First Flat brisket

PoppasGrill

Haven’t posted in a long time , but wanted to ask the collective what I should have done different.
6.7# Flat
Rubbed it with a combo of all sorts, wife just handing me spices and saying..” use some of this , too”.
Put on at 240 dome for 3 hours to internal of 165*

Wrapped in foil with beef broth and put back on for another 1.5 hours to internal of 195*.

Pulled off and wrapped in towel and set it in oven for 30 mins.
it’s a bit tough. I’ve seen posts about “ cuts like buttuh..!” Well, mine cut like half frozen butter still in the wrapper.
Great flavor, just not the tenderness I was hoping for.
Any pointers would be appreciated for the tenderness.

ColtsFan

That's a hard one to nail. My best guess is that when you pulled it from the egg and wrapped/stashed it in the oven it continued to cook, therefore overcooking itself. It happened to me early on too. Just my theory. I typically let anything that I am going to FTC or hold chill out on the counter for 20 minutes or so before stashing away.

lousubcap

Typically undercooked is tough and overcooked is falling apart.  If you pulled based solely on temperature and the not the feel, it was undercooked.
Flats have a narrow finish window where the meat "probes like buttah" before it gets too cooked.  Usually that's around 202-208*F but the feel is the driver.  
Time to go again.  If you can find a full packer brisket, while it is more meat to deal with it is more forgiving.  Additionally the price per lb is usually $2-3 less than the flat.  FWIW-

Mark_B_Good

I think you pulled it off too early ... 195F is pretty much the lowest temperature I've ever pulled a brisket off ... and some parts were tender but others somewhat tougher ... I think 200F is safer, and most of the time it will need 205F.

Did the flat have any fat on it?

ColtsFan

lousubcap said:

Typically undercooked is tough and overcooked is falling apart.  If you pulled based solely on temperature and the not the feel, it was undercooked.
Flats have a narrow finish window where the meat "probes like buttah" before it gets too cooked.  Usually that's around 202-208*F but the feel is the driver.  
Time to go again.  If you can find a full packer brisket, while it is more meat to deal with it is more forgiving.  Additionally the price per lb is usually $2-3 less than the flat.  FWIW-

Come to think of it, mine was dry and "crumbly". Thanks, Cap! As always you are the most valuable brisket asset here!

fishlessman

this recipe has so many odd twists but it works. its not traditional at all. flats are cheap anyways so give it a try. its a little more steaky. its cooked at 365f, its cooked direct, its foiled at 175 minimum,  its finished at 210f, incredible smoke ring. go light with the aujus in the foil, too much and you get potroast

http://olddavespo-farm.blogspot.com/2009/03/high-temp-brisket-direct-cooked.html

The Cen-Tex Smoker

lousubcap said:

Typically undercooked is tough and overcooked is falling apart.  If you pulled based solely on temperature and the not the feel, it was undercooked.
Flats have a narrow finish window where the meat "probes like buttah" before it gets too cooked.  Usually that's around 202-208*F but the feel is the driver.  
Time to go again.  If you can find a full packer brisket, while it is more meat to deal with it is more forgiving.  Additionally the price per lb is usually $2-3 less than the flat.  FWIW-

This is the answer

PoppasGrill

lousubcap said:

Typically undercooked is tough and overcooked is falling apart.  If you pulled based solely on temperature and the not the feel, it was undercooked.
Flats have a narrow finish window where the meat "probes like buttah" before it gets too cooked.  Usually that's around 202-208*F but the feel is the driver.  
Time to go again.  If you can find a full packer brisket, while it is more meat to deal with it is more forgiving.  Additionally the price per lb is usually $2-3 less than the flat.  FWIW-

Thanks, will try again in a few weeks. 

Cooking on a Medium , so this 6.5# took up most of the grill, not sure how much bigger I’ll be able to shut the lid on.

Acn

PoppasGrill said:

lousubcap said:

Typically undercooked is tough and overcooked is falling apart.  If you pulled based solely on temperature and the not the feel, it was undercooked.
Flats have a narrow finish window where the meat "probes like buttah" before it gets too cooked.  Usually that's around 202-208*F but the feel is the driver.  
Time to go again.  If you can find a full packer brisket, while it is more meat to deal with it is more forgiving.  Additionally the price per lb is usually $2-3 less than the flat.  FWIW-

Thanks, will try again in a few weeks. 

Cooking on a Medium , so this 6.5# took up most of the grill, not sure how much bigger I’ll be able to shut the lid on.

Almost every time I do a brisket I drape it over an inverted v-rack to make it fit a little better on the egg.

Ybabpmuts

Kidding right, I routinely get 10-14 pound packer cut briskets on a lower grid with an 8-10 pound pork butt on an extended grid above it, in my medium. 

Six and a half pounds is nuttin. That's like a babies arm. 

Ybabpmuts