Brisket tips

dbrasco778

I've been working on my brisket cooks over the last year and feel that I'm getting close but still can't get the flat to turn out nice and juicy.  It's good but not great.  I set up the egg with lots of  charcoal and oak wood(blocks and chips), cast iron Plate setter with aluminum foil drip pan that is spaced slightly off of the plate setter.  Light the egg let it get to temp for around an hour ~250-275.  I will cook it over night and sometimes the temp holds in that range or dips down and I have to open the vents a little at some point through the night.  I'm using a thermoworks smoke thermometer set up on the grid a few inches from the brisket it is always fairly close to the dome temp and I have calibrated my dome thermometer.  The briskets are always packer, mostly choice, but have done some prime (supermarket near me always has choice).  I have watched franklins videos on selecting and trimming a brisket and generally follow them.  The one pictured was a 13 lb packer trimmed down to probably 12 lb which took 10.5 hours to get to 190.  I pulled at 193 because it was probing well.  When I've waited til they "probe like butter" I find that I have already dried them out.  I've found on my egg once I'm over 200 I end up with a really dry flat.  When I pull it I FTC until ready to cut and serve usually 2-3 hours.  Anyone have tips that can help me to go from good to great? 

brentm

I'm no expert either, but I think it really boils down to meat selection.  It does look like you trim the fat side down fairly thin, but that's not really going to affect juiciness in my opinion.  I also don't believe fat side down or up will contribute to juiciness.

Your slices look really great to be completely honest.  Great smoke ring.  They look tender.

I have experimented with 'wet aging'.  Basically, keep it in the cryovac and in your refrigerator for 4 weeks before smoking.  I consistently cut 10 degrees off my tenderness temperature.   Which theoretically should contribute to a juicier brisket since were breaking down collagen and not fat during the aging process.  

Injecting is another thought.

Lower your temperature to 200 is another thought.  I believe the dome temperature is lower than the grate temperature.  If you're at 250 in the dome, that'd be around 300 at the grate???  I run my briskets at 200 at the grate.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Just sent you a PM with some brisket info.  FYI-

dbrasco778

My grate and dome temperature usually settle about 25 degrees apart. so if the dome is at 250 the grate reads 275.  I try to keep the grate temp from going over 275.  I've found that for my overnight cooks if I try to get the temp closer to 225 I end up getting an alarm from my thermoworks that my temp has dropped too low and then i'm outside in the middle of the night in my underoos messing with the vents.  Maybe for my next one I'll start earlier and try a lower temperature.  

Photo Egg

Give your brisket a little rest before you wrap it tight in foil for final rest.
Besides that all looks AWESOME!