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HELP Brisket

Uh oh...I did some day drinking and I think I got impatient and started my brisket too soon tonight.  I'm doing a 12 pounder and want it ready for dinner tomorrow around 5 or 6pm.  I put it on at about 7pm and it's already up to 113F two hours later.  What should I do if it's done by say noon or even earlier?  Slice it up and reheat it?  Leave it uncut and heat the whole thing up again?  Help!

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    For now you can drop your dome temp-(don't know what your are running at) to around 225-240*F (about as low as you can expect to hold for the evening w/o a controller) and see where you are in the AM.  Then if done anywhere around noon or so, you can FTC (foil, towels and cooler) til ready to eat around 5 PM.  Other options will depend on where you are in the AM. (BTW the current temp rise is nothing to worry about as you haven't gotten close to the stall area-and the temp that counts is the thickest part of the flat-the point will get up around 210*F before the flat declares victory and is finished.)  FWIW-
    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.
  • alynd
    alynd Posts: 130
    Thanks Lou, I'm at 235 grate temp now, I'm going to try to drop it down a tad and see if I can get it to hold steady there for a couple hours before heading to bed.  
  • Zick
    Zick Posts: 190
    Do not slice until you are ready to serve. You can keep the brisket in a cooler with FTC for several hours. You will be fine.
    When was the last time you did something for the first time? - Zick Boulder, CO
  • alynd
    alynd Posts: 130
    it held steady between 190-220 all night long somehow.  Internal temp of the brisket is at 147 right now so I think I'm in pretty good shape.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Nice job-you've got this figured out if you can do that w/o a controller.  Given that you can FTC for several hours, I would suggest you don't try to finish the brisket close to when you plan to eat.  Many will run long and then the stress kicks in-better to finish a couple of hours early in my opinion-but we all know what those are worth.  Enjoy-
    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.
  • when we are competing, we will separate the point and the flat at 170, wrap the flat tight with no air pockets. Then back in I will pull it when it hits 188 to 192. pour off the juice and save it for serving. Then loose wrap it in foil and have held for 3 to 4 hours in a cambro. Remember that the ice chest is small, so it may cause the brisket to keep cooking. Remember what ever method you use, pull before your target temp.

  • alynd
    alynd Posts: 130
    uh oh again....i just pulled it at 195 and it's only 10:45am here...dinner isn't for at least 6 more hours.  What should I do?  I'm separating the point/flat to make burnt ends.  What do I do with the flat at this time to keep it warm, or should I just reheat it in a few more hours closer to eating time?
  • alynd said:
    uh oh again....i just pulled it at 195 and it's only 10:45am here...dinner isn't for at least 6 more hours.  What should I do?  I'm separating the point/flat to make burnt ends.  What do I do with the flat at this time to keep it warm, or should I just reheat it in a few more hours closer to eating time?

    double wrap in foil and put it in a cooler stuffed with towels. It should stay for 4-6 hours. I've kept them longer
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Helps if you put a couple of kettles of boiling water in the cooler first.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • alynd
    alynd Posts: 130
    would an oven set to 195 also work?
  • You could but I would put a pan of water/beer/stock in with it

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    Hopefully the 195 was in the thickest part of the flat-I would go with the FTC-the oven will dry it out unless you wrap the flat really tight.  Dry heat is my last option for temperature control-but once again an opinion...
    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.
  • If you want to hold in the oven, hold at 165-170.......
  • If you want to hold in the oven, hold at 165-170.......

    or even 140. just want to hold it at safe temp and dry it out as little as possible
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Lol gonna need more beer than brisket to stomach watching KC.