Brisket - the unpredictable

REMtx

So I have been cooking my second brisket that I have ever done since last evening. Truly, brisket is unpredictable.  My first brisket was a Prime packer about 11.40 pounds before trimming.  It took about 11 hours to cook at a steady 250 grate temp.

So for my second brisket, which is a 14 pounds before trimming.  I thought it would take about 14 hours to cook not including rest time, and I gave my self about 2-3 hours of cushion space just in case.  Well out of the gate this brisket has been crazy.  Started cooking fast and shot up to 111 degrees internal temp in the thick part of the flat in just one hour. So i dialed the grate temp down to 235-240 (which isnt a big change, I should have just let it be) only to bump it up during the stall.  

Well its now been about 15 hours since I placed the brisket and it is in the mid to late 170s internal temp.  That 160s stall took FOREVER.  I started running out of charcoal now as I did not go above the firebowl this time, since last brisket cook, I had plenty left over.  So I added more charcoal.

Brisket looks and smells amazing but its just not probe tender yet.   Looks like a noon lunch isn't happening, looking more of a late lunch/linner.  I havent wrapped my brisket in butcher paper. Should I?  Started to worry that I'm adding to many variables into the cook.

Foghorn

You wouldn't be wrong to wrap in paper - or in foil if you really want to speed up the cook.  And you can raise the temp to 300 or so without any repercussions.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

It would have been roughly the same as the other had you left the temp alone. Sometimes having all these thermos in your meant and on your egg can cause more problems than they fix. Just know that almost all your briskets will cook pretty much the same within an hour or 2 when cooked at the same temp. Don't panic when the temp hits 111 in an hour. I don't even look at mine for Many hours after I put them in. Could care less what they do until they come out of the stall. And the stall is long- even at 250. And you may thing going from 250-235 Ian;t much but it is. Especially if you are talking dome temp. 

If you are in a hurry- you should wrap it. You have many hours to go at that temp. You will probably stall out again for an hour or 2 at these lower temps so you need to push the temps up a little and/or wrap if you want to eat any time soon. Keep an eye on it once wrapped. It will come up fast. Don't over shoot it. I pull around 195-198 when wrapped no matter what they feel like. They will come up a few more degrees and they always settle down in the cooler rest. 

lousubcap

You now have two data points on the road to brisket nirvana (or he-l) depending on your preference .  As you are experiencing, the friggin cow drives the cook and the journey it decides to take you on can be quite problematic.  So, crack another adult supervisory beverage and enjoy the ride.

Regarding butcher paper, it won't speed up the cook (by much) but is mainly used to preserve your bark.  If you are against it time-wise then foil will power you thru to the finish-line but you will lose some bark texture.  Or run nekked and see where you land.  Just give it around 20 minutes on a cooling rack (stop the carry-over cook) before FTC.  FWIW-