Brisket Help/Tips

rossv1 · August 2015

Well since I'm home from school, my mom has overheard me talking about wanting to try a brisket and yesterday she came home with a 15.8 pound packer. I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing aside from reading countless old threads so I figured I'd ask for some real time help before I get started.

First, is it easier to separate the flat from the point before or after the cook? I have a large but don't have an AR or anything, just the standard grid so I'm not sure if I'd actually have room for both cuts separately.

I'm planning keeping dome temp at around 300* which should keep the grid temp at ~275*. I've read that they can take anywhere from an hour per pound to two hours or more so I'm thinking about putting it on at around 10 or 11 tonight which should hopefully make it ready tomorrow for dinner or so. Sound about right? Although I know these things are pretty finicky.

For building the fire, I usually just mix in new lump with old but since it's going to be such a long cook should I only use new lump or does it really matter? Bigger pieces at the bottom or mixed throughout, etc? Also, do I need to go ahead and clean out the ashbox? I've read that the ash can actually help insulate it which might help with the temps.

If I get lucky and it turns out okay, do I need to worry about FTC or is that more for when the cook finishes earlier and you need to keep it warm until you're ready to eat?

Any other tips for a first timer are welcomed and greatly appreciated!

I'm nervous out of mind for this but the only way I'll learn is by doing. I just want it to be eatable. lol

radamo · August 2015

I am no brisket expert but the estimates of 1.5 to 2 hours per pound I believe are for cooking at 225 grid. Beyond that hopefully the experts will chime in as I am a novice with briskets.

Hook_emHornsfan_74 · August 2015

Ask SGH, from what i have read, he is pretty all knowing when it comes to brisket help. Also, go to youtube.com and watch Aaron Franklins video series on briskets. Helped me a lot. Don't forget the pics.

Foghorn · August 2015

1) Old lump is OK but ash is not your friend in an overnight cook. Get any ash off the old lump and clean out below the firebox as well. You need guaranteed airflow through the night.
2) Load the firebox with lump essentially up to the platesetter - but in the front, clear a spot where one or two of the holes in the charcoal grate are unobstructed.
3) At 300 dome it may only take 40-45 minutes per pound. I like to go lower through the night (around 250 dome) and then adjust in the morning when I wake up.
4) Don't separate the point from the flat. Cook it as one piece of meat and slice it how Aaron Franklin does in his Brisket Payoff video.
5) Ideally you finish between 2 and 8 hours before serving time and you FTC for that time period.
6) I have recently become a "wrap in butcher paper at a meat temp of 160 and when the bark looks good" convert. It preserves the juices without making the bark mushy. Do it if you want.
7) I would also watch Franklin's video on trimming the brisket. Having 1/4" of fat around the edge of each slice that has bark on it is the goal.

Good luck and keep us posted.

rossv1 · August 2015

Thanks for the tips.

Put the brisket on at 11 and it's just now at ~190 internal so I'm going to start testing for tenderness.

I do have one more question though. I had the dome temp set at a stable 250. When I put my smoking chunks on my maverick was reading a grid temp of 270 and it stayed there for a couple of hours but crept back down through the course of the night to 230. Was the higher temp of the grid from the heat of the smoke?

It's a Maverick Et-733 and is brand new, just bought it yesterday. Do they need to be calibrated? My dome thermometer has been calibrated.

Like I said, I'm totally new to this so I'm just trying to ask questions. Lol

Edit: Just checked it and she probes like a warm stick of butta! IT is 192, gonna leave it on until 195 and then put her in a cooler

And a little teaser of what's to come

mahenryak · August 2015

First, that brisket looks great in the photo. Did you check the dome temp again after you noticed the grid temp was 270 according to the Maverick? It's possible that it got a blast of oxygen and burned a little hotter for a spell. Also, have you ever calibrated your dome thermometer? (boil some water on the stove and adjust the nut on the stem to read 212, or thereabouts, if needed). The rule of thumb is that the dome temp may read about 25 degrees hotter, which it sounds like you may already know, but this can vary throughout the course of a long cook and eventually even level out.

Edit: BTW the temperature fluctuations you have described seem pretty normal to me and are nothing to be too concerned about.

rossv1 · August 2015

Dome temp rose also, to about 285 or so, then came back down once the smoke started to die down. The temp was stable at 250 before the meat or chunks went on and only rose after the chunks started smoking. Never touched the the daisy wheel or slider so the smoke is the only thing I can think of as to why the temp would've gone up like that.

And thanks! It smells so good. The mailman mentioned the smell when he brought a package to the door. Lol.

mahenryak · August 2015

Okay. If you opened the lid to add the chunks then this could account for the temporary temperature spike. Since your dome temp also rose, sounds like your thermometers are probably calibrated okay. I add my chunks just after lighting the lump. The smoke will clear somewhat by the time the egg comes up to temp, but this is a good thing. Don't feel like your wasting the smoke in your chunks because it doesn't appear as smoky. Even though the smoke has cleared somewhat you're still going to benefit from the chunks. It's just a better quality smoke at this point.

Edit: Actually some of the chunks are added before I ignite the lump, for a longer cook. I'll tend to add chunks near the center and in layers as I fill it up with lump. It's the top layer that I add after I ignite it. And just because I'm adding in layers doesn't mean I use a lot. Maybe I'll place three in the bottom layer as I work my way up and then a couple on the top layer. I don't like it too smoky.

Brisket Help/Tips

Comments

Categories