Brisket Wrap and Temp Differences

Travelin_Matt34

Good morning. I got a 12-14# trimmed brisket going - started at 7am at 240-250 deg and its 9:30 and already I'm seeing temps at the flat at 140 and the point at 120. That brings up my two questions: 

1) I'm planning on wrapping in foil around 160ish...I cook at Colorado altitude and while I'd prefer to not wrap it just dries out too quick unless I do. Would you go with the flat temp or the point temp to gauge wrap time? 

2) Speaking of temp differences....anyone else constantly have a 20 degree difference in point/flat temps? Seems to be this way every time I cook brisket. How do you manage it? 

Thanks!

Foghorn

Welcome aboard!  I usually wrap when I'm happy with the bark - which is usually around 175 - a little while after it comes out of the stall.

I'm always measuring temp in the thickest part of the muscle from the flat - which is usually about the center of the brisket where some of the point overlies the flat - but in the flat muscle - because that is the last place that will get tender as it cooks - so I just always measure there.  With that said, I often see some significantly different temps in other parts of the brisket.

Also, I don't typically cook at altitude so I can't speak to the impact of that.

Travelin_Matt34

Foghorn said:

Welcome aboard!  I usually wrap when I'm happy with the bark - which is usually around 175 - a little while after it comes out of the stall.

I'm always measuring temp in the thickest part of the muscle from the flat - which is usually about the center of the brisket where some of the point overlies the flat - but in the flat muscle - because that is the last place that will get tender as it cooks - so I just always measure there.  With that said, I often see some significantly different temps in other parts of the brisket.

Also, I don't typically cook at altitude so I can't speak to the impact of that.

Thank you for the feedback! Yeah I usually need to wrap a bit earlier because of the altitude and the bark suffers. Sucks but between bark and some of the dried out attempts I did before realizing this, bark is just gonna have to suffer. 

Sounds like you use flat which makes sense since the point has a lot more resiliency to temps. I'll go with that

lousubcap

@Travelin_Matt34 Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.

PM sent with some brisket info I have put together that may be of value on future cooks.

The higher fat content of the point means it can take more heat so, as noted above, the key is when the thickest part of the flat probes smooth. Likely in the 202-208*F range.

Foghorn

Take some pics and let us know how it turned out.

Travelin_Matt34

Foghorn said:

Take some pics and let us know how it turned out.

Will do! Flat is about 163 atm....stall city. Point has mostly caught up though. I'm gonna wrap at 165. Pics/report coming after its finished