First brisket - overnight or get up early?

Live2GrillGrill2Live

Greetings intelleggentsia™, been lurking since Father's Day two years ago when I got my XL.  Finally getting around to doing my first brisket - one of those Costco prime packer jobs.  Started at 12.5 pounds and it's a little under 10 after trimming.

before I trimmed it, I was figuring 12-18 hours going by the 1-1.5 hours per pound guesstimate (yes, I know every cook is different and "the cow drives the cook" (no brisket thread is complete without that nugget of wisdom)) and thought I"d put it on about midnight.  but now at 10 pounds, I'm more thinking of getting up early, getting the egg up and running and putting it on at 7AM.  Hoping to eat around 7PM.

Is that pushing it?  Mind you, I don't have a controller on my egg - just a maverick remote thermometer.  But I marvel at how this thing will hold a temp for hours without messing with it.  The idea of overnight was to give me a lot of buffer, but is there any downside for FTC for hours?  Like if it finished in 12 hours at noon, I'd be FTC'ing it for seven hours.  Weighing that against it not being ready at 7PM.

Thanks and cheers!
Ted

lousubcap

First up welcome aboard and enjoy the continuing journey.  Above all, have fun.
Now with any brisket my goal is to finish inside the FTC window which can be 2-6 hours.  So with a slice on demand time of 7 PM means you have to cross the finish-line 1-5 PM.  I would fire the BGE around 5:30 - 6AM (and assuming you will then be awake for the duration-thus can keep an eye on the cook) and run around 260-280*F (figuring 1 hr / cow driven lb) and load it at 7 AM.  As you cruise into early afternoon, you can then dial the temp up or down to get to the promised land NLT 5 PM ( two hour or more rest is of great benefit).  But that's just one approach-FWIW-

bikesAndBBQ

I think an overnight cook leaves you open to it being down way too early. My cooler isn’t anything special. I don’t like holding for more than 4 hours in it. I’d rather get up early and cook than do an overnight cook. I don’t have any temp control gadgets either. Today mine stayed in the 240-250 range for probably 5 hours. I had to adjust it a little to run hotter to hit my desired finish time. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I would do what cap said but I would light my egg at midnight set it close to low and slow temp and go to bed. Get up at 5-6 am throw it on, adjust temps as needed and go back to bed . That will save you 2 hours of effing with fire at the asscrack of dawn on a Sunday (and Father’s Day if that pertains to you). You will spend $2 extra in lump, sleep well, and own the schedule for the day. 

blasting

Greetings and welcome.

I wouldn't cut it close, or you might be looking for an alternate protein for dinner (been there done that).

I think Lou gave spot on advice.  Light egg by 5am, and alter temp in the afternoon in order to be done by a target of 5pm.

Have fun, and don't forget tomorrow family should not bug you while you nap - since you were up at 5.

bgebrent

Welcome.  Make it a morning cook and run 275.

SonVolt

Never understoood the whole smoking during the night thing. Half the fun is getting up at 7am and drinking a cup of coffee while the smokers warming up. 

R2Egg2Q

Another vote for getting up early.  Welcome and no need to lurk, we’re looking forward to hearing or better yet seeing how your cook comes out.  

Live2GrillGrill2Live

12:23 and just getting home from end of the school year party at friend's house.  so don't want to deal with it, so an early 6AM alarm is in my very near future.  thanks for the advice.  though I know either way, it will be occupying my mind all night long anyway.

RalphieBoy

Your putting too much pressure on your first Brisket. Buy hamburgers and grill them. Take on the Brisket with no worries on time. I have made umpteen Briskets and the best way is little pressure on time. Sleep in and tomorrow take a couple of naps then take on a couple cold beers after you final nap and fire up your egg. 

Mickey

Get the sleep and just turbo the damn thing. With only the exception of @The Cen-Tex Smoker it's as good as anyone's (IMO). 

Live2GrillGrill2Live

no real pressure - just the family for dinner.  egg is getting stabilized.  can't wait to get back in bed

Teefus

Go to bed at a reasonable hour and get up at the crack of dawn. (edit - looks like you did)

My Fathers Day brisket went on the Egg this morning at 6:20. It was a little later than intended but no worries as it's just a 1/2 of a flat. After 4-5 hours on the smoke at 250* or so I'll wrap it in butcher paper for another 3 hours at 300* or so. Once I hit 200* and it probes tender it gets wrapped in a towel and set in a cooler for an hour or so. We'll be eating by 5:00 at the latest.

Dondgc

Live2GrillGrill2Live said:

no real pressure - just the family for dinner.  egg is getting stabilized.  can't wait to get back in bed

So how did the cook turn out? 

Live2GrillGrill2Live

still going!  I just wrapped it at 7PM (guess we're not eating at 7) and cranked the egg up to 350.  had a great bark, but the flat is just 178 and it's not feeling right yet.  Hoping another hour then let it FCS rest for another hour.  

lousubcap

What temp did you run with and was that instrument calibrated as this sounds like the "equalizer" cow; the one who moves the cook time per lb back to "normal".    

The Cen-Tex Smoker

HOLY SH!T that looks awesome. 

Spaightlabs

Still gotta let that sucker rest and FTC - don't skip those steps in your eagerness to get protein on the table or you will most likely be disappointed...also, you could still hit a second stall if you have offended the brisket gods in any way.

Live2GrillGrill2Live

Thanks, Slabs, I definitely won't skip that step. While this is my first brisket, I'm a veteran of many a pulled pork and other large hunks of meat. Though I will admit, I'm getting anxious  Luckily we had a big Father's day brunch 

lousubcap

lousubcap said:

What temp did you run with and was that instrument calibrated as this sounds like the "equalizer" cow; the one who moves the cook time per lb back to "normal".    

@Live2GrillGrill2Live - any insights as to the above??

Live2GrillGrill2Live

OK, recap - put the brisket on at 7AM.  I'm still confused about dome vs grill level temp.  Dome is pretty much always 35-50 degrees higher than grill level temp.  So I usually defer to the grill temp since it seems that's more indicative of the temp the meat is experiencing and I'd rather go to low temp than too high.  After 12 hours, the flat was around 178 and the point was 185.  I paper wrapped it, cranked it to 350 and let it go another hour.  Then I FTC it for another hour.  It was pretty friggin' amazing.  Pics kinda suck, unfortunately.  I think the next time I'll go overnight.  Thanks for the advice, everyone!

logchief

Looks pretty amazing.

shadowcaster

That looks like it turned out good. I always hate having people over for a good dinner and the meat is running behind. I always plan on starting earlier knowing I can FTC for up to 6 hours. I have played the waiting game too many times and eating at 9pm always sucks, especially when you have people over. I trust my eggs enough to know when they are settled in they don’t fluctuate much. I sleep very well when I have a brisket or a butt on the egg haha. 

Spaightlabs

Right freakin' on!

PattyG

That brisket looks great.  Hoping to try our first brisket soon.  What does FTC mean?  I assume has something to do with it resting after done cooking but I looked it up and it said, Foil, Towel, Cooler - what exactly does this mean??

Thanks!

CornfedMA

PattyG said:

That brisket looks great.  Hoping to try our first brisket soon.  What does FTC mean?  I assume has something to do with it resting after done cooking but I looked it up and it said, Foil, Towel, Cooler - what exactly does this mean??

Thanks!

It means that when you pull your brisket, let it rest until the internal temp stops climbing. After that, wrap it in aluminum foil, then a towel (or moving blanket or your kids’ favorite blanky, you get the idea). Then it that bundle of joy into a cooler for a nap. It’ll stay good and warm for 4-6 hrs while distributing all those wonderful juices. 

PattyG

Thanks for explaining that!  So putting into the cooler to keep it warm!  Now I get it!  I'm a little slow...  I thought when you wrapped it in foil - it went back on the grill for another hour or more - like the method you use for Ribs to make them fall off the bone...?  But you don't wrap foil until it's done on the grill?


CornfedMA said:

PattyG said:

That brisket looks great.  Hoping to try our first brisket soon.  What does FTC mean?  I assume has something to do with it resting after done cooking but I looked it up and it said, Foil, Towel, Cooler - what exactly does this mean??

Thanks!

It means that when you pull your brisket, let it rest until the internal temp stops climbing. After that, wrap it in aluminum foil, then a towel (or moving blanket or your kids’ favorite blanky, you get the idea). Then it that bundle of joy into a cooler for a nap. It’ll stay good and warm for 4-6 hrs while distributing all those wonderful juices. 

Dondgc

@PattyG FTC - Foil, towel, cooler. Not a cooking method but a holding method. Be careful not to foil immediately or carryover cooking will continue beyond the temp you intended. 

jtcBoynton

PattyG said:

Thanks for explaining that!  So putting into the cooler to keep it warm!  Now I get it!  I'm a little slow...  I thought when you wrapped it in foil - it went back on the grill for another hour or more - like the method you use for Ribs to make them fall off the bone...?  But you don't wrap foil until it's done on the grill?

......

Some people will foil brisket during cooking, but that is not FTC.  FTC refers only to the keeping the meat warm post cook.

PattyG

Thanks!  This is good information!  Cooking brisket sounds a little complicated for newbies!  but looking forward to trying it in a couple more weeks - when we have more time...  We cooked our first burgers on the BGE last night and they were yummy!  don't never want to use our Weber Gas Grill again!  

SandyHookEgger

@Live2GrillGrill2Live it looks good to me. I always start them at some time during the night since 2 to 6 hours FTC is a pretty big cushion.

Works for me, but am old enough that waking up a couple times a night is gonna happen anyway. So having to get up to make a temp adjustment is no problem. Also proves that my Maverick Redi Chek temp alerts actually work.