Second Brisket

gpsegg

Well, trying my second brisket.Choice packer, About 8 lbs. trimmed seasoned with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.Went on at 6am. Digiq steady at 255-260 with internal temp now at 151. Wish me luck and thanks to all for your info on this board.

Walt2015

Best of luck! Dinner tonight? 

gpsegg

@Walt2015..Yes sir

logchief

Standing by for the finale.  Looks like a good start

jaydub58

Yes, don't forget "after" pics.  

johnmitchell

Good luck...You will kill it..

gpsegg

Flat a little overcooked. Taste was delicious. Turned out 11 hours, pulled at 201*

gpsegg

Guys....could use your help....

lousubcap

Help related to what???  Btw-great smoke ring and about all I can offer in the cloud of the unknown is that if the thickest part of the flat probed like "buttah" and you pulled it but then immediately FTC'd you got the carry-over cook which dried out the flat.  Point cut against the grain?  Beyond that...I'm sure it was great eats and if it fails muster then always good as ABT filler in the summer.  FWIW-

gpsegg

@lousubcap ....thanks for your input. It was served after a 20 minute rest with no FTC. Most of the flat, I thought, probed like buttah, but there was still some resistence at 201*. Is it possible I should have gone longer? As for the point, you may be correct . It was delicious though.

lousubcap

Good call with the rest and no FTC.  Tough to tell with the flat-if a huge thickness difference across the flat then the thin part may have been overcooked but then it would probe really easily.  If I have a packer with a major thick to thin difference in the flat, I will foil the thin part for the first few hours of the cook to slow the pace down.   You didn't have any part of the brisket over a direct heat area did you?  Can be a challenge to get it all heat protected when using a platesetter but doing so is necessary for a more uniform cook.  FWIW-

Ladeback69

@gpsegg, it's hard to tell, but looking at you photos, did you just slice it straight across starting with the flat?  If so that may be little bit of you problem.  The brisket flat looks to have the grain running to one corner of the flat and you may have needed to start cutting against the grain in that corner instead of straight across if that is how you cut it.  Hard to tell.  Before I put the rub on, I will cut a little piece off the corner of the flat to let me know where to cut it when its done.  It's hard to remember where the grain runs when it gets a good bark on it.  From the photos it looks great and that is a great smoke ring.  The flavor has to be good.  This is just an observation of the photos you have posted and if you don't cut against the grain it may not be a tender as you hoped for.  I have made that mistake before.

gpsegg

Thank you all very much for your comments. There is no question brisket is a challenge !

gpsegg

Another point to make.....we commented upon beginning to trim that there was very little fat to trim over the flat  off this brisket....less than a lb.total.  Perhaps the dryness was explained by the particular cut,

Ladeback69

gpsegg said:

Another point to make.....we commented upon beginning to trim that there was very little fat to trim over the flat  off this brisket....less than a lb.total.  Perhaps the dryness was explained by the particular cut,

The flat does not have much fat to it.  Most the fat is around the point and you want to cut the hard fat off, because it won't render like the fat layers inside of it.  Did you leave about a 1/4" of fat on the bottom side?  That's about the only place where on the flat I would trim down if it was a little thick.

gpsegg

I don't think there was a 1/4" there before we started trimming.

Ladeback69

gpsegg said:

I don't think there was a 1/4" there before we started trimming.

I would have left it then.  I like leaving it and put it fat side down.  That way if it sticks, it's the fat I lose on the meat.  Next time leave a little fat on the bottom of it.  Practice, practice, practice.  I wan't to do another one soon, but the wife won't let tell the 4th I bet.  The cost of beef is getting out of control. 

gpsegg

@Ladeback69I wasn"t clear, sorry. We didn't trim flat at all and cooked it fat side down.

Ladeback69

gpsegg said:

@Ladeback69I wasn"t clear, sorry. We didn't trim flat at all and cooked it fat side down.

OK.  Thanks.  It looks great.  Mine always taste good, but I know I can do better and they each get better when I do them.  

cazzy

Ladeback69 said:

gpsegg said:

I don't think there was a 1/4" there before we started trimming.

I would have left it then.  I like leaving it and put it fat side down.  That way if it sticks, it's the fat I lose on the meat.  Next time leave a little fat on the bottom of it.  Practice, practice, practice.  I wan't to do another one soon, but the wife won't let tell the 4th I bet.  The cost of beef is getting out of control. 

Interesting...beef has been dropping like crazy here in Texas, yet you make it seem like your cost is increasing.  What are you paying per pound for brisket?

I have to buy 6 prime packers this weekend and I'm expecting $3.29# or less.

TylerA

@Cazzy, HEB has brisket on sale for $1.77 per pound  We got a 12.46 pounder for $22.05.  
  

cazzy

TylerA said:

@Cazzy, HEB has brisket on sale for $1.77 per pound  We got a 12.46 pounder for $22.05.  
  

I saw those on Wednesday...they were select by Swift.  Prime was $3.79#.  Sometimes, Prime will get mismarked and tossed in...I hope you were one of the lucky ones.