Oh brisket, it's always something with you...

Eggatron

Oh brisket, thou art a fickle beast at times... So, last night I threw on a 10 pound brisket on the egg at 6:00 pm. Temp was ~225. Smoked for 6 hours, foiled and put in my electric smoker at 225 and shut down the egg. Internal temp was surprisingly already about 165. Checked two hours later at 2 am and it was already 180, which seems way too high for only 8 hours. Concerned about the accuracy of the smokers thermometer I brought it to the oven inside and put it in at 205 to slow it down. Basically, do you think it's going to be negatively effected because it jumped in temp so quick during a phase where my briskets normally stalls? Am I worried about nothing? Good or bad, I'll post pictures. For the good of science.

yzzi

I got no idea but curious as to why you didn't keep it in the egg.

Eggatron

Because the egg can have trouble maintaining temps as low as 225 without dropping unless you vent it and I had to sleep eventually! If it was a day time cook or I was cooking at higher heat, I would have kept it on the egg.

xiphoid007

So, while I'm no expert, my quest to make a brisket that doesn't taste like beautifully smoked shoe leather has lead to a lot of reading and searching on this forum.

One theme that is repeated here almost ad nauseum is that each piece of meat is different. If your thermos are calibrated then its just gonna be done early. There are tons of ways listed here on how to keep your brisket hot until chow time. Pick the one you like.

Foiling will also speed the cook and help u blast through the stall quicker.

Biggest thing I've learned about brisket:

It ain't easy to cook and there are a million ways to approach it.

Several folks have their own methods they've gone into detail about (Travis method, cen Tex) but that's what works for them.

Good luck finishing. I'm sure it'll be great!

NPHuskerFL

+1 Why start in the egg, foil at or before the stall and then in an electric smoker? This just doesn't jive. X_X
Edit: ok I read your reason.

Eggatron

Thanks for the input xiphoid, I figured it would be fine. Husker, It's pretty common to finish a brisket in an oven...I was just using my electric smoker in place of the oven at that point so the actual oven would be freed up for my wife to use in the morning.

cazzy

Eggatron said:

Husker, It's pretty common to finish a brisket in an oven...

Not in Texas! :P

Your fault was to wrap in foil when it sounds like you were trying to extend the cook and sleep. You would have likely Hit the stall hard, but since you wrapped, you powered through the stall.

The biggest thing with briskets is not to over think it or overreact. What were you trying to accomplish when you wrapped? Also, when were you trying to eat your brisket...lunch or dinner?

NPHuskerFL

@cazzy +1 I get using crutch (HDAF) if in a time crunch. But, doing so you'll typically lose bark and the stall time helps with rendering fat, breaking down tough connective tissue and gives you better end tenderness. I guess I'm from the school of it takes however long it takes (no need to rush it in my mind). I rather start to it to early and it finish early than to have to hurry to finish for guests. You can always FTC until your ready to slice it...or use butchers paper, towel, cooler like Cazzy had suggested to me to keep the bark (as FTC tends to soften the bark).

Eggatron

Yeah that's just the way I do it sometimes, not sure why I wrapped it. I'm going to eat it this afternoon. I'll let you guys know how it turned out.

cazzy

For a later eat time...stabilize the egg and throw it on and 10 or 11 and sleep like a baby.

jsmoto01

Had the same thing happen to me. Had a 10lb and it was done sooner than expected. Kept mine in the egg the whole time. Was able to maintain 225 the whole time. Each piece of meat is different. I'm sure yours came out fine. Enjoy

NPHuskerFL

How did your brisky come out? Pics? I'm sure ya came out golden.