My 1st Brisket packer. 13.5 lbs. Need tips.

Downr@nge

Hello all!  I'll be doing my first brisket ever next weekend.  Its 13.86 pounds.  I plan to trim it up Aaron Franklin style but will use Oakridge Black Ops Brisket Rub.  I will try to find some oak wood to use for smoke and if I can't, i'll use hickory.  The brisket is in the freezer right now.  I want it to be ready to eat on Sunday evening.  When should I take it out the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw?  How long should I cook it?  I plan on resting it for two hours.  

SmokeyPitt

I would let it thaw for 3 days or so.  On big cuts it always takes longer than I expect to thaw. 

If you have Amazon Prime you can find oak chips or chunks there and have them in a couple of days.  

http://amzn.com/B004LL9D0W

They carry those chunks at a few Publix in my area.  I couldn't remember how much I paid so I searched around a bit.  Amazon's price isn't great.  They are less than $5 at Academy:
http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/western-oak-wood-chunks/pid-500229

lousubcap

Sunday (a week) evening means you have around 6 days to thaw and then start the trim and season deal.  I would toss into the fridge no later than Monday night-better to be thawed and ready then not quite there.  Regarding the cook-here's a compendium of sites that can help-you do have time to sort this out along with using the search function here:

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html
http://www.bubbatim.com/
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/recipes.htm
http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html
All the info you will ever need. Enjoy the journey-

 

Brisket_Fanatic

+1 on what @lousubcap said. Put it on the fridge today or tomorrow.

pgprescott

@ 155-160. They are done in 8.5 -10.5 hours. Cook temp @ 250-275. Others are far more experienced and have more traditional methods. I also inject with Butchers prime brisket injection. They turn out great. Wiggle like buttah. I cook fat down to keep the flat away from the heat. The point has a much higher fat content and takes the heat better without drying out, IMO. The best brisket I have had , however is from a friend who cooks @ 225 and let's it ride @ 20-24  hrs.  Absolutely ridiculous flavor and tenderness. Good luck. 

Downr@nge

Thanks guys!!!  Keep the advice coming!

JRWhitee

I do Fatcap down and plan on 13 hours or so at @250 indirect. Start checking at 190 and when the flat probes like butter it is done. It could be 190, 195 200 etc.

bigalsworth

I have done only done 1 full packer, and 1 point.  My advice is to give yourself some leeway with time, you can always FTC if you are done early.  I can't remember the weight of the full packer but it took 18 hours to get it to probe like butter @ 250 deg grate temp.  I started it at 11:30 pm and by the time it finished I only had 30min of rest time, even though I was aiming for a couple hours like yourself.

With my point (which was my first attempt) it was 5lbs and I had it in for 12 hours and only hit 180deg.  I had to pull it and feed the family because it was nearing 9:30 at night and my nieces were starving.  It tasted good, but was not really tender, which was to be expected pulling it at that temp.

Others here have more experience on when to foil or wrap in butcher paper to maybe speed things up, but I am a beginner as well and have not experimented with that yet so I can't help with advice there.

johnnyp

I just did my first brisket last week.  Trimming Franklin style is a great move.  Get rid off all the hard fat.  

Monitor until approx 190, then start to probe for tenderness. Mine was done at approx 200, but the thickest parts took the longest to probe "like butta" 

after the flat in done, cube the point and cook for another hour or two. Burnt ends, as expected, were the best part

shadowrider

I've found that all briskets are different.  I cook at 225 and as an approximate ballpark number you are looking at 1 hour per pound.  Leave yourself some leeway as I've had them go much longer, I had a 15 pounder that took a full 20 hours just for the flat to get to 190, but that was kind of an anomaly.

I start probing the flat at 185 degrees and just take it to where it has to be.  195 is a good target number but again, they vary some.

After the flat is done I separate the point and it goes back in and I usually take it to 210.  Could be 2 hours or 4 hours more.

Good luck!

Edit to add:  I do trim a whole bunch of the fat off and every single bit of the hard fat.  1/8" is plenty for me.  It's easier to get the rub into the meat that way.  You can probably be okay with 2 days in the fridge then trim it out, rub, and back in the fridge for another day.

Lostboy

I have done brisket probaby 5-6 times with varying results.  I went against my intuition and rolled the dice to try the turbo method and it was by far the best one I've had so far.  It was risky, because I thought there was a 50/50 chance I would end up with a worthless piece of (expensive) meat.  I don't remember the exact method offhand, but a quick search here will turn it up.  I'll never go back to the conventional "slow and low" for brisket.

onedbguru

Just to be different, I do fat-cap UP.  This allows all of that melted fat goodness to soak into the meat making it nice and juicy.