First brisket nerves

mwatts

I've read all the post. I've done additional research. I am however still nervous. Got this 13.99 pounder ready for tomorrow night.  Got some friends coming over who expect it to be as good my other egg food so it's got me overwhelmed. Any last minute tips or advice for a first time brisket cooker.  am

StillH2OEgger

I have still only done one, but I thought smoking it was the easy part. I was more nervous about the trimming and how much I was taking off vs. what should stay and then was a little anxious about when to pull it off. I was very happy with the end result and it was juicy, but it fell apart a little too easily and was slightly overcooked. I believe my mistake was foiling it too quickly for the FTC and it kept cooking in the cooler. Can't wait to do my next one. Even if it's not perfect, I'm sure yours will be good.

TideEggHead

Sounds like you need to hit step 1 first!
Step 1: pour a drink or crack a cold one , I'll let the others chime in on the following steps!

mwatts

Wait..... I should wait after I pull it off to FTC? I was thinking straight from egg to foil. 

mwatts

Step 1 will be an easy, check. 

mwatts

TideEggHead said:

Sounds like you need to hit step 1 first!
Step 1: pour a drink or crack a cold one , I'll let the others chime in on the following steps. 


Is that a Roll Tide? @TideEggHead

TideEggHead

In all seriousness, If you follow the IT guidelines for pulling and wrapping in tin foil you should be in a good spot at the end of the cook. Pull and wrap at 160 then cook until 200 or so, probe with a fork and if tender pull off the egg and rest! I had pre-game jitters too, but I had to "trust the egg".

mwatts

That's going to me my motto when it's go time. 
"Trust the Egg"

YukonRon

I go to foil or butcher paper around 160F IT. Start checking for done at 190F, as soon as the thickest part in the "non point" probes like butter, I pull let stand for about 15 20 mins loosely wrapped, then paper/foil, towel and cooler. I leave it p/FTC for a few hours prior to serving.
I also inject, prior to placing on the BGE, and again prior to wrapping at 160F. The mix of the injection is 2 parts beef broth, 1 part garlic juice, 1 part onion juice.
Hope this helps.

TideEggHead

Yep that's an RTR. It sounds like you have your priorities straight haha. I guess I should mention I've never done that big of a brisket, but don't let it intimidate you! You've got this! Do you have an electronic temp controller?? If so your miles ahead of me. Also, +1 on using the cooler to rest and like @YukonRon I would suggest using a towel then placing in the cooler.

blind99

calling @lousubcap aka 'brisket coach' or many of the others who have lots of good advice...

watch the franklin BBQ videos re trimming and slicing

basically you'll season generously with salt and pepper, and cook it indirect until it's done.  I cook mine arond 285, and it takes around 45 min/lb.  cook until thickest part of flat is tender.

take it off, let it cool a litle, then FTC.  Slice to order.  do NOT slice and let it sit on a plate for 20 minutes.

theyolksonyou

You let it rest before FTC so it doesn't continue cooking in the cooler. Let the temp start dropping before going to the cooler. 30 min or so and you'll be fine.  Just cook to feel and you're golden. 

tikigriller

theyolksonyou said:

You let it rest before FTC so it doesn't continue cooking in the cooler. Let the temp start dropping before going to the cooler. 30 min or so and you'll be fine.  Just cook to feel and you're golden. 

I am 99% positive this is what happened to my first try.

lousubcap

@mwatts -  PM sent that should help calm the nerves.  
And @blind99 -  you have got the true Cliff's Notes (do they even exist today?) version right there.  A great BGE cook for sure.  

GrateEggspectations

A beef pec ain't nothing to sweat!

GrateEggspectations

TideEggHead said:

Sounds like you need to hit step 1 first!
Step 1: pour a drink or crack a cold one , I'll let the others chime in on the following steps!

This is how all recipes should begin.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

It's just meat. You will be fine. 

tikigriller

GrateEggspectations said:

TideEggHead said:

Sounds like you need to hit step 1 first!
Step 1: pour a drink or crack a cold one , I'll let the others chime in on the following steps!

This is how all recipes should begin.

I can honestly say, I have never cooked anything without a beer in hand...and that includes brunch on the Blackstone

blind99

@lousubcap brisket should be such a simple cook, right?? I hope you have a copy of your instructions that you can copy and paste so when your help is volunteered by jerks like me you don't have recreate the wheel!

lousubcap

@blind99 -  I have a set of things I have learned (on the positive and negative side) that I do copy and paste.  An ever-changing (although getting quite minimal now) work in progress.  There are many other ways to get there.  Brisket camp has run hot and fast for the duration with great success.  And there are very few dumb questions on the forum.  Those that I file into that category are definitely not cook or BGE related.  FWIW-

billt01

Ahh...the first brisket..I could put shoe laces through my first brisket and use it as a sandal...

It had a lot to do with my POS cooker wouldn't hold a good temp, your equipment is much better than what i started with...

My two pennies..

Inject with beef broth, A1, and some Sriracha hot sauce...

I dust mine with 3 parts McCormick Montreal steak and 1 part turbinado sugar.

Let it roll to 160 and wrap it until 190-195..

Let it rest for for no less than 1 hour in a cooler...

For a dipping sauce....

about three cups mayo, 1 can of La Costena chipolte peppers in adobo sauce, 1 cup of apple juice, and a few tablespoons of brown sugar...

Hit that in a blender for about two minutes..

This sauce is hot.....and it gets hotter the next day...its awesome on beef and fish.

Dyal_SC

@theyolksonyou provided great advice. 

dh7

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

It's just meat. You will be fine. 

Hi, you helped me so much the last time I did a brisket but have a question again.  I'm going to smoke brisket at 250... I'm using a FB200...the temp clip is on the grate and it shows 250 but the dome egg therm shows 270.  Which temp should I go by to smoke at 250 or do I attach the FB probe to the green egg probe.  Thanks again.     

fishlessman

i can not seem to time briskets so i cook a no brainer butt in there as well thats my only advice

billt01

dh7 said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

It's just meat. You will be fine. 

Hi, you helped me so much the last time I did a brisket but have a question again.  I'm going to smoke brisket at 250... I'm using a FB200...the temp clip is on the grate and it shows 250 but the dome egg therm shows 270.  Which temp should I go by to smoke at 250 or do I attach the FB probe to the green egg probe.  Thanks again.     

@dh7 No difference between 250 and 270 other than 20 degrees..it will have no effect on your finished product...but id stick with the grate temp...

tikigriller

billt01 said:

dh7 said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

It's just meat. You will be fine. 

Hi, you helped me so much the last time I did a brisket but have a question again.  I'm going to smoke brisket at 250... I'm using a FB200...the temp clip is on the grate and it shows 250 but the dome egg therm shows 270.  Which temp should I go by to smoke at 250 or do I attach the FB probe to the green egg probe.  Thanks again.     

@dh7 No difference between 250 and 270 other than 20 degrees..it will have no effect on your finished product...but id stick with the grate temp...

If you want them to match, just clip your temp probe from the FB200 to the temp probe in the egg.  I also feel like this protects the probe more from the heat since it is farther away..even though lo and slo's don't exactly have a heat problem.  Most of the cook books I have seen are based off of the dome temps, and most people here are talking dome temps, but as @billt01 said, the difference between the two is really not a big deal to what your finished product will be and falls into the "thinking too much" and "chasing temps" categories.   I still tend to "think too much", but I have gotten past the "chasing temps" phase of my BGE life!  

dh7

Thanks so much guys....