Friday Night Brisket

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Cold night, beer in the fridge, and kid number two arrives Wednesday, so I figured this was a great chance to use one of the last quiet, peaceful nights. Brisket is on and fire is barely going. Last full packer brisket ran away from me over night, so tonight's goal is to keep it as low as possible and increase it during the day if need be. Pics later.

MaskedMarvel · December 2012

Best of luck!

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Waking up at 4:30 to go check the temp and seeing that it's actually held steady over night is one of the more satisfying feelings I've known recently. After 6 hours it's just approaching the 140s.

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Here is a photo of the brisket right before it went in. It sat in Cow Lick for approx. 3 hours. Has been on since 10:15 p.m. and is at 148.

MJQ8 · December 2012

First, congrats on the new arrival. Secondly, what dome temp are you trying to maintain?

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

pic

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Close to 200 or just below, for starters. That's giving it a lot of smoke. The last one ran away on me and I ended up accidentally doing a turbo brisket. If necessary, I can increase it throughout the day.

MJQ8 · December 2012

When you say ran away, you mean the temp got to hot? And by turbo, you mean you just cooked it faster at a higher heat? I am new to all of this so this is very helpful. Thanks for your insights!

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

You are kind to call my mistakes "insight"! Yes, I woke up and the dome temp had crept to 400 and the internal had passed through the stall (150-170). It was at 185 after 8 hours, which is really fast for a 15 pound brisket. I took it off and wrapped it in foil and towels for 4 hours. Turned out just fine.

BuckeyeBob · December 2012

Full disclosure that i am not a brisket expert. However, close to 200 or just below is pretty low. And if you are talking dome temp, it's really low. You could bump to 225-230 grid temp and not lose anything. At 200 you might be lucky to have done for dinner.

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Thanks Bob. I've slowly started kicking it up. I'm a little doubtful that my thermometer is accurate, so while it's reading ~180, I think it's substantially higher than that.

nolaegghead · December 2012

Stick the thermometer in some boiling water, and calibrate to 212 by rotating the bolt in the back. Gook luck man!

lousubcap · December 2012

You gotta have good info for good cooks and temperature is the key. Always have confidence in the indication(s) you are using for the journey. Anything else is flying blind. Keep that dome thermo calibrated.

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

I've got a polder probe in, so I feel pretty confident that whatever the dome's doing, I know what the meat is doing. It's looking pretty beautiful. 162 after 14 hours.

BuckeyeBob · December 2012

Wally, how did it turn out?

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

The problem with not knowing your dome temps is that if you are cooking at 180-190 at your grid, it's pretty hard to get a brisket to 200. It will totally dry everything out and it will be tough and will never actually get to the proper temp you need for it to be done. Calibrate your thermo and make sure where you are. It could add many hours to your cook and you might not get there at all if you are cooking too low.

My thoughts on cooking at 200 are well known but it's just way too low. I did it for years and as soon as I bumped the up to 250- it got better. 275- better still. 300- best I've ever made. I'm 275-300 dome every time and it has made a huge difference in the quality of my brisket cooks.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

So i just pulled it off and removed the flat. It had been on for 19 hours. I did the first 12 hours at around 200 and the last 7 hours at between 250-275. The internal temp was at 190 and had been there for quite a while. I snuck a few bites before I threw the point back on for burnt ends and, while I may be a little biased, I really think it's some of the best brisket I've ever had. I'm going to let the flat sit for 2 hours (wrapped in tin foil and towels, in a cooler) while the point is on (added a ton of fresh mesquite). I'll let you know how it turns out.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

Wally_Wabash_03 said:

So i just pulled it off and removed the flat. It had been on for 19 hours. I did the first 12 hours at around 200 and the last 7 hours at between 250-275. The internal temp was at 190 and had been there for quite a while. I snuck a few bites before I threw the point back on for burnt ends and, while I may be a little biased, I really think it's some of the best brisket I've ever had. I'm going to let the flat sit for 2 hours (wrapped in tin foil and towels, in a cooler) while the point is on (added a ton of fresh mesquite). I'll let you know how it turns out.

yeah buddy. That's what I'm talking about.

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

Few things I love on here more than getting The CTS approval! My last brisket was a disaster. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit proud of how this one has gone. (Or maybe that's the Rogue Santa / Leinenkugel's that's making me feel mighty.)

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

Wally_Wabash_03 said:

Few things I love on here more than getting The CTS approval! My last brisket was a disaster. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit proud of how this one has gone. (Or maybe that's the Rogue Santa / Leinenkugel's that's making me feel mighty.)

You have shockingly low standards for approval. :))

Wally_Wabash_03 · December 2012

I'll say that I was pleased. The tip end of the flat was still a bit firm, but I think that's probably a product of me cooking it too low. As you got closer to the point, it got significantly better. Burnt ends were, by far, the highlight. I've never been a huge brisket fan--this is more about the challenge. I'd give myself a solid 7.5.

Point / Burnt End:

Flat:

The cutting board with, left to right, burnt ends, wet flat, and lean flat:

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

nice dude! What you noticed was totally normal. The thin part of the flat is impossible to keep moist. I take that part (maybe 6-8" of it) and chop it up with sauce to make sandwiches. It's awesome that way but if you eat it in big dry slices it's dry. great work

MJQ8 · December 2012

Nice...good goin'!

Dave in Florida · December 2012

Wally_Wabash_03 said:

Few things I love on here more than getting The CTS approval! My last brisket was a disaster. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit proud of how this one has gone. (Or maybe that's the Rogue Santa / Leinenkugel's that's making me feel mighty.)

I was never a big brisket fan either until I started figuring it out on my egg. I love my brisket now. And your right about getting the CTS approval, it does make give you that warm cuddly feeling and makes it all the more special.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · December 2012

Dave in Florida said:

Wally_Wabash_03 said:

Few things I love on here more than getting The CTS approval! My last brisket was a disaster. I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little bit proud of how this one has gone. (Or maybe that's the Rogue Santa / Leinenkugel's that's making me feel mighty.)

I was never a big brisket fan either until I started figuring it out on my egg. I love my brisket now. And your right about getting the CTS approval, it does make give you that warm cuddly feeling and makes it all the more special.

You guys need to get out more :)) Thank you though

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