first brisket was kind of rocky...

gomihead · September 2016

Hey gang!

New egger, tried my first brisket ever. Half of it was wonderful, and half turned to shoe leather on the bottom. I'm looking for advice. Here's what I did:

Set up the grill, added 4-5 hickory chunks to the Green Egg charcoal. Put in the convEGGtor for indirect, and got it up to 275.

Trimmed the 12 pound brisket, salted & peppered per Aaron Franklin, arranged it on the grill (fat cap up) with a pan of water.

Waited 4 hours. Checked the bark (a little light yet), temped it - 185, right in the stall. Cool. Spritzed it with water, closed it back up.

Spritzed it every hour or so for another 2 hours, then the bark looked good so I wrapped it in butcher paper and tossed it back in.

About eight hours in, it felt loose (I guess, it's my first so I'm not really sure). Temped at about 210. Took it out and let it rest until it came down to about 145.

Then the bad news. The flat end was fine on top, but underneath the meat was dark brown and totally dried out - I lost about 3/4 of an inch plus all the bark on the bottom. Totally inedible. The top, under the fat cap, was a little dry, but tasty.

The point end (aside from some knobby bits I probably should have trimmed) was delicious. Succulent, smoky, rendered to perfection. The very bottom was a little dryer, but nothing like the flat end.

What did I do wrong? Why would the bottom on one end get so heat-damaged? Should I cook it fat cap-down next time? I wonder if part of the beef extended over the edge of the convEGGtor, and got too much fire? It was tricky to get it all to fit.

Appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

-Eric

lousubcap · September 2016

Sounds like some parts were direct heat exposed-solve that with foil protection. The point will do better as it has more fat content. I run cap down as an extra heat shield. Was your cook temp relatively constant? Reason I ask is the the water pan is an artificial heat-sink. Will keep the temp depressed as long as there is water in the pan. Should it empty the BGE temp will rise to the vent settings for a non-water pan fire.
Your finish temp is high (but not totally out there) Did you probe for the "feels like buttah" prior to the 210*F reading as you may have cruised thru the finish-line.
And the grade of meat-the higher the quality of meat going in the more room you have to nail the finish.
That's more than enough to chew on.

BTW-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. Many here will help with any questions you may have.

bluebird66 · September 2016

Welcome!

bhedges1987 · September 2016

Buy a drip pan from the ceramic grill store to sit inside your plate setter so everything is protected from the heat. If you have a large egg - a 16" drip pan fits perfect.

pgprescott · September 2016

FAT DOWN. It's a different cooker than the type Franklin uses. Good luck on the next one.

bgebrent · September 2016

Welcome. Good advice above.

billt01 · September 2016

I always put the probe in the flat. Once the flat reaches its correct "doneness" by touch never by temp, I separate the deckle and let that go longer for my burnt ends. Was it a whole brisket or just the flat. The flat is very lean and requires less cooking time IMO.

tikigriller · September 2016

This is a thread I will be paying close attention to

Stoogie · September 2016

There are others on here who get well deserved accolades for their brisket advice, but when ever @lousubcap gives advice on brisket, I listen and would encourage others to do so as well.

I, too, cook fat cap down. Any part of the brisket that is exposed to direct heat I put foil under it. For parts of the flat that are exposed I actually double down on the foil because it's usually the end of the flat.

I also don't put water in the drip pan for the reasons @lousubcap outlined.

I also don't necessarily go by temp, but by feel - if the brisket shakes like jell-o and the thickest part of the flat probes like soft "buttah", I call it good, wrap it up and stick it in a cooler for a few hours so it can have some "alone time".

Remember - it's your first brisket! Don't get discouraged. You'll knock your next one out of the park.

Finally, I'm not sure what Franklin says about seasoning with s&p, but if he says use equal amounts of each, make sure that it done by *weight* and not unit of measure. A half cup of salt weighs a lot more than a half cup of pepper and will affect things.

Photo Egg · September 2016

Sorry, I only skimmed above.
Was your water pan sitting directly on top of your ceramic plate setter?
If it was you were steaming the crap out of the bottom of your brisket as the water temp was probably at boiling temp.
As others have said, no water pan needed and best to have a spacer on top your ceramic plate setter to rest your drip pan on. This will help stop your dripping from smoking and burning.

MaskedMarvel · September 2016

This sounds like classic uncalibrated thermometer to me. 275 is a bit high to begin with, imho, but if you have a meter that is reading wrong that could be 100 degrees off...

Test it in boiling water -- it should read about 212 degrees.

And dont get frustrated! With great risk comes great reward!
im fat cap up, also..

lousubcap · September 2016

@Stoogie - thanks for the nod but many here have more experience (and probably not nearly the learning curve with just flats). BTW- I am not from Texas so that is a major strike

When it comes to brisket, I find that many think it is about the most fun cook you can run with on a BGE and are definitely willing to pass along their insights learned thru the adventures. I take that approach and have hosed up my share over time.

Raymont · September 2016

I don't claim to be a brisket expert, but IMO, cooking a Brisket is 60% the meat and 40% the chef. Unlike pork butt which is pretty much the same (Costco, Kroger, etc.), with Brisket, you tend to get what you pay for. (sort of like select vs. choice vs. prime grade steaks). Sure you can get a good tasting choice steak, but starting with a prime steak exponentially increases success rate.

Flats: near impossible but do get lucky sometimes. Full packer bought from Walmart or even GFS.. you are playing roulette.. Check your (or ask relatives who you plan to go visit) for Costco for prime grade packers. My life got a lot easier once I found good source.

gomihead · September 2016

Wow! So much great advice and encouragement. Thanks for all the shared wisdom, I'm totally psyched to have at it again!

first brisket was kind of rocky...

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