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Brisket - Maybe done too early

ElDestructo
ElDestructo Posts: 45
edited June 2012 in EggHead Forum
So this one is my fault I think, I was planning for ~2 hours/lb with another two hours of resting time.  I have a full packer brisket and after trimming a little bit (just hard spots, most of the fat cap is still in tact), it turned out to be a little under 13 lbs.  So if we were planning on eating tomorrow @ 5:00p.m. I put it on this afternoon at 3p.m.  Almost immediately I thought this was too early.  It appeared to enter the plateau around 6 hours into the cook right at 161 degrees, now at 11 p.m. it is still at 160 degrees.

I'll set an alarm to wake up around 3a.m. to check it, however I'm currently thinking that I may be in a situation where this is done far too early to just wrap and place in a cooler (even though the outside temperature will be 110 tomorrow).  I turn to the experts for advice.  I've read to sep. point and flat allowing the point to cook further to make the burnt ends while placing the flat in the fridge.  My question is really what to do with the flat.  Do I allow to cool and the slice before reheating?  Will this dry it out?  Do I just place the wrapped whole (or sliced) flat back on the egg for a couple of hours prior to dinner time?

Thanks all.

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Don't know where you are in the cook but you could drop the BGE temp to slow things down-you can easily hold the flat for 4-5 hours foil, toweled and in a cooler. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • It is 6 a.m. now and it is sitting around 188 degrees, I just checked it with a probe and it has a little ways to go, but unless there is another plateau it won't take too long.  Most of the night it was 200 dome, however when I check it now it is about 225 dome, I don't think I can close the vents down too much more as it may go out completely.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Stay the course with your current temp-holding 225 is fine.  You may see another plateau around 190 or so to help slow it down.  Unfortunately, I only have access to flats so no experience with packers.  If finished with the flat too early absent anything from others who have packer experience, I would separate the point and flat-continue with the burnt ends project and put the flat, with juices in a foil sealed  pan in the fridge.  About an hour before serving I would put the sealed pan back on the BGE to warm up then slice and serve.  The key is plenty of au jus to keep it moist.  But I'm sorta winging it here based on how flats behave.  Best of luck and let us know how it goes-hopefully others with packer eggsperience (Cen-Tex) will be along.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • do not place the flat in the fridge if you are eating it today. if you want to make burnt ends fine. The point is my favorite part of the brisket so I just slice it and eat it. if you seaparte them, FTC the flat. Maybe a few extra towels. It will stay warm all afternoon. If you separte and refrigerate, it will dry out your flat and reheated flat isn't nearly as good anyway.

    I would say choke the fire down as low as you can and ride it out for another few hours if you can stretch it. then FTC and dow whatever you want as far as burnt ends go.

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    do not place the flat in the fridge if you are eating it today. if you want to make burnt ends fine. The point is my favorite part of the brisket so I just slice it and eat it. if you seaparte them, FTC the flat. Maybe a few extra towels. It will stay warm all afternoon. If you separte and refrigerate, it will dry out your flat and reheated flat isn't nearly as good anyway.

    I would say choke the fire down as low as you can and ride it out for another few hours if you can stretch it. then FTC and dow whatever you want as far as burnt ends go.



    You can always slice up the flat and vacuum seal it. Just boil some water and reheat the bags.
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
  • do not place the flat in the fridge if you are eating it today. if you want to make burnt ends fine. The point is my favorite part of the brisket so I just slice it and eat it. if you seaparte them, FTC the flat. Maybe a few extra towels. It will stay warm all afternoon. If you separte and refrigerate, it will dry out your flat and reheated flat isn't nearly as good anyway.

    I would say choke the fire down as low as you can and ride it out for another few hours if you can stretch it. then FTC and dow whatever you want as far as burnt ends go.



    You can always slice up the flat and vacuum seal it. Just boil some water and reheat the bags.

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • So I lowered the temperature however too much for a while and the meat temp dropped to ~181.  However I have increased it back up and it is now sitting around 199, I checked it at 195 and it was still a little tough, so will test again soon.  At this point it isn't too long to hold, so I'll FTC the whole brisket.  Cen-Tex, do you suggest splitting to two muscles before wrapping?

    Thanks all for input here!
  • So I lowered the temperature however too much for a while and the meat temp dropped to ~181.  However I have increased it back up and it is now sitting around 199, I checked it at 195 and it was still a little tough, so will test again soon.  At this point it isn't too long to hold, so I'll FTC the whole brisket.  Cen-Tex, do you suggest splitting to two muscles before wrapping?

    Thanks all for input here!



    nope. Wrap it all together unless you are doing burnt ends.

    You can throw it back on at 350 for 20-30 min to firm up the bark after the rest if you want to (i do)

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Perfect, thans Cen-Tex, this is my first full packer brisket.  

    I just pulled it at around 202 degrees, seemed nice and tender, it is now very much wrapped in foil in a cooler with crumpled paper and towels to remove as much air space as possible... on yeah and it is out in the 100+ degree heat in the shade.

    As I'm planning on cooking a few other things (corn, and a few dogs for the kids) I've kept the egg burning, so I'll just open up the vents and get it back up to 350 and firm it up too, do you slice immediately after the 20-30 at 350?

    It appears that there is plenty of charcoal left (used BGE brand) with some huge pieces at the bottom, been very impressed with this bag in particular.


  • yes slice immidately after the crust has firmed up. It might not take that long so just keep an eye on it.. You are not trying to bring internal up any further so as soon as the crust is firm, take her off and eat

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Thanks again Cen-Tex, a great help.

    It looked and smelled great, so I'm really looking forward to slicing it.  About the point, how do you serve that?  Sliced too?
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Absent any info from Cen-Tex (and he may be along)-when time to slice (no burnt ends) I have heard and read that is when you should separate the point and flat.  Flat easy to carve-across the grain.  Point-a bit more of a challenge as the grain is not consistent-but try to slice across.  But this from a flat only brisketeer!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • This ended up pretty good, but not my best.  The point was excellent, but of course it isn't for everyone.  The flat however did crumble, I assume that is over cooking it?  Too long of a rest?  Perhaps I should have added some liquid to it before wrapping.  It was still 160 or so after taking it out of the cooler and that was about 5 hours later!


  • This ended up pretty good, but not my best.  The point was excellent, but of course it isn't for everyone.  The flat however did crumble, I assume that is over cooking it?  Too long of a rest?  Perhaps I should have added some liquid to it before wrapping.  It was still 160 or so after taking it out of the cooler and that was about 5 hours later!


    Yeah, it was overdone if it fell apart. they will come up another 10-15 degrees after pulling and wrapping so that may have gotten you a little. Liquid would not have helped and would have wrecked your crust so I don't like doing that unless absolutely necessary 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX