Brisket

Williamd

Question, I'm attempting to smoke a whole packer brisket for my second time. I'm smoking at 250 deg, with a water pan as well as a conveggtor. I'm smoking fat side down with a brisket starting at slightly cooler than room temp. Wrapping it after it stalls at 170 deg. Taking it off at 200 deg internal temp. The brisket is usda "choice" cut. Both times my brisket was very moist on the surface with not much bark not very tender and a little chewy/rubbery with an acidic smoky flavor. I'm using lump coal with Apple wood chunks. Using natural kindling to start the fire. Please help with any advice on what I might be doing wrong.

Thank you very much!

CMH88

Lose the water pan, no need for it in the egg. Are you wrapping with foil or butchers paper? If foil, that's going to hurt the bark. For the chewiness, it's possible you're not cooking it long enough. I often have to go to 204-206 until it's done, but others on here had them finish at 190 or lower. Every brisket is different so try cooking until it probes like butter in the thickest part of the flat, not to temperature. 

Dondgc

Also note that since you posted a “question” the system assumes you have now received a satisfactory answer. Not sure that’s true! If you just post as a new discussion that “answered” tag won’t show up. 

Dondgc

Ditch the water pan. You don’t need it with the egg and it can’t be helping with the bark. Wrapping can also affect the bark. I don’t wrap but that’s kind of an individual thing. And take it off when it probes tender not at a certain temp - that point may or may not be 200 but will probably be a little higher. 

JJensen

Try wrapping it with butcher paper instead of foil. It allows it to breath and no steam in its own juices. As far as the chewy goes don’t go by temp. Go by probe tender throughout the entire flat. I would also ditch the apple chunks in favor of hickory or pecan but that is more personal taste there.
The bitter taste you describe is what I’m thinking is too heavy of a smoke..maybe cut your chunks back by a few and space them out so they basically light slowly and not all at once. Heavy white smoke is not your friend..thin whisps of almost invisible smoke is what you are going for. Hope this helps.. 

 I’m yet to cook a brisket on my egg but you can bet your rear I will be soon. Here is a picture of the last brisket plus a couple more  I did on my pellet grill with hickory pellets 

Williamd

Thanks to everyone's advise! I am using foil, I'm new at the egg and have always used a water pan in my other smokers and assumed I'd have to with the egg. I've never heard of wrapping in butcher's paper. I'm definitely going to try it.