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First brisket going on tonight

Okay, I'm throwing my first packer on tonight. Last minute advice welcome. Some say fat up, most say fat down. Others say fat up, then flip. I'm planning fat down unless someone tells me that's wrong. Feel free to chime in, CenTex! I plan on going as low as possible....225 grid temp. The cut is 13.5 lbs of certified angus. I know it's done when it's done, but do you generally account for1.5 hrs per lb? I have. Company showing up at 2pm tomorrow and I know I want to FTC for an hour or two before serving. So maybe throw on at 11pm tonight, or sooner? Also, i keep waffling between salt/pepper/fresh garlic rub or rubbing with Dizzy Pig Cow Lick. What's best? Okay.....go! And thanks for the suggestions.
Athens, GA
XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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Comments

  • bclarksicle
    bclarksicle Posts: 167
    I'd go sooner. You can FTC for several hours. Timing is always a toss up. Ive gone 18 hours on briskets smaller than that
  • bclarksicle
    bclarksicle Posts: 167
    At 225 it could take a long time
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    Trimmed and ready to rub. Everything look trimmed up okay?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • Aaron Franklin recommends fat up, so that's what I go with, but there seem to be plenty of guys on here turning out great brisket either way.
    Justin in Denton, TX
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    I do fat down. That way if anything sticks to the grid when I get if off, I'm not losing nice bark that I want to eat.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Philly35
    Philly35 Posts: 858
    I'd throw it on sooner and assume 2 hrs per lb. Can always FTC a little longer. Better too early than run out of time.
    NW IOWA
  • EggoMatic
    EggoMatic Posts: 130
    I would put that beauty on right now seeing that you will be cooking it at 225. You might want to bump it up a little when you get up. This way you know it will be ready to go by the time your company is ready to eat. Good luck man.
    LBGE Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I threw 4 chunks of oak and 2 chunks of hickory in. Egg coming to temp. Think that's enough smoke or add more?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited March 2014

    Aaron Franklin recommends fat up, so that's what I go with, but there seem to be plenty of guys on here turning out great brisket either way.

    Aaron Franklin cooks on a stick burner with a draft.

    My only point is BBQ w/ Franklin is a good base...but cooking a brisket on an egg is nothing like cooking on an offset. Take the info he's given with a grain of salt. :)
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    Dangit.....I overshot my temp. Egg flew straight to 400. Guess i'll get it back to 300, then throw on the brisket
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • ElCapitan
    ElCapitan Posts: 154
    I always refer back to this article when I do a brisket.  He does a good job explaining the plateau.

    XL Owner
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    Well, good, bad or ugly....she's on. Wish me luck.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    I would turn it so the point (thick end) is towards the hinge in the back.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    DMW said:
    I would turn it so the point (thick end) is towards the hinge in the back.

    Done. I assume b/c that's the hottest part of the. egg and how it will cook more evenly?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I've never felt the need for an XL, but I just played "fat guy in a little coat" getting that thing in the Egg. If I cooked these things all the time, I'd need more real estate.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Yes, eggs are usually hotter by the hinge.

    Even if the brisket is too long, you can always wrap a fire brick in foil and put it under the brisket.  Works pretty well.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    Good luck. Looks like a good brisket will be had tomorrow. What's your address? 2P?

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • hapster
    hapster Posts: 7,503
    cazzy said:

    Yes, eggs are usually hotter by the hinge.


    Even if the brisket is too long, you can always wrap a fire brick in foil and put it under the brisket.  Works pretty well.
    You could also drape it over a rib/ roasting rack till it shrinks a bit. Relax and enjoy!
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I've always heard to cook brisket as low of a temperature as possible, but have also heard on here plenty of people say that their dry briskets cooked closer to 225 and the better ones were cooked at 250-275. I'm hovering at 235 right now. Should I open it up a little before heading to bed?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    One last question and I'll leave you people alone. Is there a best place to put the probe in brisket: flat, point? I'm 3 hrs in and already at 140° internal temperature.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    Mayberry said:
    I've always heard to cook brisket as low of a temperature as possible, but have also heard on here plenty of people say that their dry briskets cooked closer to 225 and the better ones were cooked at 250-275. I'm hovering at 235 right now. Should I open it up a little before heading to bed?
    What's most important is maintaining a temp where your egg wont go out.  There's more risk of a flame out the lower you try to hold your temp.  If I'm an hour in at 235, I expect to be at 280 when I wake up because the meat, if it's a large volume, is cold and keeps the dome thermo reading low.   If you had an empty egg, initial temps are much higher.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited March 2014
    Mayberry said:
    One last question and I'll leave you people alone. Is there a best place to put the probe in brisket: flat, point? I'm 3 hrs in and already at 140° internal temperature.
    I always stick it in the thickest part of the point, but the point has a lot of latitude in being done.  When the point is in the 190 plus range, I start checking tenderness of the flat.  Usually pull when the flat is tender in around the middle part.  The point temp is around 190-205.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    Freaking out...even though i've done 100 pork butts and the same thing happens. I'm under 4 hrs in and it's already reading 153 internal temp. I know it'll stall, but that seems like a huge temp increase in a few hours,
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited March 2014
    I would stabilize the dome temp low as you feel comfortable with and crash. Get up early and adjust the temp or pull off and FTC.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Mayberry said:

    Freaking out...even though i've done 100 pork butts and the same thing happens. I'm under 4 hrs in and it's already reading 153 internal temp. I know it'll stall, but that seems like a huge temp increase in a few hours,

    You'll hit a stall so don't worry. Briskets usually race out of the gate so this is normal.

    "Freaking out"
    This is exactly why I didn't want you to do a $120+ SRF brisket your first attempt. ;)
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    edited March 2014
    Temp checks are usually done in the thickest part of the flat. Hope you made it thru the night w/o a coronary
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
    I did a 13# packer a couple of months ago and went at 225 and then had to bump up the temp to get it done in 20 hrs. As everyone says, they are all different. Just did a 15#er at 275 a couple weeks ago and it took 16 hours. The one at 225 turned out better but it might have been a better piece of meat. They were both prime packers and the second one got a little mushy. 

    Good luck and enjoy the it!
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    As mentioned above, when you can probe the thickest part of the flat with no resistance you are at the finish-line.  And due to the higher fat content in the point it will run around 10*F or so hotter than the flat.  No worries, it can ride along just fine waiting for the finish indication.  Great eats await.
    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.
  • Are you planning on doing burnt ends? If not, I recommend you give it a try!
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    No burnt ends this time, more than likely. People I asked said to slice the point on your first attempt. Not opposed to it, though, if it's worth it. It looks like it's finishing early. It stayed between 235 and 240 most of the night with no issues. But over 13 lbs, on for 12 hours, and it's at 185.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590