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I SUCK at BRISKET

cookn biker
cookn biker Posts: 13,407
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My 1st one was great, everything went according to plan. Second one, my medium ran out of fuel and I didnt wake up to the alarm so I didnt know how long it was in the danger zone. This one on medium for 13 hours and med started to drop despite me opening vents numerous times. I pulled and put in oven. This is why I want a large. I filled medium to the gills. I temped it and the reading was 194. Probe calabrated already. Put in cooler wrapped for 2 hrs. Started pulling it and it would not pull, like the colegens were not broke down yet. What gives? It was in the oven for 2 hrs @ 300. It is now back in oven and I hope it is safe.
I have put half down on a large demo for upcoming fest in Denver.
Any suggestions? Also I totally clean egg and start from scratch.
URRGG
Molly
Molly
Colorado Springs
"Loney Queen"
"Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE

Comments

  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    Always ask for the left side of the cow on briskets.
    Mike
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Why is that?
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    I'm sorry it was a joke. :P Briskets are hard, very hard. Each individual cow lays on one side most of its life. Making one side easier to cook than the other.
    For you just having a couple bad tries, you'll be okay.
    I try to stick to 7-8lb flats. Much easier.
    Always foil at some point with onions and beef broth. Usually 165.
    73brisket3.jpg

    Mike
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Brisket isn't really a pulling meat, it is more for slicing or chopping.

    I used my medium last weekend on a 10# picnic that went 15.5 hours, and I still have enough lump in it for a couple more short cooks. What kind of lump are you using?
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    royal oak. It is really windy here today, gusts up to 20 to 30 mph. Dont know if that made an issue
    Molly
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Angie2B
    Angie2B Posts: 543
    When I do long cooks, I fill lump to the top of the firering. I use 2 starter cubes on top buried in the lump a little. Then I use a third starter cube under the grate in the fire bowl. I light it though the bottom vent. I open the top and the bottom vent wide open until the cubes are completely out. The egg will start rising in temp on its own. I watch it really carefully and then I start slowly closing the vents as it starts rising, until the egg dome temp gets to 250-275. The bottom vent will only be open 1/4 of an inch. and the petals on the DFMT will be about halfway closed. Then I walk away and set a time for 1 hour and come back and check then how things are going. Last time I did this I got 18 hours of consistent 250 dome temp. I stirred the lump at that time and got at least 2 more hours, maybe more...I went to bed. I use Nature Glo lump. Hope this helps. :) By the way, I haven't got brisket down yet either. I'll try again here soon though!
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Cookin biker,

    Make sure you get a brisket with 3/8" to 1/2" of fat cap. Buy from a butcher and don't get frustrated. Brisket is a tough cook for any of us.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Michael B
    Michael B Posts: 986
    . Buy choice grade or better.
    . A whole "packer trim" brisket, which includes the flat and the point (smaller, fattier section), cooks up better than a smaller cut. I generally look for one about 13 pounds.
    . Some people believe that choosing a more limber brisket at the meat market will render a more tender brisket after it is cooked.
    . Some people believe that a brisket covered in white, hard fat (as opposed to yellow fat) indicates that the animal was fattened on grain and will render a superior final product.
    . You can trim the fat cap over the flat to about 1/3 inch thick.
    . Set-up: plate setter-legs up (I orient the plate setter with one leg lined up with the hot spot near the back of the Egg); drip pan slightly elevated off of the plate setter, grate.
    . Put the brisket on with the point toward the back of the egg and the fat cap down.
    . I know it sounds like a waste, but pouring a two or three cans of beer in the drip pan at the start wouldn’t hurt.
    . Make sure the drip pan is under the entire brisket. If you have a little overhang at the start of the cook, protect the brisket ends with a couple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.
    . You can cook at higher temps to push the brisket through the plateaus faster, but low-n-slow is the way to go for tender results. You want about 225* at the grate. Don’t go over 250*F. I read recently where some people drop the temp down to 200* - 210* to extend the plateau.
    . Do not pull it off until you have an honest internal temp of 190*F, measured in the center of the flat from the side of the brisket. Don’t try to measure temp in the point; the extra fat there often causes incorrect readings. At 190*F the brisket should be fork tender. Test by sticking a meat fork in the flat and twisting. 205*F is not overcooked, but you’ll have to slice it a little thicker to keep the slices from falling apart.
    * 1 hour or more rest time in a warm cooler prior to slicing is just as important as any other part of the preparation. Do not skip or skimp on it!
    . The grain of the beef runs in different directions in the point and flat. Separate the two before slicing, and always slice thin and across the grain.
    . For burnt ends, cut the point into 3/4 inch (2cm) cubes, put a light coat of rub on them, put them in an aluminum pan with some of your favorite BBQ sauce, and then put them back in the Egg for another hour or two.

    See also:
    Brisket - Playing With Fire and Smoke
    Beer Basted Brisket – The Smoke Ring
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    That is pretty much my ritual. Maybe I need to practice my patience?
    Thanks for your detailed informative reply.
    Molly
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Michael B
    Michael B Posts: 986
    Are you sure you're getting choice or better from the market?

    I do subscribe to the 'limber before cooked = more tender after' idea.

    The 'left side is tenderer' idea came from someone who says that when they lay down, most cows lie on their right side.
  • Molly,
    Like you, I am still learning. Michael gave some great tips, most of which I am following.
    In my last cook, I found what I believe to be the single most important task, and it MUST be followed.
    Resting the brisket after the cook is critical. After reaching the final temp, I put the brisket in HD foil, inside the warm ice chest. I also added about 8 ounces of beef broth inside the foil envelope. When I retrieved the brisket about 90 minutes later, EVERY ounce of the broth had been absorbed, and the meat was awesome!
    So, I am learning, like you, and found this to be the most important lesson in my education so far.
    Good luck!
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    After doing a bunch of briskets over the last 3 years, I've had them underdone, falling apart, dry, juicy and have come to the following conclusions:

    1. Packers do better for me than flats.
    2. I will only cook CAB choice or prime packers.
    3. Fat up or down has not mattered on whole briskets
  • Gandolf
    Gandolf Posts: 906
    I have a Large and Medium and can tell you that is a great combination. I can also tell you that the Medium is perfectly capable of going 20 hours at 250 with no problem. Having a Medium is not the problem. Keep at it, you'll get it right soon. Brisket is among my favorites on the Egg.