Best Brisket Yet! And a couple questions...

KiterTodd · September 2015

So, I have probably made 5 or 6 briskets now on the egg, all were good, but this one was the best. It was also the first full packer I've cooked. All I can find around here are flats, usually. I think they are usually select and they run me $9/lbs! But, I went over to our local Amish market and found I could get full packers for $4.50/lbs. Done.

Image: http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrfbdsbdfqwqsgdxrgkfqwtgrqbd,vi/rqfqbsgwdxbsdffqgqsxtbtfrswbd/1/666681/13124706/FullSizeRender3-vi.jpg

Now...I got a small full packer. I know you guys tend to get 12-14 lbs. cuts regularly, but I didn't have a crowd to feed so went with a 7.5lbs one that looked great. (next time I'll go larger for sure) I didn't weigh it after trimming but it seemed like I cut 1.5 lbs of fat off the thing. There were a couple areas with thick hard fat which I removed most of. No worries, left enough of the soft pliable fat on there and it came out great.

For the record, this is the place the meat came from. I don't know anything about it but figured one of you guys would be able to give it a thumbs up or down on the place-

Image: http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrfbdsbfskstbdqxrgkfqwtgrqbd,vi/wsffrbtgdxtrrrqqqggxrtdsggwsk/1/666681/13124706/FullSizeRender5-vi.jpg

In the past I've cooked the briskets 225-250 and they've taken foooorever. This time I was going for 250-275. I put it on at 8:30PM, and for the first few hours it was running close to 275 and I let it drop down to 250 or so for the overnight. My temp alarm went off at 6:00 and I took it off at 6:30, so a 10 hour cook on this cut.

I let it sit for a bit, then gave it the FTC and went back to bed. I didn't cut into it until 11:30 or so and it was peeeeeeerfect. I thought it might have hardened up as the temp was only at 127 then, but holy crap was it good. The point was juicy, tender, with a really good flavor from the bark. Best I've ever made.

QUESTION 1 - The flat was mostly dry. Is there anyway to avoid that on a whole packer cook? I used half of the flat for burnt-ends, which was fine. Everybody liked them. But I suspect the flat was dry because I cooked until the thickest part of the point hit temp. I've smoked flats only before (no point) and they've come out great. On this brisket, the flat was also quite thin - seemed not more than an inch thick before cooking, the point was thick. (note the before/after pic below)

QUESTION 2 - How many full briskets can you fit on a large BGE? I may want to do a few for an upcoming party, and where I have seen people pile a lot of pork on an egg, it seems like the briskets need more space. I have the AR, which I can see would help me get 2 on. Not sure about 3...

Here are a few more pictures of a great cook! Thanks for the previous tips that have gotten me to a repeatable (I think) solid brisket cook.

Image: http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrfbdsbfqddrrbdxrgkfqwtgrqbd,vi/wstbrdkqbxsbqgdbfkrxbwgwtsrdb/1/666681/13124706/FullSizeRender2-vi.jpg

Image: http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrfbdsbfwfkbwgsxrgkfqwtgrqbd,vi/wttkwwbdqxsqfwttqgwxgqtwkrff/1/666681/13124706/FullSizeRender6-vi.jpg

Before and after showing how much it shrunk during the cook...

Image: http://media.fotki.com/1_p,rrfbdsbfrrbsktbxrgkfqwtgrqbd,vi/kkgfwsqgfxrqfffqfqtxwdkttwrwt/1/666681/13124706/IMG_5179-vi.png

lousubcap · September 2015

Great score finding packers. And most eggcellent cook.
Regarding the finish-line on any brisket (flat or packer) is when you can probe the thickest part of the flat with no resistance. Start checking at around 185*F (seems the higher quality the cut the potential for a lower finish temp) but it could run into the low 200's. Also don't worry that the point runs hotter than the flat. The higher fat content protects it just fine. I cook with the point toward the BGE hinge as that is the hottest cooking area (due to air flow characteristics). It will likely be 5-10 *F (or more) hotter than the flat when you arrive at the promised land but don't worry about it.
How many briskets? I've never done more than one but with two cooking levels you could easily handle one per level. And yes, they take more real estate than the butt. Just make sure you have a large enough air-gapped drip pan for all the renderings. You can drape over a brick or inverted roast rack to prevent any of the meat from overhanging your heat deflector.
And if you have a real thin part of the flat I wrap it in foil for a good portion of the cook to try and preclude drying it out. Sometimes the flat wins regardless of how you address it. FWIW-

tarheelmatt · September 2015

Q 1 - You'll want to probe where the thickest part of the flat (where it meets teh point). Like @lousubcap said, the point is along for the ride.

The dryness could have been the brisket. Did you trim any? What grade? Try wrapping after the stall in some butcher paper, that will help retain moisture and also help breath and not compromise your bark.

Q2 - On a large? I'd say two, maybe three depending on your setup. Maybe three with an AR setup?

KiterTodd · September 2015

tarheelmatt said:

The dryness could have been the brisket. Did you trim any? What grade? Try wrapping after the stall in some butcher paper, that will help retain moisture and also help breath and not compromise your bark.

It was USDA Choice. Thanks for the flat wrapping tip. That's a good idea on a thinner flat. Maybe the last third or so of the cook I open it up and wrap the flat only. I trimmed a lot, BUT I also left plenty of fat on there. Having said that, I didn't think about the flat cooking quicker so maybe I'll leave more fat on the flat next time and focus my trimming on the point.

lousubcap said:

Great score finding packers. And most eggcellent cook.
Regarding the finish-line on any brisket (flat or packer) is when you can probe the thickest part of the flat with no resistance. Start checking at around 185*F (seems the higher quality the cut the potential for a lower finish temp) but it could run into the low 200's. ...

From 185? Damn...how exactly do I do that from bed?

I hear ya...the 185 point to the finish can be hours! I'll give it some thought, though. When I pulled it at 200, everything probed like butter and the temp everywhere I probed was between 196 and 206.

Thanks for the feedback. Twas a great brisket! Want to keep it all tender if that's possible. I'll keep working on it.

tarheelmatt · September 2015

KiterTodd said:

tarheelmatt said:

The dryness could have been the brisket. Did you trim any? What grade? Try wrapping after the stall in some butcher paper, that will help retain moisture and also help breath and not compromise your bark.

It was USDA Choice. Thanks for the flat wrapping tip. That's a good idea on a thinner flat. Maybe the last third or so of the cook I open it up and wrap the flat only. I trimmed a lot, BUT I also left plenty of fat on there. Having said that, I didn't think about the flat cooking quicker so maybe I'll leave more fat on the flat next time and focus my trimming on the point.

lousubcap said:

Great score finding packers. And most eggcellent cook.
Regarding the finish-line on any brisket (flat or packer) is when you can probe the thickest part of the flat with no resistance. Start checking at around 185*F (seems the higher quality the cut the potential for a lower finish temp) but it could run into the low 200's. ...

From 185? Damn...how exactly do I do that from bed?

I hear ya...the 185 point to the finish can be hours! I'll give it some thought, though. When I pulled it at 200, everything probed like butter and the temp everywhere I probed was between 196 and 206.

Thanks for the feedback. Twas a great brisket! Want to keep it all tender if that's possible. I'll keep working on it.

Don't wrap just the flat, wrap the whole thing. I honestly think your troubles was trimming. That is your juice and protection.

blind99 · September 2015

When I read 7.5# packer my first thought was you got a packer from a veal calf! The picture though makes me wonder if they cut off the half of the flat.

Anyhow that looks dang good from here, nice work!

SmyrnaGA · September 2015

I've only done 3 full packer briskets so I don't have as much to add. All 3 were between 12-14 lbs trimmed. The first one was over 18 inches so I had to place a rib rack underneath to make it fit. I place a hinge of the plate setter at the back and positioned the point toward the back since it's hotter.

For the first one, I just covered the opening in the front between the front 2 hinge with HD foil. Since the thin tip was a little dry, I placed my round heat shield from the KJ Jr over the opening and foiled as before and that worked better.

The thrid one I did fat side up and rubbed a bit of canolia oil all over before seasoning and that turned out the best.

Since the hot smoke hits the point first, I positioned my probe in the thickest part of the flat as close to the front as possible. I checked for tenderness starting at 190 and then every 20 mins afterwards. Since the front edge of the flat on my first 2 briskets were dry, I only probed for tenderness 2 inches away from all the edges and in.

KiterTodd · September 2015

Thanks guys. Yeah @tarheelmatt I'll be careful with the trimming next time. I don't like to wrap unless I need to (for time or if I can't pay attention to the temp) but maybe that's the right call.

Next one I will go very lenient on trimming to the flat, if any.
If that doesn't work...I may go to wrapping.

The good news is... MORE BRISKET COOKS!

KiterTodd · September 2015

blind99 said:

When I read 7.5# packer my first thought was you got a packer from a veal calf! The picture though makes me wonder if they cut off the half of the flat.
Anyhow that looks dang good from here, nice work!

Yeah, odd right? He had a big one in the case and I asked him if he had anything smaller and went to check and pulled out this one. It was actually just what I was looking for, but could have been the source of my problems. Maybe it was so light because the flat was extra thin or something.

Next time, go big or go home!

Thanks for the tips on hanging it over something.

When you guys hang it over a rib rack or pan, do you do that for the entire cook or can you remove the "riser" halfway through when it shrinks? I usually don't open the grill until its done, or close to it....

tarheelmatt · September 2015

KiterTodd said:

Thanks guys. Yeah @tarheelmatt I'll be careful with the trimming next time. I don't like to wrap unless I need to (for time or if I can't pay attention to the temp) but maybe that's the right call.

Next one I will go very lenient on trimming to the flat, if any.
If that doesn't work...I may go to wrapping.

The good news is... MORE BRISKET COOKS!

I don't think you're picking up what I am putting down.

I'm not talking wrapping in foil, I'm talking about wrapping in butcher paper. Big difference.

SmokeyPitt · September 2015

Great advice so far. FWIW they sell that same packet (Excel brand choice) at Wal-Mart in GA for about $3 a lb. Sam's sells the same brand but it is Angus. The best brisket I have done to date was the Sam's Angus choice packer.

I have also heard good things about Restaurant Depot for brisket. They carry angus choice as well.

SmyrnaGA · September 2015

KiterTodd said:

When you guys hang it over a rib rack or pan, do you do that for the entire cook or can you remove the "riser" halfway through when it shrinks? I usually don't open the grill until its done, or close to it....

I only had to use the rib rack the first time. I took the rack out around 160 internal temp. You may have something there with "don't open the grill", I kept opening the grill every few hours to take pix the first time and it was the driest. I didn't take any pix this last one Sunday and it was the best. Didn't bother checking it until 190... Hmmm

KiterTodd · November 2015

I'm going to cook another brisket tonight.

So, changes I gathered from this thread-

1) Put the temp probe in the thickest part of the FLAT! This is a big change for me. I'll go with that and hope the point isn't tough.

2) Go easy on my trimming of the flat.

I got a 12 lbs. packer this time (the largest the Amish market had). I'm not planning on wrapping unless the cook runs long and I'm short on time. Don't have butcher paper or I'd try that for shits and giggles.

Thanks!

Best Brisket Yet! And a couple questions...

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