Brisket Achievement - Unlocked!

LindenEmry

So I went ahead and attempted my first brisket this weekend.  Started the fire at 5 am and had it on my BGE by 6.  Total cook time was just shy of 11 hours on a 9 lb  brisket.   I followed the advice of my  fellow  forum -mates on the prep and follow through.  I got a beautiful smoke ring and the results were tasty but drier than hoped for.   I think my fire was a bit too hot at the end.   I'll be making some tasty chili from the leftovers.   First picture is just before the FTC.



The next is the smoke ring :



and the finished product (with trimmings):



All in all, I was pleased with the first attempt.  I can't wait for round 2.

lousubcap

Great result right there, especially right out of the gate.  Congrats.

CigarCityEgger

Looks awesome! Beautiful smoke ring 

Smokin_Trout

Looks great. If you think it was dry, you can try wrapping it in butcher paper at about 165*. 
Nice work 

JohnInCarolina

Looks pretty good to me, especially for the first one.  Was this a whole packer?  How many pounds?

JRWhitee

That looks great! my first brisket 10 years ago wasn't good at all, of course it was a flat and I had no idea what I was doing. I figured it was beef and had to be done at 165....wrong!

johnnyp

I'd eat a plate for sure

Photo Egg

I got lucky on my first brisket but had a few bad ones in the middle.
Yours looks great. Looks like you might not be cutting directly across the grain. You almost have to look at your brisket before you cook it to get a good idea of where it turns and runs. The experienced just know.
Did you probe for tenderness or cook to a certain temp?

dldawes1

Oooooh Yeeeaaahhhh !!  Looks great !

LindenEmry

Smokin_Trout said:

Looks great. If you think it was dry, you can try wrapping it in butcher paper at about 165*. 
Nice work 

I wrapped in foil for this one at 165.  I'll try  the butcher paper next time.

LindenEmry

JohnInCarolina said:

Looks pretty good to me, especially for the first one.  Was this a whole packer?  How many pounds?

It was a small whole packer at 11 lbs.  down to  just under 9 lbs. post fat trimming.

LindenEmry

Photo Egg said:

I got lucky on my first brisket but had a few bad ones in the middle.
Yours looks great. Looks like you might not be cutting directly across the grain. You almost have to look at your brisket before you cook it to get a good idea of where it turns and runs. The experienced just know.
Did you probe for tenderness or cook to a certain temp?

I probably did not cut across the grain at the right angle. I should have notched the brisket to mark the proper cut direction.  I did cook to temp to 165 for the wrap and then to 202 for the final.  I should have started probing for tenderness around 195.

Thank you for all of the nice comments!