The De-Facto Brisket Discussion.... Where is it?

BRush00

Hi All,

I've been reading through the forum here for a few days, and for the most part, the only brisket discussions I've seen are either, "here - look at my brisket, om nom nom" threads, or, "please diagnose my specific problem" threads.

Having never done brisket - actually having never EATEN brisket - I have a bit of a challenge put forth.

A friend of mine who's had plenty of my BBQ (pulled pork, ribs, chickens, steaks, paella etc etc. etc...) texted my Wife the other day, "Hi There!  Hope you two are still coming to my birthday party.... Was wondering if it would be weird if I asked your husband for his meat on my bday?".  Then followed it up with this message to me, "HEY!   Could I have your meat for my birthday!?  btw - your wife's already approved "

So with that exchange, I've been roped into providing a brisket.

In my Pulled Pork attempts, it seems there's plenty of information all stockpiled in one place or another, generally I've referenced the Eldar Ward method on the Naked Whiz's site.

Anybody know where I can find the de-facto brisket information?  Cook time/#/temp?  rub options?  Sauce opinions?  What're these Burnt Ends I keep hearing about and should I bother with them?  How much brisket/person?

I did watch a great 'how to prep a brisket' video the other day which was posted here, any other tips?

Thanks once again in advance, I love this forum for it's encyclopedic knowledge of all things BBQ.

BRush00

Damn I wish I was at the NOLA brisket camp - looked like a blast lol

grege345

There is a 2 or 3 part you tube series on you tube starring Arron Franklin. Goes from picking out, trimming, seasoning and cooking. I'd say start there and come back and ask specific questions. There is a lot of info on briskets and a lot of experts that will help. We will even walk you thru it on cook day so your not alone. As for how much per person? All depends on crowd. Young, old, male female, sides, etc. burnt ends. Don't bother

HendersonTRKing

I watched that Aaron Franklin series a bunch of times before my first attempt.  And read the Travis "how I do it" post on here a bunch, also.  Took the best of what I read (and some of the not best, too), incorporated it into my routine and kept at it.  Am keeping at it.  

Here's 2 "de facto" instructions that I've learned and live by when doing a brisket.  Sure, it's a minimalist's view, but everything else seems like just more tinsel on the tree:

1.  Season only with S&P, and less than you think you need;

2.  Cook to feel, definitely not to time and prob not even to temp.  When you can slide the probe in and out of the thickest part of the flat "like buttah," it's done.  

There's lots of other stuff -- picking out the right meat, trimming, slicing, to sauce or not to sauce, etc.  But all of that stuff really is opinion/preference.  The 2 points above I think are indisputable facts.

Be sure to tell us how the cook turns out!

lousubcap

As mentioned above, the Aaron Franklin brisket video series is a good watch.  And some additional references:

·    what follows are some good links for brisket info:  probably more than you will ever need- http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html; http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html 

and http://bubbatim.com/Bubba_s_Brisket.php  Once you are confused by all you read-just default to the above posts.  Several run at around 260-280*F on the calibrated dome thermo and figure about 1.5 hours /lb.  But aim to finish early as you don't want to be stressing trying to push the cook across the finish-line.  You can easily hold for around 6 hours in a cooler.

As noted, the key finish indicator is when you can probe the thickest part of the flat with no resistance.  Start checking at around 190*F 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.  And I'm in the slice and eat the point-not the burnt ends crowd.  FWIW-

henapple

S&p, granulated garlic. ...mix in a bowl or pre-mix.
You can't put on too much rub
Light the middle only...baseball size.
Trim brisket to 1/4 fat..the butcher can do this if needed.
250-275 indirect
Chunks of oak or hickory
Indirect..I place a raised pan underneath
Flat towards the rear of the egg
1 hr per lb or abouts ...ymmv
Go till the probe slides ...200-205?
Whether you ftc or not let the brisket set on the board a while
You can wrap in butcher paper around 160-170 to speed up the process.
Cut against the grain or you can throw it away

Choice...make another choice
Select... most available to most
Prime.. would be nice
Wagyu.. means you're wealthy.

That's my experience so far

Bojangles

BRush00 said:

A friend of mine who's had plenty of my BBQ (pulled pork, ribs, chickens, steaks, paella etc etc. etc...) texted my Wife the other day, "Hi There!  Hope you two are still coming to my birthday party.... Was wondering if it would be weird if I asked your husband for his meat on my bday?".  Then followed it up with this message to me, "HEY!   Could I have your meat for my birthday!?  btw - your wife's already approved "

Can't help myself....

Are you 100% sure it's food your friend is asking for in these texts?  

buzd504

henapple said:

S&p, granulated garlic. ...mix in a bowl or pre-mix. You can't put on too much rub Light the middle only...baseball size. Trim brisket to 1/4 fat..the butcher can do this if needed. 250-275 indirect Chunks of oak or hickory Indirect..I place a raised pan underneath Flat towards the rear of the egg 1 hr per lb or abouts ...ymmv Go till the probe slides ...200-205? Whether you ftc or not let the brisket set on the board a while You can wrap in butcher paper around 160-170 to speed up the process. Cut against the grain or you can throw it away Choice...make another choice Select... most available to most Prime.. would be nice Wagyu.. means you're wealthy. That's my experience so far

This is pretty much all you need to know.

But I think you have your Choice and Select backwards, Brother Apple.

henapple

@buzd504‌ ... sorry friend. You are correct.

Select...select another
Choice. ..the only one I have

BRush00

Bojangles said:

BRush00 said:

A friend of mine who's had plenty of my BBQ (pulled pork, ribs, chickens, steaks, paella etc etc. etc...) texted my Wife the other day, "Hi There!  Hope you two are still coming to my birthday party.... Was wondering if it would be weird if I asked your husband for his meat on my bday?".  Then followed it up with this message to me, "HEY!   Could I have your meat for my birthday!?  btw - your wife's already approved "

Can't help myself....

Are you 100% sure it's food your friend is asking for in these texts?  

Hahaha - yup, absolutely sure she wants some BBQ, nothing offside about her request lol.  Just thought I'd share the story so that somebody else would get a chuckle. 

The funniest part about that question is that these friends actually enjoy an..... "alternative" lifestyle. 

)

Thanks a bunch for all the info everyone.  I've read through the links provided and sounds like I should be alright in the long haul.... hope it goes well, but will certainly share as I go.

shtgunal3

Here is another way that is pretty popular. http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1138233/brisket-how-i-do-it/p1

NPHuskerFL

@henapple‌ flat toward rear of egg? Did you mean to instead write point toward the hinge and flat toward the front.

SGH

Brother I will try to give you a few pointers if I can. But let me first try to shed some light why there is no set in stone cooking guide when it comes to brisket. And please bare in mind that what I'm about to say is just the very tip of the iceberg if you will when it comes to cooking brisket. Untold volumes on the subject have been written and debated for nearly a century. Cooking brisket is a story with no end. New chapters are written almost daily in the book. There are so many methods that can and will work for cooking brisket that discussing them all is well beyond the scope of this text. Also it is beyond my abilities.
There is much debate as to what is the ideal cooking temp for brisket. Ask any brisket master or even a novice and they will all give a different answer. None are truly right nor wrong. A lot depends on the brisket it's self and the cooking environment. But just for the record and in this novices humble opinion a good tried and true range is 225-250 degrees. Why? It is at these low temps, rather water is used or not that the evaporative affect is slow enough to give sufficient dwell time for the meat to completely render down without any undo scorching. Also the window for catching the brisket just as it "let's loose and relaxes" is much larger than when cooking at higher temps. This is a rule and fact that you can count on-The higher the cooking temp, the smaller the opportunity to catch the brisket before over shooting the target. The lower the cooking temp, the larger the window is. This is why most inexperienced folks should start off at lower temps. It buys them time. How much time does it buy and is it worth it? Let's take a look. I have personally seen some of the large primals stall in excess of 8 hours when cooked over water in the 225 degree arena. For a comparison 2 days ago at the brisket camp brother Tex and myself ran the final load of briskets in and above the 400 degree arena without water. None stalled at all. Just a steady rise ever upwards in internal temp. We ran these temps to keep up with demand. Not by choice. By my calculation there was about a 10 minute window to catch the briskets before restriction started to take place. Brother in the cooking world that is a blink of the eye time wise. Literally. Then you get into other variables such as cold weight, grade and intramuscular cell structure. The latter needs farther explaining but I will leave it to others to clarify. My point is simple. There are many ways to reach a justifiable end. Find the one that produces good results for you and stick with it. As you get better and better then start branching out and experimenting. Below is just a general guide that will usually yield exceptional results if the chef does his or her part. Again this is not the only way, just one of the numerous that will yield good results.
Temp. 225-250 degrees.
Seasoning. Use what you like and enjoy eating. After all you are the one eating it.
Smoke wood. Again we all have different tastes and preferences. Use what you like. That being said, both oak and pecan are phenomenal. A good all around taste profile.
Trimming. This is open to much debate. That said the hotter I run the more I trim and vise versa. Just my preference.
Wrapping. I don't do it myself. But if you chose to wrap a good temp to wrap at is 155-160.
When is it done? I don't use temp to determine this nor will I recommend one. Why? It will never be the same. Never. Here is what I shoot far. The brisket should feel like a very tightly filled water ballon. Firm but very, very yielding. This is something that is learned through practice not taught.
But here is a range depending on size, quality, grade and humidity.
185-208 give or take a little.
I hope this helps. I would give greater detail but it's 4:13am and I'm exhausted my friend. If you have specific questions please feel free to ask. Either myself or someone else will try to answer. Good luck my friend.

BRush00

Wow - Thanks @SGH - for something posted at 4:13am.... that's a ton of info )

Really appreciate all the tips/info everyone - crossing my fingers this brisket cook turns out perfectly, and I'm sure with the help of the forum here - i'll have no trouble.

henapple

NPHuskerFL said:

@henapple‌ flat toward rear of egg? Did you mean to instead write point toward the hinge and flat toward the front.

I've tried it both ways. If the back is hotter it's probably not much. My points always end up done substantially quicker than the flat. For me it doesn't matter because I always cube the flat for chili, stew, etc.

Brother Blake, if I've led someone wrong it was not intentionally.

BGEGP

I have a question.  I purchased a 14lb gold grade Wagyu brisket, the flat gets pretty thin.  Much thinner then other briskets I've done.  Has anyone cut the flat in half and pulled the thinner part first?  This is my first Wagyu brisket and I don't want to screw it up.

SGH

You are welcome sir. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to ask. I'm always glad to help when I can.

SGH

@BGEGP‌
Just cook it as is my brother. If it's Wagyu it's almost impossible to mess up. No matter the circumstances, you are always better off to cook "whole and unadulterated". There is no exception to this.

SGH

@BRush00‌
How is the brisket coming along?

BRush00

@SGH
The Brisket's.... not?  haha - actually it's going to be done this weekend, Party starts at 6:00 (though everyone usually runs a bit late), so I was going to shoot to have the hunk o' beef finished and in a cooler by 5:00 or so....

Asked my usual butcher and they claim that their untrimmed briskets are usually 12-14 lbs.  I Think my plan will be something along the lines of:

Wednesday (tomorrow) - will be picking up some more lump and smoke-wood, and possibly the brisket itself.  Going to be feeding ~ 20 adults - but this IS a pot-luck, and there should  be a bunch of other sides too.  I think I'm going to look for about the biggest un-trimmed brisket they can find me, that's still as "bendy" as possible in it's cryo-pac.

Friday night/afternoon - I'll get the egg ready for a long haul & season the brisket with salt

Prior to going on the egg, I'll season with some extra pepper, and maybe some non-Texan spices.

In the wee hours of Saturday morning (2:00 or so), will get the meat in the smoke, then try to get a bit of sleep.

cazzy

Thanks for posting this!  I have been looking for tips too!  

SGH

@BRush00‌
Until then sir, I will be

grege345

I think you have a good plan. Don't worry a proper FTC will hod for 4 hours ez so no worries if your done early. What temp you shooting for ?

henapple

cazzy said:

Thanks for posting this!  I have been looking for tips too!  

You tired of your beef jerky? \:D/

Ladeback69

@SGH‌ has said it well and your plan sounds good, just make sure you give yourself plenty of time. When I cook st 250 to 275 raised indirect it takes about a pound an hour. I like to do burnt ends, but I wouldn't mess with it on your first cook. I live in KC and my wife prefers burnt ends over slices so she just likes the point. Remember to cut against the grain. Before you put rub on just cut a small piece of the edge of the flat so you know where to cut when it's done. Good luck.

SGH

Bumping and still standing by.

BRush00

Well - I've got my Brisket (13# untrimmed), Wicked Good,  and Pecan Chunks, going home tonight and will burn up any remaining lump in the egg on a few Italian sausages for dinner/pasta sauce, then I'm going to start the Brisket prep!

Will be sure to take lots of pics and update this thread as I'm able through the night - likely nothing until later tonight though.

*crosses fingers*

BRush00

And I think I'll enjoy a few Bourbon Sweet Teas while cooking tonight/tomorrow:

Bourbon Sweet Tea

ingredients: 

makes 1 large pitcher, serves 6-8

• 3 cups water
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 or 3 black tea bags
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges
• 1 orange, sliced into wedges
• 1 cup bourbon
• Lemon wheels for garnish

preparation: 

1.To make the tea: Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the sugar water into a jar, add the tea bags, and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong you want your tea. (If you like your tea very strong, leave the bags in the tea for longer.)

2. Remove the tea bags and add the lemon, lime, and orange wedges. Pour in the bourbon. Cover the jar and chill.

3. Serve in small glasses and garnish with thin lemon wheels.

minniemoh

Good luck! You've already received lots of good advice. Once it's on, just sit back and relax - it's gonna be a while.

BRush00

Hey everyone, just checking in here.

Brisket been on since 2:00 am, 11 hours now. Currently sittin in the stall, at 160 - temp actually dropped from 165 to 154; so I'm on my way out now.

Temps have been fairly stable around 220-250 grate all night.

lousubcap

Now that looks like a home-run waiting for the pitch.  Don't know the size but "patience is a virtue" when dealing with the brisket, regardless of what you may have learned from the brisket camp.  Great cook and eats await.