Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Brisket temp ... HELP!

Options
Eggtuary
Eggtuary Posts: 400
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Morning, folks! I cooked Dr. BBQ's Competition Brisket last night. I was using a Polder thermometer to monitor the internal temp. When it hit 190F, I pulled it off and started wrapping it in foil, per his directions.[p]However, I was curious to see how quickly the brisket would lose heat, so I shoved the probe in deeper before wrapping. When I was just about to put the brisket in the cooler, I noticed my temp was down to 176F.[p]Well, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't lose temp THAT fast, so I've stuck it back on the Egg. Is this the right thing to do? Did pushing the probe in further alert me to the fact that it's not totally done? Or am I now overcooking the thing?[p]Thanks for any and all help!
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Mark Backer
    Mark Backer Posts: 1,018
    Options
    Eggtuary,[p]I'm wondering if your probe was in some pocket of fat. I'd move the probe around a little and see what you find.[p]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    Mark Backer,
    Would a pocket of fat be hotter or cooler than the meat?[p]I had the same idea, though. I stuck the probe in a couple of different spots, and I kept getting readings between 170 and 180. The brisket wouldn't cool off that fast in just 3 minutes off the grill, would it?[p]I've had it back out there for about 45 minutes, and it's now reading 168![p]Any clues as to what's going on?[p]Thanks,
    Mike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mark Backer
    Mark Backer Posts: 1,018
    Options
    Eggtuary,[p]First, I'd make sure that you didn't actually lose your fire. Then, i'd consider the possibility that you were in a pocket of fat (which would run hotter than the meat I believe), and perhaps this was a little plateau. [p]Others will confirm (or refute this), but I believe this is what happened.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    Mark Backer,
    I don't think I've lost my fire, although the dome temp has dropped from 290 to 270 in the past 90 minutes. I just opened the vents a little more to make sure it doesn't go any lower.[p]Well, now the internal temp is only up to 170. So, am I going to need to wrap it in aluminum foil to get it to finish up in a reasonable amount of time?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    Options
    Eggtuary,[p]It sounds like a false reading. That's why I don't like those polder type thermos. How do you ever know where to stick the probe and how deep?[p]Get a thermapen, and check the brisket in a few places. The lowest should be 190.
    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mark Backer
    Mark Backer Posts: 1,018
    Options
    drbbq,[p]True dat. I use the maverick as a rough estimate, but before I take stuff off, I stab around with the thermapen to be sure.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    drbbq,
    I agree. That Thermapen is now high on my birthday wish list![p]So, in this situation should I wrap in foil? If so, do I cook to a different ending temp? Can the brisket still stay in the cooler for a long time after cooking in foil? Your Shortcut recipe indicates I should take it out of the cooler after just a half hour, so I didn't know if the rules change somehow when cooking in foil.[p]Thanks![p]Mike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    Options
    Eggtuary,[p]What's the situation? I must have missed something.
    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    Never mind. I just checked, and my internal temp is up to 188F, so I'll be done very soon. Unfortunately, I'll only get to leave it in wrapped in the cooler for 2 hours, rather than the 3 hour minimum listed in the recipe. Next time, I'll do this right and learn what a difference the extra hour makes![p]Thanks again, everybody, for all the help![p]Mike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    drbbq,
    I was really starting to worry that I wouldn't get this brisket done in time, so I thought maybe I needed to put it in foil to hurry things along. But I'm just about to hit 190F, so I think I'm fine.[p]Will I lose much in the way of tenderness if I only let it sit 2 hours in the cooler, rather than the minimum 3 you list in your recipe?[p]Thanks again for all the help. It's pretty amazing to get personal responses from the author of a cookbook![p]Mike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    Options
    Eggtuary,[p]Well, 4-5 hours would be the best, but there's not much you can do if you have to serve it. It'll be good, just slice it thin if it seems a little chewy.[p]This is a whole brisket right? How big?

    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Options
    drbbq,
    I called all over town trying to find a butcher that would sell me a whole brisket. Finally found one that said they would cut me one that morning, and I told them I needed 12 lbs or so. [p]Well, I get out there, and they said they couldn't cut it any bigger than 7 lbs. It really didn't look much different than a flat, except it had a bunch of extra fat on it. They assured me it included the point, but it sure didn't look like much of one.[p]I'm going to have to find a different butcher next time...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories