Smoked Brisket Help

[Plumbcrazyone]

Just when I thought I was finally getting the hang of low and slow Brisket cooking I decided to cook one with out wrapping it for the finish The flat became probe tender before the point was finished. By the time the point was good the flat ended up about 8-10 degrees past probe tende, so it was a little on the fall apart side. Still damm tasty but frustrating. The bark was way, way better cooking it this way but how the heck do you get the point and flat to finish at the same time if you don't want to wrap it up? Maybe I should have pulled it and cut the point off and put it back on the smoker??? Additionally I failed to get a good thick smoke ring. It had great smoke flavor and was plenty juicy but It has a very skinny pink ring. I am curious to hear if this is normal or why it is that you don't always get a real thick smoke ring??? I cooked this with charcoal and bagged store bought chunk Hickory. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Plumbcrazyone]

 

[Rocky Branch BBQ]

You said " still damn tasty, it had great smoke flavor, and was plenty juicy"-- well that sounds pretty dadgum good. Frig the smoke ring. Why don't you tell us how you made all that happen? Sounds like a excellent smoke to me. You should be giving advice rather than looking for it.

 

[Thatgrimguy]

Looks pretty freaking good from here.

 

[Plumbcrazyone]

You said " still damn tasty, it had great smoke flavor, and was plenty juicy"-- well that sounds pretty dadgum good. Frig the smoke ring. Why don't you tell us how you made all that happen? Sounds like a excellent smoke to me. You should be giving advice rather than looking for it.

This was.maybe the 8 or 9 th brisket I have ever cooked so I am definitely a beginner here. Trimmed seasoned and refrigerated last night. 50/50 mix of very course ground back pepper via spice/coffee grinder and kosher flake salt. Thin coat of ground paprika. Topped it off with moderately sprinkled Montreal steak seasoning. Lit the charcoal and 5-6 chunks of hickory at about 8 am this morning. Targeted 250-275f at the grill. Started checking for tenderness when the flat hit 197f. I think I should have pulled it then but let it go until the point was probe tender. 201f. 13lb brisket 10 hours on the Weber. Rested in the oven on a drying rack until flat cooled to 170f (about 1.5 hours). That's really about it. The bark was really, really awesome. i think the next one will come off the grill when the flat is tender. Remove the point and finish it on its own???

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

To me it looks like a success!
10 hours for 13 lb @250/275F is preatty reasonable.
I have had always the opposite experience: always point first and flat second.
Are my briskets strange or not ?

 

[Bigr314]

Looks like a great brisket. My points are always done before the flat. I have never had a flat done first. I cook on a reverse flow stick burner, always a nice smoke ring. If you are getting great smoke flavor and the meat is juicy and getting some ring, i really do not see a problem. I am sure the experts will be on soon.

 

[Big Swole]

I think that Was a success!!!

I'd eat it!!!

 

[lastmajordude]

I only hope I can serve a brisket one day that looks that bad......man oh man that is BEAUTIFUL.......aweome!!

 

[Plumbcrazyone]

To me it looks like a success!
10 hours for 13 lb @250/275F is preatty reasonable.
I have had always the opposite experience: always point first and flat second.
Are my briskets strange or not ?

Yeah, I agree with you. When I probed the point end it did not feel as tender under the point where the flat continues under it. it was still really good. I guess I just need to keep practicing.

 

[landarc]

In my opinion, across rather a lot of briskets, the point always renders slower than the flat. It gets soft faster, and goes probe tender faster, but, to really get the point to it's best texture takes 30 minutes to an hour longer than the flat does. I cook until the flat is on the ragged edge of being over-done. If I pick up the packer and it flops over, and the flat bends easily, then I figure I am done.

If I have cooked without a wrap, then at this point, if I need to hold it, I will wrap in paper and place in whatever holding device I have available. It turns out, this actually helps with texture.

In terms of smoke ring, that is an interaction between meat, salt, moisture in the cooker and the actual smoke. It's not really possible to control all of those elements. I don't put much stock in having that smoke ring. On the ever more frequent occasion that someone says 'well, you can tell a real smoked piece of meat by that smoke ring', I just smile and offer them a beer.

 

[Stlsportster]

Meathead says no smoke ring is necessary. That's just a chemical reaction but doesn't indicate smoke flavor.

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html

 

[Plumbcrazyone]

Thanks all.

 

[lankster35]

If you put your meat on while it is still cold(er) then it will most likely have a larger smoke ring.......not sure what you did with this one as far as putting on the smoker cold or let it sit out for a while.

 

[Westx]

One thing you didn't mention is was the point toward the heat or away from it. Alway place the point toward the heat source. That brisket looks fantastic.

 

[Plumbcrazyone]

I cooked it on my Komado style Weber above the heat deflector plate. It did turn out very tasty. I guess I was expecting to see a thicker smoke ring since I did not wrap this one.