Should I be doing anything differently when smoking a snake river farms gold brisket?

[jaybert]

I've read conflicting information re: where I should expect the internal temperature to be when ready, how quickly they cook, etc. any tips? I cooked 1 gold brisket that cooked way quicker than expected, and a SRF black brisket which took closer to the standard 1.5hr/lb so a bit confused on how much time I should be allotting.

I usually start probing when I see the internal temp at 195 (and end up pulling around 203 per Franklin). Should I be starting earlier at like 180 or am I just wasting heat/prolonging the cook by opening and probing so much.


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[Coat]

Only thing you should do different is change your guest list to include me! ��

 

[ronbrad62]

Only thing you should do different is change your guest list to include me! ��

He beat me to it, so make that one more place for dinner.

 

[ronbrad62]

But, you sound like you are doing it correctly. If you want to start probing earlier, maybe start checking at 190, but the general consensus here is to pull at probe tenderness rather than temp.

 

[tom b]

well you could freak out a little and worry about screwing it up, I probably would

 

[jaybert]

Only thing you should do different is change your guest list to include me! ��

Haha. I'm a novice. Trying to offset my mediocre skills with high quality brisket. I have no doubt someone who knows what they're doing with a prime brisket can do way better. The 1st gold brisket I did I ended up severely overcooking. Didn't have enough time to defrost in the fridge so ended up having to defrost in water. I think I got the outside way more defrosted vs the middle and that caused all sorts of issues cooking.

 

[Bob C Cue]

I assume you have already insured it with Lloyd's of London. If so, you are ready to go! Best of luck!

 

[Coat]

Haha. I'm a novice. Trying to offset my mediocre skills with high quality brisket. I have no doubt someone who knows what they're doing with a prime brisket can do way better. The 1st gold brisket I did I ended up severely overcooking. Didn't have enough time to defrost in the fridge so ended up having to defrost in water. I think I got the outside way more defrosted vs the middle and that caused all sorts of issues cooking.

So it was falling apart? I ask because Taking your word that you're a novice w brisket, it's possible it was under...if it's dry and doesn't fall apart it's most always under cooked but a lot of times people confuse it for over cooked bc of the dryness.

 

[Rockinar]

I would start checking any brisket at about 180 and pull it when its probe tender, not at any specific temp. Also would not worry much about what Franklin says or does. He just gives generic info to get you pointed in the right direction so your brisket is edible and not a total loss. I dont think he personally follows any of the advice he gives out.

Can you image how many times he has been asked "What temp do you cook at?" Do you think he's going to tell you what he does on his 20" long 1000 gallon commercial smoker that does not apply to you, or what you should probably be doing on your little 36" backyard pellet smoker?


I dont panic till its 210 internal and not probe tender. At that point I start realizing its going to be a chop beef sandwich or brisket chili day instead..

 

[Czarbecue]

I've read conflicting information re: where I should expect the internal temperature to be when ready, how quickly they cook, etc. any tips? I cooked 1 gold brisket that cooked way quicker than expected, and a SRF black brisket which took closer to the standard 1.5hr/lb so a bit confused on how much time I should be allotting.

I usually start probing when I see the internal temp at 195 (and end up pulling around 203 per Franklin). Should I be starting earlier at like 180 or am I just wasting heat/prolonging the cook by opening and probing so much.

The ol' 1.5hr/lb is way too long unless you're including wrap and rest time (or going 200F, heh). I used to do by time and then temp.. now after a dozen or so briskets this year, I go by feel and only use the temp probes for ambient grate temps.

I wrap in BP when I like the color, which is usually around 160F-170F internal temp. This doesn't change when using Select, Choice, or Prime. I have done 8 pounders to 16 pounders and they have all ranged from 8 hours to 14.

 

[Panupat]

Got excited that you were smoking a snake for a second.

For me, I go for 175-ish for baby backs. it gives lots of tug but soft and the bend test feels bouncy rather than limping down. Spares I go for 190-ish (wife likes it even closer to 200) this is where it gets almost fall of the bone but not quite.

 

[LTG]

What are you cooking on and at what temp? Not trying to be a downer here but a wagyu brisket isn’t a magic bullet for learning how to properly cook a brisket in general.

 

[Smoking Piney]

I went to a comp cook in Atlantic City last weekend and got to taste wagyu brisket for the the first time visiting a team. It was incredible and cooked perfectly - a nice bend without breaking over a a knife edge.

They cooked hot and fast - 300 to 325. Their reasoning was rendering and melting the increased fat the wagyu has.

All I know is the slices I tasted were cooked perfectly and tasted fantastic.

 

[jaybert]

What are you cooking on and at what temp? Not trying to be a downer here but a wagyu brisket isn’t a magic bullet for learning how to properly cook a brisket in general.

Kamado joe big joe. 225 measured at the grate with a heatermeter to regulate temp. Agreed on not expecting the meat to all of a sudden result in a well cooked brisket. Packer briskets are hard to get up here. It's either driving 45min to restaurant Depot for choice, or paying $9/lb to get prime at the fancy butcher. Wagyu doesn't end up being that much more expensive and I don't cook brisket enough where the difference in price really matters. It would be a different story if I could get prime briskets from Costco for $3-4/lb....

 

[SDAR]

We cooked a gold in an IBCA added money event in 2014 when we were heavy into competition. It was probably the best one we had ordered...certainly to that date.

That brisket was soft as ever and jiggled like jello at 187. I called my wife over and showed her and asked her opinion. After accusing the thermopen of being false and scratching our heads we went with the feel. We pulled it, placed second and made about $300 more than price plus shipping.

We still talk about that and check well marbled meat sooner than we did before.

It was so good when we sliced it and we were really confident heading to awards. To this day though, it still haunts us wondering how good that 1st place brisket was. We have placed 1st many times, but that 187 finished brisket was probably our best.

 

[sudsandswine]

I'm certainly no expert, and my experience is mostly anecdotal, but I've always felt like the less marbled briskets finished earlier, all else being equal. A mediocre looking choice usually finishes around 195 to 198 for me whereas a nicely marbled prime brisket will go as high as 208 or 210 before it probes where I want it. Each example cooking on average 275ish.

The last wagyu I cooked I definitely did not leave on the cooker long enough as there was a bunch of unrendered connective tissue, but I let my thermometer reading take precedence over my probe touch and I was unhappy with it.

I'm just surprised to hear the wagyu's you all have cooked finished so low - again, I've cooked like 3 wagyu's so take that for what it's worth.

 

[ssv3]

I've cooked two. Cooks slightly faster but that's about. Don't get worked up over it. Only thing I can say is sit down before you sample. :-D It's that good. Hands down best briskets I've done.

 

[SDAR]

One of the reasons to pull the gold we pulled at 187 was because it was acting like it didn't want to go higher than 187. It was weird like a high temperature stall. It TOLD me it was done.

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

I'm certainly no expert, and my experience is mostly anecdotal, but I've always felt like the less marbled briskets finished earlier, all else being equal. A mediocre looking choice usually finishes around 195 to 198 for me whereas a nicely marbled prime brisket will go as high as 208 or 210 before it probes where I want it. Each example cooking on average 275ish.

The last wagyu I cooked I definitely did not leave on the cooker long enough as there was a bunch of unrendered connective tissue, but I let my thermometer reading take precedence over my probe touch and I was unhappy with it.

I'm just surprised to hear the wagyu's you all have cooked finished so low - again, I've cooked like 3 wagyu's so take that for what it's worth.

Not many folks are experts on brisket, with that said, my cooks have resulted in the same findings as yours. With waygu the poke feeling seems to be a little different, it normally takes another 30 minutes of cook time over a regular brisket, when the poke feeling is the same.

 

[srfannella]

One of the reasons to pull the gold we pulled at 187 was because it was acting like it didn't want to go higher than 187. It was weird like a high temperature stall. It TOLD me it was done.

The first time I ever cooked a gold this happened to me too, but at about 178. It just stalled out..I wrapped at that point and cranked up the heat a little it came right out of it. We get a lot of folks that call us after the first time they've cooked a gold and say it was tough or crumbly, and they are usually under-cooked. It's not uncommon to have to go a little higher on temp with the golds, if you're cooking hot and fast 210-214 is not unheard of.

We always suggest to start probing a little earlier and when you get that buttery feel (you'll get it) you know it's done!

We're always here to help if you need it, and we can also put you in touch with the folks we know that are cooking golds if you need more advice or tips!

Cheers!