1st brisket, the cook, 12.5lb brisket 1/2 through cook.. Stall at 140??

nutshellml

Morning all so I trimmed up my brisket (thanks to all your posts and links to videos).  Put it on the XL BGE w/ Adjustible Rig last night at about 12:45am @ 225-230degrees.  Woke up this morning at it was about 144* and now dropped to about 140* for the past hour.  Is that a normal spot for "The Stall"?? Maintaing temp at about 230* right now...

Shiff

I've usually seen stalls at around 160.  Did you try measuring it at several different spots?  I usually cook at a grid temperature of 250.

Spaightlabs

Briskets are  like women in that each one is unique, they will do what they want and be ready when they darn well please.

nutshellml

Shiff said:

Did you try measuring it at several different spots?  

Yes, I actually have two temp probs in the meat one in point and one thick part of flat and both reading about the same.  I also just thermapen'd it and same reading.  It just started climbing back up now after about 45min @ 140 it's at 142*

RedSkip

If you start to get pressed for time, bump the temperature and maybe need to wrap too.  You'll experience a big stall around 160-170, which can take several hours.

wrapping and bumping temp will help expedite the time.  If not pressed for time then let it ride.

nutshellml

RedSkip said:

If you start to get pressed for time, bump the temperature and maybe need to wrap too.  You'll experience a big stall around 160-170, which can take several hours.

wrapping and bumping temp will help expedite the time.  If not pressed for time then let it ride.

Thanks!  At this point, I'm not pressed for time.  It's 8:23 EST and no specific serving time, whenever it gets done.  So I'll let it ride...   

lousubcap

@nutshellml -  good call to let it ride.  You can let the dome run up to around 270-280*F to help move the cook along as hanging around 230*F the cook will take forever.  FWIW-

bhedges1987

Had two stalls on my last one. First at 140. Second at 160

gdenby

The stall is caused by evaporative cooling. It doesn't end till 1/2 the moisture leaves the meat. Low ambient temperature causes just enough evaporation that by 140, just about 15 degrees after water starts to come out of the muscle cells, the meat temperature cannot go up till half the water weight is gone. At an ambient  around 250, the stall happens at 160. 275, around 180. If there is a water filled drip pan, things will be even slower. If the meat is wrapped in "the crutch," the sweating happens faster.

For briskets, the initial water content of the muscle is over 70%. Maybe 8 pounds of water in a med sized packer, of which 3 has to evaporate before the stall ends.