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Brisket FTC? HELP NEEDED!

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Mayberry
Mayberry Posts: 750
edited November 2015 in EggHead Forum
I've smoked briskets before, with good results.   I've been tasked this year with cooking one for night before Thanksgiving dinner.  However, I have to smoke it at home tonight and drive two hours Tomorrow, where we will eat it.  I'm trying to plan duration, so it's not in the cooler all day.   Cooking between 225-240 grate temp for 18 lbs, should I account for a full hour and a half per lb, or closer to 1 hr/ lb?   

Also, how long can it stay in FTC and not lose quality?   Ideally, I want it to come off tge Egg around lunch tomorrow and eat it for dinner.
Athens, GA
XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
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    Probably 1 hour per pound, you can FTC it for at least 4 hours. If you are worried about that, put boiling water in your cooler to get it hot and dump it right before you FTC the beast...
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I don't cook them that low so I can't help you on time per pound but I've kept briskets and butts hot in my cooler for up to 12 hours and they probed above 140F.  No quality loss, biggest risk is overcooking if you don't let it cool down before placing in the cooler.  I have a cooler with a gasket...that makes a big difference over a cheap cooler without a gasket.  I usually put a towel in the bottom to soak up grease but I don't wrap in a towel.  Foiling will destroy your bark and it's not necessary if you have a cooler with a gasket.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
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    Nice avatar Nola!
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    @JRWhitee thanks, I totally ripped off Stike.  Well, conceptually.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    @Nolaegghead:   so, you don't foil at all?!    
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I did the other day as I had 55 pounds of food and the only cooler that held all that and fit in my tiny trunk didn't have a gasket.  If I use my Engel dry box or Pelican cooler I do not foil if I want to preserve the skin or bark.  The heat will stay in the meat just fine.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    So you cook yours at higher temps?   How high?    What cook time per lb?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I start off at 250F (sometimes a little higher) and bump it up when I hit the stall to maybe 290F-300F.  My Large likes run at 275.  If I want to prolong the cook I reduce the temps, speed it up I increase them.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    Here's process I have used with great success:  I can get at least 8 hours out of a FTC (no comment on why the extended requirement...friggin cow:)) .  Pre-warm your cooler (I use and el cheapo Igloo) with hot water.  Heat some garage quality towels in the dryer.  Double wrap the target meat in HDAF and the towels, into the cooler and place in the sun depending on outside temp.  You are good to go.  (I wrap in the HDAF after allowing the brisket to sit on a cooling rack for around 15-20 mins to stop the carryover cooking.)
    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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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Is 6 hours in cooler too long?   18 lb brisket, it's 6:30pm here now.   1 hr/lb will be 12-1pm tomorrow.   2 hr drive, and dinner at 6pm.    
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    You'll be fine
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Spaightlabs
    Spaightlabs Posts: 2,349
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    I just had a 15 lber cook in under an hour per pound throwing my timing way off.  pulled at 195 when it probed like it should, was still at 155 7 hours later.
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Was it still juicy inside?    I'm sure bark suffers after thst long.

    wouldn't worry, but this is for inlaws.    If they come to my house,whatever is served is served.   I just don't want to screw up a family holiday meal by poor planning.  
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Grr.....Egg settled in at 290 and won't go down at all.   The bbq Gods hate me today.   
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    Definitely done early-but you can load up a drip pan with ice to drop the temp and then go from there.
    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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  • Stoogie
    Stoogie Posts: 173
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    It settled in at 290 with or without your brisket in it?
    Large BGE

    Neenah, WI
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,173
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    JRWhitee said:
    Nice avatar Nola!
    You know the Saints suck when @nolaegghead changes his avatar! 
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    DoubleEgger said:
    JRWhitee said:
    Nice avatar Nola!
    You know the Saints suck when @nolaegghead changes his avatar! 
    You got that right.  I resisted the urge to make it a paper grocery bag.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Settled at 290 without the brisket on it.   I closed down to almost shut and it's finally down to 271 grate temp
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    DoubleEgger said:
    You know the Saints suck when @nolaegghead changes his avatar! 
    They sucked long before the avatar change ;)

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • Stoogie
    Stoogie Posts: 173
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    I'd put it in there right now.  The cooler brisket is going to drop the temps just by itself, then manage the temps from there.  Be patient and you'll hit the temp range you want.  Just my opinion, though.
    Large BGE

    Neenah, WI
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    My last brisket fnished at exactly 1 hr/lb.  the others have been closer to 1.5 per lb.   wth an 18 lb brisket, that's a 9 hr difference.    I'm overly confused on when to put this thing on.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    I have held briskets for the Salado eggfests for a few years now. 12 hrs is not out of the ordinary. I started using paper this year but I used foil for a few years before that. I can say that these are some of the best briskets I have ever done and the bark holds up remarkably well through all of it. I do start with a real crusty bark when I do this but its still plenty crusty when cracked open hours later. I did a long (5-6 hour) hold in paper a few weeks ago and the bark was almost too firm when I served it.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Stoogie
    Stoogie Posts: 173
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    When I do a brisket that is anything *but* a SRF brisket, I cook them between 250-275 and I can count on them taking 1 hr/lb.  SRF, I plan on 45 minutes/lb.  If you're able to get your temps down to 225, then I can only imagine that it will be more than 1 hr/lb.  

    As has been said many times here, each brisket has a mind of its own, as I'm sure you're aware of. 

    18 lbs... are you cooking this on a large BGE?
    Large BGE

    Neenah, WI
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    So, butcher paper and no foil at all?
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    Mayberry said:
    So, butcher paper and no foil at all?
    that's the way I do it. I wrap in butcher paper and fill the cooler with balls of wadded up butcher paper instead of towels. It provides excellent insulation and I can throw it all away instead of having a pile of meat soaked towels to deal with later.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Egg down to 248, brisket internal at 59 degrees.   Kids in bed and first beer completed. I feel better now.  
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    Ewww....3 hours in and internal temp is already 153.   Always scares the crap out of me when they climb that fast.   
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,989
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    I did a 14er last weekend, and the temp blazed straight up. I started by letting it sit out while seasoned IT was 42F when I placed it on the XL @225F.  In less than 3 hours it bolted to 142F. The brisket started to neutralize and the temp climb slowed from there.
    Occasionally, when I am in a hurry, (Typically under 9 hours) I have foiled, at 150-160F IT. When I do this I inject with beef broth, at the start prior to, and during the foiling. Keep until it proves like butter  (about 35-40 minutes per pound)
    I then place in the cooler (already in the foil), wrapped with a towel, after letting it rest for about 15 minutes ambient. I have had it in the cooler over 6 hours, and it has always been very good. 
    I use this method when I have to plan on a tight schedule. Otherwise, I place it a 225F, then drink and wait. No wrapping, just the Brisket, rub, smoke, and BGE.
    Good luck, I am sure your results will be stellar.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
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    I've had good results before.   I ve never had to drive 2 hours, brisket in tow, though, and then serve it.   Pork butts, I wouldn't worry at all.   They're juicy and forgiving.  But, brisket begins to dry out as you are slicing it.  235 grate temp and 153 internalright now, 4 hours in.   I'm hoping for a loooooonnnnngggg stall and being able to pull it off and FTC it around 1 or 2 pm tomorrow.  
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
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