Ever

[Memphis Que]

I have just about finished Aaron Franklin's book which has inspired me to try smoking a brisket again in the morning. My first try back in March didn't go so well, and I would like to get your input on what I did so hopefully tomorrow's attempt will go better.

I had a full packer CAB 12 pounder that I smoked on my large Big Green Egg. I trimmed the brisket based on a Franklin video that I found on YouTube. I didn't use my Guru. My target temp was 250 degrees, and the actual temp fluctuated between 240 and 270. I used Butcher prime injection and brisket rub. I rubbed the brisket 4 hours after injecting it, and put it on the BGE an hour after I rubbed it. I used hickory chunks for the smoke.

When the internal temp in the thickest part of the flat hit 160 after about 3 hours, I wrapped it in foil. There wasn't much of a stall, and to my surprise the internal temp reached 202 degrees after only 3 more hours for a total time of 6 hours. The flat wasn't probe tender yet, but I was afraid I was going to overcook it so I pulled it from the BGE and put it in the cambro for a couple of hours hoping that would help make it tender. It didn't.

The point was pretty good and resulted in some nice burnt ends and slices, but the flat was really dry and had an artificial type of taste which I guess was from the injection? In any event, no more injection for me.

I'm thinking that I pulled the brisket too early, after only 6 hours on the BGE, but what do you guys think? Should I have left it on until probe tender even if this meant over cooking it temp wise? Why do you think it cooked so quickly, only 30 minutes per pound?

For tomorrow's cook, I have a Creekstone Choice 12 pounder that I'm going to cook on my Backwoods Chubby at 250 with no injection and a basic salt and pepper rub. Any tips on how to avoid the dryness that I experienced last time? I have some butcher paper that I'm planning to wrap with, but do you think foil would be better for a newbie like me to use?

After the last fiasco, I had pretty much lost interest in brisket and decided to stick to what I know which is pork. However, I have had some really good brisket in Texas, and it is impossible to get the good stuff in a restaurant here in Memphis so I need to make my own if I want any.

Thanks in advance for all your help. This site is such a great resource for things like this.

 

[smokerpa]

I don't have the answer to the reason why it cooked so fast. I would ask if your temp probe was accurate.

When I cooked my first brisket ever, it came out perfect. I told my wife I didn't know what the big deal was. The next ten were not like the first. Then it came to my realization that the first one I was lucky on with a temp.

I don't use temperature anymore on brisket. They throw around the word probe tender, and that is something that I have gone with for a long time. After a while and you get use to your cooker, in this case, the BGE. You will probably do a bunch and get use to the rough idea on how long it should take.

I'm not a big Franklin guy, and that is not to say anything bad about him either. But he says the same thing as a lot of people on here say. It's done when it is done. The temp is only a tool, not the end all be all answer to cooking.

Hope that helps.

 

[Neurosistx]

Hitting 160 internal on a 12 pounder in three hours then 203 in six doesn't add up to me. Were you going off the BGE lid thermo for the 240-270 you mentioned?
What did you use to temp the meat?
Did you have it rest before throwing in the cambro?

 

[Memphis Que]

Hitting 160 internal on a 12 pounder in three hours then 203 in six doesn't add up to me. Were you going off the BGE lid thermo for the 240-270 you mentioned?
What did you use to temp the meat?
Did you have it rest before throwing in the cambro?

I was using a Maverick for the grate temp and the meat temp. I also used a Thermapen to check the meat temp. I did not rest it before putting it in the cambro.

I will be using my Guru in the morning on the Chubby.

 

[smokerpa]

I was using a Maverick for the grid temp and the meat temp. I also used a Thermapen to check the meat temp. I did not rest it before putting it in the cambro.

I will be using my Guru in the morning on the Chubby.

This doesn't make sense to me. Did you have the meat probe in the meat itself or fat? You didn't go too far through it and close to the heat source? I'm just trying to figure out how you would have got a temp like that, and that quick.

On the thermapen, did you use ice water and boiling water since then to see if it is reading correctly?

 

[Memphis Que]

I don't have the answer to the reason why it cooked so fast. I would ask if your temp probe was accurate.

When I cooked my first brisket ever, it came out perfect. I told my wife I didn't know what the big deal was. The next ten were not like the first. Then it came to my realization that the first one I was lucky on with a temp.

I don't use temperature anymore on brisket. They throw around the word probe tender, and that is something that I have gone with for a long time. After a while and you get use to your cooker, in this case, the BGE. You will probably do a bunch and get use to the rough idea on how long it should take.

I'm not a big Franklin guy, and that is not to say anything bad about him either. But he says the same thing as a lot of people on here say. It's done when it is done. The temp is only a tool, not the end all be all answer to cooking.

Hope that helps.

That helps a lot. Thanks very much.

I will pay more attention to tenderness rather than temp tomorrow.

 

[Bludawg]

BluDawgs Brisket

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind Black peppa by volume( this is a true 50/50 BY weight)
apply a coat of rub you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag

 

[Memphis Que]

This doesn't make sense to me. Did you have the meat probe in the meat itself or fat? You didn't go too far through it and close to the heat source? I'm just trying to figure out how you would have got a temp like that, and that quick.

On the thermapen, did you use ice water and boiling water since then to see if it is reading correctly?

It didn't make sense to me either based on everything I have read.

The meat probe was in the thickest part of the meat in the flat, not the fat.

I checked the Thermapen with ice water, and it was accurate. The Thermapen and the Maverick were pretty consistent on the meat temp which makes me think they were both accurate.

 

[smokerpa]

Bludawg, good analogy for the probe tender definition.

I could not agree more with your recipe either. When I started I use to throw everything at a piece of meat. Now I cook all brisket with salt and pepper.

 

[mikemci]

I've had some that didn't get tender until 213*. It sounds like you pulled it too soon if it wasn't probe tender. Forget the temp.

 

[ButtBurner]

Its possible that it cooked that fast because it was in a Kamodo type cooker.

maybe check with other BGE users

I agree with everyone else that you pulled it too soon

I am going to do one soon for the first time on my Akorn, intersted to see how that goes

let us know how this cook goes please

 

[Memphis Que]

Its possible that it cooked that fast because it was in a Kamodo type cooker.

maybe check with other BGE users

I agree with everyone else that you pulled it too soon

I am going to do one soon for the first time on my Akorn, intersted to see how that goes

let us know how this cook goes please

Will do. Brisket on the pit at 8:00 Central time this morning.

This Creekstone Choice looks really good. Much better than the CAB I cooked last time. It was $1.50 per pound more ($5.99 vs. $3.49). We will see whether it was worth it.

 

[Bludawg]

JM2C I cook mostly select grade and make a mean brisket, that is where everyone needs to start once you get consistent get results on cheap meat then step up to the higher grades.

 

[lashing1c]

Probe tender in the thickest part of the flat is when you brisket is done. There is so much fat in the point it will not dry out.

Listen to Bludawg!!!!!! He has guided more people through brisket cooks than anyone on here. I have seen more newbie brisket cooks comment back to him about the success they have had when they followed his advice.

 

[Danny B]

Franklin says 6 hours at 275 then into butcher paper. Bludawg says 4 hours at 300 then into butcher paper. I would use the butcher paper if you have some. Also I picked up a tip here on this site to use a wooden skewer or some other type probe to check for probe tender instead of the thermapen so you pay more attention to the feel of the meat than looking at the temperature. Good luck and I predict a better outcome this time for you.

 

[Memphis Que]

I will try Bludawg's method next time. I'm cooking for dinner tonight, and the brisket might be ready too soon if I cook at 300. Of course, if it isn't ready by 8:00, I will be wishing I had listened to Bludawg!

Besides, I've never cooked as high as 275 on this Chubby and want to see how it does at that temp with water in the pan before I cook any higher. There were a couple of hiccups early on this morning, but it is now rocking along at 275 with no problem. Fingers crossed!

Do you guys let it rest in a cambro or just out on the counter? Franklin doesn't say anything about a cambro and says to let it rest fully wrapped until the internal temp is 140-145.

 

[thesemicullen]

Rest it on the counter to allow the temps to come down so it doesn't carry-over cook in the cooler/cambro.

 

[smokerpa]

We need pics to believe that you are cooking. I let mine rest on the counter or a table outside if it is not too hot. If it was 100 outside, I would let it rest inside or use a cambro.

 

[Danny B]

Here is a lot of info on resting brisket - http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...ace-new-barbecue-truth-rested-meat-is-sublime

If you do decide to put it in a cooler you probably want to let it sit on the counter about 15 minutes first to stop any carry over cooking.

 

[Memphis Que]

Meat temp was 160 after 2 hours and 15 minutes and 175 after 3 hours. Color looks good. Surface is still fairly moist, but I hit it with a light spritz of apple juice at 3 hours.

Pit temp has been steady at 275. If meat temp continues to rise, I may wrap at 4 hours. What do you guys think? Have I missed the stall?