Do you brine your brisket?

paqman

Title says it all

hoosier_egger

Only when making pastrami 

DoubleEgger

No

nolaegghead

Just when doing pastrami.  But if I had a super lean flat, I might brine it.

paqman

I got a full prime packer with decent marbling.

I usually do pastrami (curing in a salt/sugar/spices/nitrite brine) because I previously got disappointing results with plain brisket.  So many people recently told me to brine (salt/sugar) for a day or two prior to smoking that I want to try it but I don’t recall anybody here mentioning that.

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

smokingal

Would injecting a brisket be considered a type of brining?  It increases the salt content of the interior thereby forcing water inside.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I rub them and throw them on immediately. I do want to dry brine one with salt for 24-36 hours and see how that works. I dry brine every piece of meat I make except brisket and butts. I’ll give it a rip and post it.

unoriginalusername

I’ve dry brined them with salt the day before.  In general I feel like dry brine makes everything better but I am not so sure that holds true for brisket. Might be the one exception 

lousubcap

If I have the time and vision I will wet age in the cryovac for 3-4 weeks prior to the cook.  Never have dry brined.  I generally apply the mustard and pickle juice coated brisket with rub the day before the cook.  FWIW-

pgprescott

I sometimes inject with commercial injection containing phosphates, but I’ve never bribed one. 

paqman

pgprescott said:

I sometimes inject with commercial injection containing phosphates, but I’ve never *******bribed******* one. 

Bribery is the new quid pro quo 😂😂😂

Phosphates 🤔

paqman

lousubcap said:

If I have the time and vision I will wet age in the cryovac for 3-4 weeks prior to the cook.  Never have dry brined.  I generally apply the mustard and pickle juice coated brisket with rub the day before the cook.  FWIW-

I don’t have 3-4 weeks.  It has been aging for a week now in the cryovac.  Pickle juice, pickle juice, pickle juice 😂😂😂 I’ve been thinking about pickle juice since yesterday because of you.  It sounds like a good idea though.  The acid may slow down the « blackening » process and maybe help tenderize the meat 🤔. I might try that.

paqman

smokingal said:

Would injecting a brisket be considered a type of brining?  It increases the salt content of the interior thereby forcing water inside.

I guess it would.  Would you inject with a brine or some kind of sauce?

paqman

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I rub them and throw them on immediately. I do want to dry brine one with salt for 24-36 hours and see how that works. I dry brine every piece of meat I make except brisket and butts. I’ll give it a rip and post it.

unoriginalusername said:

I’ve dry brined them with salt the day before.  In general I feel like dry brine makes everything better but I am not so sure that holds true for brisket. Might be the one exception 

I kinda want to try a dry brine but my rub has salt already, I don’t want to ruin the whole thing.  I wonder if the extra salt would just disolve and drip away 🤔

pgprescott

paqman said:

pgprescott said:

I sometimes inject with commercial injection containing phosphates, but I’ve never *******bribed******* one. 

Bribery is the new quid pro quo 😂😂😂

Phosphates 🤔

LOL! Love the Apple spell correct! 

As far as I know all the commercial competition brisket injections have phosphates in them to retain moisture. Have to ask the chemists on here how that works, but it does.

FlyOverCountry

I only brine fish.

FlyOverCountry

paqman said:

pgprescott said:

I sometimes inject with commercial injection containing phosphates, but I’ve never *******bribed******* one. 

Bribery is the new quid pro quo 😂😂😂

LMAO!!!

smokingal

paqman said:

smokingal said:

Would injecting a brisket be considered a type of brining?  It increases the salt content of the interior thereby forcing water inside.

I guess it would.  Would you inject with a brine or some kind of sauce?

I personally would use homemade beef broth mixed into a commercial brisket injection compound.

unoriginalusername

paqman said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I rub them and throw them on immediately. I do want to dry brine one with salt for 24-36 hours and see how that works. I dry brine every piece of meat I make except brisket and butts. I’ll give it a rip and post it.

unoriginalusername said:

I’ve dry brined them with salt the day before.  In general I feel like dry brine makes everything better but I am not so sure that holds true for brisket. Might be the one exception 

I kinda want to try a dry brine but my rub has salt already, I don’t want to ruin the whole thing.  I wonder if the extra salt would just disolve and drip away 🤔

I make a rub without salt if I dry brine. Too layers Of salt is too much