Dry Brisket: Overcooked or Undercooked?

ShaneF · October 2012

I have only cooked a couple briskets but they usually come out pretty dry. I use about 10lb whole packers and leave most of the fat on them. I put the plate setter legs up, use a drip pan, use a mustard coating and then Dizzy pig rub and it on the grid Fat side up. I get 230 degree hold at grid temp and usually cook for about 10-12 hours. I have been pulling the briskets off when they hit about 192 and the meat has been pretty tough and dry. My question is, should I keep cooking them longer until they start getting up around 200 or will this dry them out even more? Do yall see any changes that I could possibly make? I cant figure out if they are tough/dry because I am not letting the meat break down long enough, or if they are tough/dry because I am over cooking the brisket.

Thanks for the help! I plan to try another this weekend. Perfect BBQ weather around Austin!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

You are cooking too slow. Take your dome temp up to 300 or so and cook them at about an hour per lb. When the temp hits 190, start probing a few spots in the flat to see if it slides in like butter. Once the flat feels very tender when the probe goes in, you are ready. Anywhere from 185-205. Mine are ready more than not around 195

TUTTLE871 · October 2012

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
You are cooking too slow. Take your dome temp up to 300 or so and cook them at about an hour per lb. When the temp hits 190, start probing a few spots in the flat to see if it slides in like butter. Once the flat feels very tender when the probe goes in, you are ready. Anywhere from 185-205. Mine are ready more than not around 195

That's good to know because I have been doing 225 an they come out dry as well, now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

TUTTLE871 said:

You are cooking too slow. Take your dome temp up to 300 or so and cook them at about an hour per lb. When the temp hits 190, start probing a few spots in the flat to see if it slides in like butter. Once the flat feels very tender when the probe goes in, you are ready. Anywhere from 185-205. Mine are ready more than not around 195
That's good to know because I have been doing 225 an they come out dry as well, now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

i did that for years. As soon as I bumped it, I started killing briskets almost every time. Still get the occasional dud to keep me humble though. Still WAY better and more reliable than cooking low.

woody's wood pit · October 2012

Man have i been fighting an uphill battle with brisket...i ususally do them about 250 and they are nasty compared to what id did before with an old horizontal cooker...Its the only cook i have not been able to pull off...Now I will try it at 300 and lets see :)

henapple · October 2012

I'm doing a small one Saturday...I'll try it. Cen-Tex, could you do the Travis recipe at 300?

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

henapple said:

I'm doing a small one Saturday...I'll try it. Cen-Tex, could you do the Travis recipe at 300?

absolutely. Travis cooks there too

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

woody's wood pit said:

Man have i been fighting an uphill battle with brisket...i ususally do them about 250 and they are nasty compared to what id did before with an old horizontal cooker...Its the only cook i have not been able to pull off...Now I will try it at 300 and lets see :)

I thinknyou will be happy. It changed everything for me.

lousubcap · October 2012

All good info above but not to lose sight of your initial comment "I have been pulling the briskets off when they hit about 192 and the meat has been pretty tough and dry." Temperature is only a guide with brisket-the key is (as mentioned above by Cen-Tex who knows brisket and watermelon toss and a few other specialities..) when a probe slides in and out of the thickest part of the flat like butter. Enjoy the journey :)>-

travisstrick · October 2012

All good advise above. Like Cen Tex, I cook brisket at 300 dome.

pileit1971 · October 2012

Ummm still a newbie and haven't tried the brisket yet, but I have read on the forums where some people have been cooking brisket for 18-20 hours... what am I missing? Are those bigger sizes?

Thought brisket was cooked at 200-225 forever!!!

<----still confused.....

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

pileit1971 said:
Ummm still a newbie and haven't tried the brisket yet, but I have read on the forums where some people have been cooking brisket for 18-20 hours... what am I missing? Are those bigger sizes?

Thought brisket was cooked at 200-225 forever!!!

<----still confused.....

Don't be confused. Just try it.

ShaneF · October 2012

some people have been cooking brisket for 18-20 hours

Exactly, I keep hearing Aaron Franklin say that he cooks his briskets for 18 hours. That is why I am so confused that when I cook mine for 10 hours they come out dry.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

ShaneF said:

some people have been cooking brisket for 18-20 hours

Exactly, I keep hearing Aaron Franklin say that he cooks his briskets for 18 hours. That is why I am so confused that when I cook mine for 10 hours they come out dry.

I don't know where you heard that but he cooks at 320 degrees for under 1 hr per lb. his PROCESS may take 18 hrs, but his cooks certainly do not

nolaegghead · October 2012

Just lost track of what number I'm on of beers, bourbon and cokes and wine I partook (and I ate an amazing dinner tonight at SukhoThai with some weird hot lemongrass bloody mary) ...my last bit of sobriety goes into saying this tonight: People, myself included, who stumbled upon this forum, really will learn about BBQ using a kamado. But the toughest part is perhaps unlearning all the bullish*t we've picked up from the rest of our lives about BBQ. Cen-tex might be almost as wasted as me, but he knows what he's talking about.

MaskedMarvel · October 2012

nolaegghead said:

... Cen-tex might be almost as wasted as me, but he knows what he's talking about.

Agreed. And i'm right there with you guys.. But just to be different..

.. I cook at or around 225* and my briskets benefit from a fantastic bark and very moist slices...

A few things I think are missing from the OP:

Temperature is ONLY a guide. 192* is when you start testing the meat every five degrees or so for tenderness. You will notice a dramatic difference, so if you think it's tough when you stick the probe in, it still is. props to #lousubcap for that tip...

Brisket ABSOLUTELY needs to Foiled, Toweled, and Coolered (FTC) for an hour+ to allow the juices to calmly redistribute and make for a nice moist slice. Give it up to four hours for the best benefit. Slicing as close to serving time will also help.

Back to the beers..

8-D

cmkratt · October 2012

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

TUTTLE871 said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
You are cooking too slow. Take your dome temp up to 300 or so and cook them at about an hour per lb. When the temp hits 190, start probing a few spots in the flat to see if it slides in like butter. Once the flat feels very tender when the probe goes in, you are ready. Anywhere from 185-205. Mine are ready more than not around 195
That's good to know because I have been doing 225 an they come out dry as well, now I know. And knowing is half the battle.

i did that for years. As soon as I bumped it, I started killing briskets almost every time. Still get the occasional dud to keep me humble though. Still WAY better and more reliable than cooking low.

+1. I tried 210, 225, and 235 grid for months thinking lower and slower was better. The last brisket I did at 275 grid and it came out perfect. The probe test is tricky. I probed at 195, and the brisket was still grabbing a bit as I pulled the probe out. Tried again at 197 and it was like soft butter. So there's a narrow window there. Props to Cen-Tex for convincing me to bump the temp up!

henapple · October 2012

Try the Travis method...

henapple · October 2012

One question....does the brisket continue cooking while resting. Do I leave it in the pan using the t method?

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

I've done a ton of good ones at 225 (I cooked that way until this year) but I never got the consistent results I get now until I bumped up the temp. Lot of ways to do it. I'm just throwing it out there.......

yzzi · October 2012

Link to the Travis method? Searching on this forum is difficult sometimes.

nolaegghead · October 2012

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1138233/brisket-how-i-do-it/p1

GaryLange · October 2012

I am glad I read this on Brisket as I too was under them impression that they were low and slow and took overnight and 15-18 hours to do. Now I know that this is incorrect so maybe when I get the chance to do one it will come out good.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · October 2012

GaryLange said:
I am glad I read this on Brisket as I too was under them impression that they were low and slow and took overnight and 15-18 hours to do. Now I know that this is incorrect so maybe when I get the chance to do one it will come out good.

I would definitely not say its incorrect. I did a lot of good ones at 225 for 20 hours. Just another way to do them. Give it a try and see what you think. Works better for me but if you look at mm's Briskets on here, they are money. He does them low and slow.

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Dry Brisket: Overcooked or Undercooked?

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