I suck at brisket on the BGE

lousubcap

Chopped brisket sammiches will take care of the end-result, no worries.  

bigalsworth

RooCeleste said:

travisstrick said:

Never buy a brisket under 10lbs. You are wasting your time otherwise. 

Go go to H-E-B and get a fat packer. Cook it between 200 and 400 until its soft. It's really that easy. 

I guess I'm gonna have to do that, even though we'll be eating meat for weeks and weeks. haha

bigalsworth said:

so the problem is that it is taking longer than you think it should?  how does that equate to it being ruined?  be patient, it will get there eventually and should taste fine.  Everything I cook takes longer than what most people post about, I have just cooked enough with my egg to know this and start earlier.  The best part about starting early is that if something does happen and you finish early you just FTC and you are good to go.  I don't think you are doing anything wrong, only being impatient.

And yes, I had planned to have it for dinner tonight with our black-eyed peas and cabbage, and ALL the posts I read (here and other articles) said to estimate an hour and 15 minutes per pound, so I did. When it got to more than 2 hours per pound, I said "screw it" and pulled it off. It's past dinner time and is now gym and dog-walk time, so it's just gotta be what it is. We will eat cabbage and peas and some smoked sausage from a local smokehouse. 

I don't go by recommended times that people post, I have been burned by it as well.  I just started cooking much (much) earlier with the assumption that I can always FTC and it works out great for me.  I now know my egg so I can better guestimate when something will be done, but I always plan for 2-3 hours early because sometimes you just happen to get that piece of meat that takes longer and the buffer is nice.

theyolksonyou

I'd prolly just sell the egg. And the house because it's associated with the egg. And maybe the car. 

travisstrick

Seriously, packers are $1.97 at heb. The flats are $4 or $5/lb. 


The small packers are like $25-$30. 

lousubcap

@bigalsworth -  that's the key to any large protein cook.  Aim to finish somewhere early in the FTC window and then go from there.  And as you note, takes all the stress out of trying to time anything.   

RooCeleste

Wolfie51sb said:

My opinion is if your goal is to put something on the BGE knowing it will be done in exactly x hours, then you're correct, you should not cook brisket. It sounds by the tone of your posts that you've already resigned yourself to believing this latest effort isn't going to be good. Why put yourself through the angst?

I just tried to cut it and it's nowhere near done....can't even begin to cut a slice off of it. I'm VERY disappointed, because I thought surely, following all the posts and instructions specifically given to me today, that a 3 lb piece of meat would be cooked in more than 6 hours. But from the looks of it, it needs another 6 hours to be anywhere near edible. I'll finish it in the oven later and figure out what to do with it. 

travisstrick

Boil it?

Focker

The quality of my life/food, improved immensely when I quit brisket in 2013.
So many better options.  My opinion does stink, but I would take an aged subprimal from Sam's at $8/lb over the magical packers many are fond of, all day.  Not sure, but I think the subprimal is cheaper as well.  

Nola is right.
Life is too short, to settle for a sh!tty cut.
Trimming a packer, speaks volumes, about what you're dealing with.
Don't walk, run. 

theyolksonyou

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1138233/brisket-how-i-do-it#latest

bigalsworth

RooCeleste said:

Wolfie51sb said:

My opinion is if your goal is to put something on the BGE knowing it will be done in exactly x hours, then you're correct, you should not cook brisket. It sounds by the tone of your posts that you've already resigned yourself to believing this latest effort isn't going to be good. Why put yourself through the angst?

I just tried to cut it and it's nowhere near done....can't even begin to cut a slice off of it. I'm VERY disappointed, because I thought surely, following all the posts and instructions specifically given to me today, that a 3 lb piece of meat would be cooked in more than 6 hours. But from the looks of it, it needs another 6 hours to be anywhere near edible. I'll finish it in the oven later and figure out what to do with it. 

I have read many posts on brisket and you seem to be ignoring the fact that 99% of them say "it is done when it probes like buttah".  And most of them also say cook by temp not by time.  two golden rules which were completely ignored.

Photo Egg

RooCeleste said:

Photo Egg said:

Take some time and read through some of the posts on this forum. You will see amazing foods off all kinds being made. If your food is not coming out the way you like, sorry, but it's not the fault of the Egg. The Egg is only a cooker. You still have to have the skills ang knowledge to use it. Just like buying a fast does not make you a skilled rare car driver.
And if you live in Texas you should know 3 pounds of meat is not a brisket. It's a small roast and very hard to cook because it is probably a small part of the leaner cut known as the "flat".
Take some time and read a little bit about how to cook a brisket. Buying an Egg or any cooker does not make you a pit master. Buying a Guru only helps you hold and tells temps. You still have to undestand cook times for what you are cooking.
Please don't give up before you give yourself time to learn and ENYOY cookin.

As I replied to someone, we have done good pork loins and pizza on the Egg but brisket has been a PIA. I wasted $40 the first time on an unedible piece of meat and I don't want to keep doing that, so I got a smaller one this time. And we initially bought the Guru because the Egg temp would skyrocket regardless of how we had it set, so we thought the Guru would keep it low and let us cook slow. 

And I DO read these posts ad nauseum, for years, and I even got step-by-step instructions on how to do this today from a guy who uses the Egg regularly and who wins BBQ cookoffs here in Austin. I have cooked for decades and I understand cook times/heat and the differences in different meats. I followed instructions to a tee .....and still, after over 2 hours per pound, the thing wasn't anywhere near 190*. 

We just pulled it off, wrapped it in butcher paper, and will see what it's like in a bit. I'm sure my dog will enjoy it, fully cooked or not! 

If you have researched and read so much on briskets you should know a brisket hits a "stall". But then you seem to question why your little piece of brisket has held at a temp for over an hour. So yes, it seems like you might not understand cooking briskets. But I hope you keep trying.

theyolksonyou

Cut bait. Make chili. With beans. 

GrateEggspectations

RooCeleste said:

I'm about ready to throw my second attempt at brisket in the trash. We bought the BBQ Guru after being assured that it would make doing a good brisket so easy. Yeah, right. I didn't buy the Egg to simply heat hotdogs and wood fired pizzas but it's looking like that's all it can be used for. 

We put a 3 pound brisket on at 225 degrees, with a temperature food probe in and the Guru installed. After almost 4 hours of cooking, the meat temperature had been holding at 155 degrees for over an hour and would NOT go higher. We upped the temp on the Guru to 240 degrees and finally the meat has gone up to 165, but it's been holding there for almost another hour. 

How long is it going to take to cook 3 pounds of brisket? We are now looking at 5.5 hours. And we're in Texas where it was 75 degrees today so it's not like the weather caused problems. 

Any ideas? Thanks! 

Sorry to hear that your experience is not going well. 

It's worth noting that it sounds like you didn't quite know what to expect going into this cook. My advice is to do your research ahead of cooking to ensure the best results possible. 

JohnInCarolina

theyolksonyou said:

I'd prolly just sell the egg. And the house because it's associated with the egg. And maybe the car. 

Don't forget about the friggin dog that is chained to the BGE.

RooCeleste

I don't go by recommended times that people post, I have been burned by it as well.  I just started cooking much (much) earlier with the assumption that I can always FTC and it works out great for me.  I now know my egg so I can better guestimate when something will be done, but I always plan for 2-3 hours early because sometimes you just happen to get that piece of meat that takes longer and the buffer is nice.

Bigalsworth, thank you for your non-condescending comment (well the first one was non-condescending). I didn't come here to be beat up and made to look like an idiot who doesn't read or who doesn't know how to cook. I came here to get an idea as to why what I was doing (exactly as I was told to do it) wasn't working (and yes, I've read numerous articles and posts from various sources and they said an estimate of 1.25 hours/per pound - I didn't pull it out of the air; I've gotten some good ideas from some of the people (just buy a full sized one, start earlier regardless of what I planned for, etc) but some of this is just ridiculous and condescending. If 3 pounds of meat is going to take 12-15 hours, I'll just go buy it already cooked. You have to have an idea of what to expect (ie a recipe tells you to bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes.......but at 20 minutes they still aren't done, even though you followed the recipe correctly.....something's not right) but I guess I'll just keep experimenting and seek help elsewhere whenever I need it. 

Biggreenpharmacist

I think you oughta cook at a little higher temp. My egg LOVES 275 degrees and I pretty much do all my low and slows at that temp. 

JohnInCarolina

We are all jerks here (well, I am at least).  But don't turn your back on this forum over a few wisecracks.  I promise you if you get help here it will pay off and you will cook better Brisket over time.  The learning curve can be steep but it's the journey not the destination that's valuable.

DMW

RooCeleste said:

I don't go by recommended times that people post, I have been burned by it as well.  I just started cooking much (much) earlier with the assumption that I can always FTC and it works out great for me.  I now know my egg so I can better guestimate when something will be done, but I always plan for 2-3 hours early because sometimes you just happen to get that piece of meat that takes longer and the buffer is nice.

Bigalsworth, thank you for your non-condescending comment (well the first one was non-condescending). I didn't come here to be beat up and made to look like an idiot who doesn't read or who doesn't know how to cook. I came here to get an idea as to why what I was doing (exactly as I was told to do it) wasn't working (and yes, I've read numerous articles and posts from various sources and they said an estimate of 1.25 hours/per pound - I didn't pull it out of the air; I've gotten some good ideas from some of the people (just buy a full sized one, start earlier regardless of what I planned for, etc) but some of this is just ridiculous and condescending. If 3 pounds of meat is going to take 12-15 hours, I'll just go buy it already cooked. You have to have an idea of what to expect (ie a recipe tells you to bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes.......but at 20 minutes they still aren't done, even though you followed the recipe correctly.....something's not right) but I guess I'll just keep experimenting and seek help elsewhere whenever I need it. 

1.25 hours per pound is a good estimate for a full packer. That time estimate doesn't scale down to a small piece of brisket. Give it another go with a full packer brisket. I know it seems like a large amount of meat, but it freezes well and can be used for many other dishes. Simple as chopped brisket sandwiches, or chili, tacos, nacho topping, etc.

JRWhitee

My egg seems to cook best at 275 as well.

tarheelmatt

I say cover it with beer and honey.  As long as you have your Guru you're golden!  

Carry on!  

Biggreenpharmacist

tarheelmatt said:

I say cover it with beer and honey.  

Its a piece of brisket. Not a woman. Dummy. 

JohnInCarolina

Ask for advice on the forum, they said.

People there are nice, they said.

JohnnyTarheel

Here goes a run away train again....

Biggreenpharmacist

JohnnyTarheel said:

Here goes a run away train again....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtvqT_wMeY

tarheelmatt

Biggreenpharmacist said:

tarheelmatt said:

I say cover it with beer and honey.  

Its a piece of brisket. Not a woman. Dummy. 

Sooo... That's the BGPs recipe for being a chick magnet?  

Biggreenpharmacist

Beer and Honey. 

theyolksonyou

Seems like there was a hymn when I was a kid about beer and honey flowing. 

theyolksonyou

Maybe it was milk. 

tarheelmatt

theyolksonyou said:

Maybe it was milk. 

T&B maybe? 

https://youtu.be/SgyeshD8RJY

dirty_denim86

RooCeleste said:

Wolfie51sb said:

My opinion is if your goal is to put something on the BGE knowing it will be done in exactly x hours, then you're correct, you should not cook brisket. It sounds by the tone of your posts that you've already resigned yourself to believing this latest effort isn't going to be good. Why put yourself through the angst?

I just tried to cut it and it's nowhere near done....can't even begin to cut a slice off of it. I'm VERY disappointed, because I thought surely, following all the posts and instructions specifically given to me today, that a 3 lb piece of meat would be cooked in more than 6 hours. But from the looks of it, it needs another 6 hours to be anywhere near edible. I'll finish it in the oven later and figure out what to do with it. 

What is the meat temperature when you pulled it?