Dry, tough brisket on large Egg (4th attempt)

I agree with everyone else. Sounds like your pulling it too soon. You could try wrapping it when it hits 170 with foil and then leaving it on the Egg till it hits 195 and then cooler it for a while.

I've found brisket dries out in a nanosecond. Using an injection of some form or other helps.

Question for you folks who cook the brisket for >12 hours: do you start the cook the night before, and let it go unattended overnight? Will the large Egg hold enough charcoal to go that long?
I've used an electric water smoker for over ten years (ol' Betsy is in the landfill now) and I'd get up at 0600 to start the brisket, and it was ready by dinnertime, but I'm hesitant to start getting up at four, or sitting in a lawn chair with a cooler of beer all night long like the BBQ competitors do it... :huh:

 
Yes, the large loaded with lump will cook that brisket and probably as second one after that. Here at 5000' elevation, loading the lump to the top of the fire ring will cook 18 hours at 250°. Shut down and restart and cook a chicken for 1hr 30 minutes. Shut down, restart cook some steaks at 500° sear then 350° for the roast, shut down. Restart, cook some burgers and shut down. The useable lump in the firebox looked like it needed a small refill for the next cook.

I am guessing a full load will cook for 30 to 36 hours.

GG

Just emailed to you

Just emailed it to you. If you want to repost it that would be fine with me just without the cover picture.

Thanks Michael. Per your request, here's the recipe without the photo

Ryan's Brisket

Brisket
2 tblsp brown sugar
2 tblsp paprika
1 tblsp chili powder
1 tblsp oregano
1 tblsp salt
1 tblsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp dried mustard

Buy whole brisket (point and flat). A butcher will be best place to find a whole one. Combine all dry ingredients in a blender on liquify in short bursts. You are basically heating the spices just enough to bond them together w/o burning them.

Do not rinse or pat dry brisket. The blood is fine. Don’t mess with it. Rub onto brisket. Most on the flesh side but make sure fat side gets some too. If you do not have enough rub, make some more. You do want a nice coating of rub so a 2nd batch isn’t uncommon depending on the size brisket.

This will be a direct cook w/ a raised grate. Regular grate plus 3 fire bricks and another grate on top equals a raised grate. Settle egg at 250-275, no hotter, no cooler. Add some apple, pecan or mesquite chunks (not chips) for smoke. You can soak the chunks but I don’t think it’s necessary for chunks. Always keep a squirt bottle near and use when you feel necessary to prevent drying, maybe once an hr at most.

Smoke brisket until internal temp is 195. Always use the probe going straight down into the flat.

Take brisket off and wrap in 2 layers of foil and 2 towels. Put in a cooler and close lid for 1-2 hrs. No ice in cooler obviously.

Slice from smallest end first and at an angle.

This cook will take atleast 6 hrs and could go to 9.

Most people cook brisket indirect for a long time, but I’ve had tremendous success with this raised grid direct cook. It’s always tender and very juicy.

Good Luck!

FYI - getting the text from a PDF isn't really much of a hassle - as in most other document applications: open the PDF in Adobe Reader; high-light the desired text; copy to the clipboard; then paste into the receiving document, in this case the text box in the posting engine. Done.