Brisket Help

jeffjonestx

I am still trying to figure out a brisket!  Any help is apprecaited!

Seasoned a 10 lb. packer and refrigerated overnight.

Egg was set at 250.  It took only just over 5 hours to reach an internal temperature of 175.  Wow...that seems fast!  So much for the "one hour per pound" advice I had received.  Is thus normal for a BGE?

Based on some advice I received from a guy who makes amazing briskets this was indeed my target temperature.  I just got lucky when I checked it.  I then sprinkled with Italian Dressing and wrapped in foil.  Left egg at 250 and took internal temp to 200.

Are those temperatures wrong?

Probed like Butter but the end result was a dry, tough brisket.

Any help, coaching, or suggestions are apprecaited!

lousubcap

Give the search function a look as you will get many threads about brisket.  You can then draw some conclusions.
If you followed the advice of a guy who makes amazing briskets, I would start with him.
Welcome aboard.  

westernbbq

210F 30 mins per lb. .wrap in foil with 3 hrs  left and if if it probes below 165 crank heat to 275F


Cook til it's highly and probes at 195 to 205....

This had never failed me.  Ever

DoubleEgger

You want the brisket to be above 160F in about 4 hours or so to minimize chance of food borne illness. The temp rise stalls out and the time to temp rise curve flattens out. 

The key to brisket is knowing when to pull it from the heat. The probes like “butta”comments you hear only tell part of the story. The entire flat doesn’t turn to butta at the same time. You still have to make a judgement call. If you wait until that last spot to turn to “butta”, you’ve likely over cooked the rest of it. Similarly, if your plan is to FTC, you need to account for the carry over cooking in the cooler. With experience you’ll get better with it. 

lousubcap

@westernbbq - I'm guessing there is a typo in your above post 90 mins/lb at 210*F vice 30??

FWRealtor

I cook briskets on both an offset smoker and my Big Green Egg. In my experience, the Egg cooks them significantly faster than the offset, even if cooking at the same temperature. I don't know the science behind why. I just know that it does. In my experience, it's about 45-50 mins per pound on the Egg. 

I typically pull mine at about 185 degrees internal temp and put them on a baker's rack inside a large foil pan. I put a couple of Shiner beers and some garlic powder underneath and cover it tight. I run it in the oven at 275 until the internal temp reaches 202. Pull it, wrap it, let it rest for as long as I can before it's time to eat. (Usually at least an hour. preferably 2-4 hours of rest time)

Some of the top pit masters in Texas (Aaron Franklin, Tootsie Tomanetz, Wayne Mueller, Russell Roegels, etc.) shared their knowledge recently with a group at "Camp Brisket", held at Texas A&M. Their top advice was the rest time for the meat is equally as important as the cooking time and process. 

Also, make sure you have a water pan and keep it filled throughout the cooking process. Even if it means pulling the brisket out for a minute to fill the pan. It's that crucial, in my opinion. I also spritz mine with a 25/25/50 blend of dill pickle juice, pickled jalepeno juice, and warm water every hour or so. It keeps the bark moist and displaces some of the rendered fat. It also gives it a hint of a slightly different flavor profile with the jalepeno and pickle juice. 

I am assuming you cooked it over indirect heat with a plate setter. If not, that's even more crucial than the water pan, in my opinion. Good luck on your next one.  

westernbbq

lousubcap said:

@westernbbq - I'm guessing there is a typo in your above post 90 mins/lb at 210*F vice 30??

Fat fingered smart phone operations   thanks for the catch @lousubcap...90 mins or might as well go an hour and a half !

The 3 and nine are nowhere near each other but somehow the 3 snuck in there....

gabriegger

I've had long and short cook times with brisket.  I've been told the cow drives the cook

bikesAndBBQ

Might be an unpopular opinion, but before you start wrapping in foil or butcher’s paper, adding a water pan, spritzing or whatever, I’d recommend getting the basic throw it on and let it cook method down. Season it, get the egg to temp and throw it on there and let it cook. Start checking around 190 for the feel. Once you get that down, then start doing the other things. I am about as far from a brisket expert as you’ll ever talk to, but I feel before you start adding techniques, you need to get the basics down. I also second the importance of holding the brisket after the cook. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

bikesAndBBQ said:

Might be an unpopular opinion, but before you start wrapping in foil or butcher’s paper, adding a water pan, spritzing or whatever, I’d recommend getting the basic throw it on and let it cook method down. Season it, get the egg to temp and throw it on there and let it cook. Start checking around 190 for the feel. Once you get that down, then start doing the other things. I am about as far from a brisket expert as you’ll ever talk to, but I feel before you start adding techniques, you need to get the basics down. I also second the importance of holding the brisket after the cook. 

I think that is solid advice. I’ll also add that if you do not know why you are doing something (like wrapping, or cooking at a certain temp etc) then you should take notes and learn what happens when you do and when you don't. So many people read “how to cook a brisket” or watch the Franklin videos and fail to realize that cook is done on a totally different cooker. What you really need to know is “how to cook a brisket on a BGE”.