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Hey, Cen-Tex......

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Doc_Eggerton
Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
in EggHead Forum
....going to do my first briskets next weekend.  Tell me what to do!

XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    That does look good.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    I'm not the expert you seek, but I've culled a fair bit of info from numerous posts and threads from the masters.

    The common elements:
    - Pick the floppiest full packer  brisket you can find. Assuming you are cooking a choice packer.

    -Trim all the hard fat, including between the point and the flat. Trim the fat to about 1/4" thickness. The brisket should be almost uniform thickness when laying flat.

    - Either slather with mustard, then rub, or simply throw the rub on, or use a mix of kosher salt and pepper. I don't think there is any consensus on whether to rub the night before and refrigerate or just rub before going on the egg.

    - Clean out the egg. Fill with lump and some oak wood chunks. Burn off the VOCs and let it settle in at around 225-250°F indirect.

    - Place the platesetter so that one leg is towards the hinge and 2 legs are in front, like a Mercedes-Benz star if looking down into the egg. My egg's hotspot is back towards the hinge. Place a drip pan (with air gap) on the platesetter.

    - Place the brisket on the grid with the point pointing towards the hinge. 

    - start checking for doneness every 30mins when the IT reads 195°F in the thickest part of the flat. Its done when a skewer or probe (I like an ice pick) slides in and out of the flat with little resistance - like a hot knife through butter.

    - FTC for minimum 1 hr before slicing. Slice only as much as you need to serve at a time as it will dry out. Be stingy with the point - its the best freakin part of the brisket.

    Well, at least  thats my gameplan for the one I'm doing tomorrow :) 


    The brisket greats should be along soon to give you more assistance. Hope it turns out superb!

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Farbuck
    Farbuck Posts: 276
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    +1 to everything Caliking said.  Plus cook it fat side down so the fat acts as an additional heat deflector




    Two Large Eggs; Too Little Time

    Newtown Square, PA
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    Doc_Eggerton said:
    ....going to do my first briskets next weekend.  Tell me what to do!
    Hey doc! great news. it's a really fun cook and if you do it right, it's the holy grail of low and slow. with your experience, you should be able to do it in a snap. My best advice to you is to go get some oak for this cook. It makes a huge difference. You can do Salt and Pepper or a good rub of your choice. When I use a rub, I use Bad byrons.

    If you can't find oak, let me know and I'll send you some. 

    Outside of that, cook it at 250-275 until you can stick a skewer or thermapen from top to bottom with very little resistance. The seems to happen around 195-200 on most. Lower on super primo models with loads of extra fat. it's an hour to 1.5 per lb at that temp so you can use that as a guideline on when to put it on. They are very hard to oversmoke so don't be shy with the oak. 8-10 chunks or more. I find them undersmoked on the egg more than oversmoked. 

    Let me know when you are ready. I want to follow along and help if you need it. I don't think you will need much. The trim can be a little goofy so check in with me if you have questions there.

    I think the biggest mistakes on brisket are made at the store. Find a good one- choice or better. CAB is very good too if you can find one of those. 

    Most of all, get the Jamison's out, hop in the pool and have some fun with it. I seem to recall this is not out of your wheelhouse :))




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
    edited August 2014
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    cali is right on it. I cook a little hotter but that's personal preference. I think the egg smokes better when it's a little hotter. I find my really low and slow cooks lack the smoke I like on Briskets. Plus it faster and I don't see any difference in the quality of the meat when cooked a little hotter. The cooler rest is good for the texture. if you are ready to eat, just leave it out of the cooler and let it cool on the counter to where it's still hot but easy to handle with your bare hands. Makes a difference with the texture (think like letting a pizza cool a little before you slice it to let the cheese set up). 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    Paid a little visit to Wassi's Meat in Melbourne, FL today.  Freezer for now, but on the XL next weekend.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
    edited August 2014
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    Oh hell yes. You are going to eat like a Roman! FWIW- I haven't noticed that the freezer does anything adverse to Briskets. The best I've ever made were snake river farms and frozen solid when I got them. That being said, you can keep a brisket in cryo in the fridge for weeks if you want (I've gone 2 months). They just wet age and get better.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    Did you find any oak?
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    And as a good reference for everyone, that one on top is the perfect shape. You want a big, blocky flat to the end. So many taper off and get real thin. I don't ever buy those. I can't see the flat on the bottom but that one on too is a great example of the right shape.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    @Doc_Eggerton‌ ... I have some post oak I can FedEx you. I'll have to get it out monday. Let me know.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    edited August 2014
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    Did you find any oak?
    Had oak, and some other varities already.  What about mesquite?

    Very nice offer.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    henapple said:
    @Doc_Eggerton‌ ... I have some post oak I can FedEx you. I'll have to get it out monday. Let me know.
    I'm good.  Thanks for the offer.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    Doc_Eggerton said:
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    Did you find any oak?
    Had oak, and some other varities already.  What about mesquite?

    Very nice offer.

    do oak doc. Trust me. It's the secret sauce of brisket.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    Doc_Eggerton said:
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    Did you find any oak?
    Had oak, and some other varities already.  What about mesquite?

    Very nice offer.

    do oak doc. Trust me. It's the secret sauce of brisket.
    COPY, WILCO.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,375
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    Not nearly the brisket cook  as @Cen_Tex-but I second the comment about no issues with a freezer thawed hunk of beef.  I stockpile when the local Costco has prime packer briskets on hand ( a truly random event) and they always turn out great.  And if you run short on oak (like it doesn't exist here) then the Jack Daniels oak barrel chips are a more than suitable substitute.   Gonna be a fun cook and 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.
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  • DonWW
    DonWW Posts: 424
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    travisstrick said:
    Boil it.
    Just about fell out of my chair.....
    XL and Medium.  Dallas, Texas.
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  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,581
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    DonWW said:
    travisstrick said:
    Boil it.
    Just about fell out of my chair.....
    Me too... =))
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    The briskets will just barely fit side by side in the XL, with both ends extending past where the PS will be.  would it be better to do two levels in the center?  I assume it is preferable to do them whole.


    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    Scrunch it up...it'll shrink.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,375
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    Definitely whole-if you prefer side-by-side you can lay them each over a brick until the aforementioned shrinkage happens or you can go one over the other and switch around half-way (as if you can know that before finished!) thru the cook.  You could go flat all the way and foil the overhang till the shrinkage happens.  If It were me, I would use the brick method.  But just 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.
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  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
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    Use bricks for lots of different set ups, so that is the way I will go.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,970
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    You can just accordion (excuse me, concertina) them in there. They shrink up quite a bit and should fit fine. Bricks are ok too but take them
    Out once the Briskets shrink so you can get good bark all over.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,375
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    I agree with C-T regarding the bricks but given I run fat side down, then it's not such a big deal in the cook scheme to remove them asap.  And there have been some amazing brisket/brick cooks on a SBGE.  That is "out there" but "adapt and overcome";  enjoy the journey and finish-line.
    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.
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