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Burnt brisket bottom. Where did I go wrong?

I did my first really long brisket over the weekend. Cooking at about 250, the brisket was fall apart tender except for a layer of something best likened to wood on the bottom. My setup is a large BGE with a plate setter. I lit the charcoal, let it come to 250 and then put on the plate setter (legs up), the grill surface and then the rubbed brisket on and left it. Roughly 10 hrs later it had an internal temp of 195 so I wrapped it in foil, put it in an empty ice chest and left it for two hours while I went to Easter church service. The part that wasn't burnt was the best tasting brisket I've made. How do I not burn the bottom?

Comments

  • I did my first really long brisket over the weekend. Cooking at about 250, the brisket was fall apart tender except for a layer of something best likened to wood on the bottom. My setup is a large BGE with a plate setter. I lit the charcoal, let it come to 250 and then put on the plate setter (legs up), the grill surface and then the rubbed brisket on and left it. Roughly 10 hrs later it had an internal temp of 195 so I wrapped it in foil, put it in an empty ice chest and left it for two hours while I went to Easter church service. The part that wasn't burnt was the best tasting brisket I've made. How do I not burn the bottom?

    Put a drip pan between your setter and the brisket. Add water to it if needed. If you set a drip pan on your platesetter, put some spacers underneath to give it an inch or so of airflow. Should be all set.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    Cook fat side down. The fat cap will protect the meat. Drip pan mentioned above is another way to reduce temp at underside of the meat. Also the sacrilegious wrapping of the brisket at 160 will help prevent this problem and reduce cook time significantly.
  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    edited April 2013
    Air is a great insulator. I always have an air layer below the drip pan. Follow advice above and you won't have a problem
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • I wondered if the presence of the plate setter, heated to some unknown but high temperature above the fire would have through radiated heat alone overcooked the underside of the brisket. If I put water in a drip pan, isn't that going to evaporate and put me back in the same situation?

    If I am going to cook it fat side down, does this mean I should not trim any of the fat off to give it the best protective layer while it is cooking?  I really like the flavor and texture of the meat, I don't want to lose that.
  • Fat cap down on brisket cooks in the Egg.

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • If you are scorching the bottom, it's going to scorch it no matter which side is down. I eat the fat cap side so I don't want it burned anymore than the non cap side. If you put a drip pan on the plate setter with an inch or so of spacer underneath it will fix your issue. If you put a pan directly on the platesetter, it will boil over and evap. If you give it and inch or so of space it won't boil. I always use a drip pan which fill switch all the liquid form the cook. I find that's plenty so I don't add water. You can if you need to.before I had my Adjustable Rig, I used this set up and it worked great ( I used a jalapeno roasting rack but you can use smashed beer cans, balls/rods of tin foil- really anything that will give you a little space):




    imageimageimage
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Jellyworm
    Jellyworm Posts: 96
    Great idea for getting an air space between plate setter and drip pan.  Now I know why my liquid is gone when I do a low and slow.  Thanks.
    Large BGE
    Houston, TX
  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,629
    Damn Cen Tex, and I thought my plate setter was nasty!

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    shtgunal3 said:
    Damn Cen Tex, and I thought my plate setter was nasty!
    Yeah but he has a nice new shiney tin foil pan!
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
  • shtgunal3 said:
    @#!*% Cen Tex, and I thought my plate setter was nasty!
    You should see it now. It's all white and shiny after I clean burned it. I never use it anymore since i got my AR. It's all purdy though


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • "I always use a drip pan which fill switch all the liquid form the cook"

    Sorry, was on my iphone. it was supposed to be "will catch all the liquid from the cook"


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX