Brisket fiasco

wps456

18 lb prime brisket, Franklin-style on egg (275, S&P, oak). Usually the way it works is you start checking about 6 hours in (when bark is right and it gets through the stall it’s time to wrap) so I put it on at midnight and got up at 6 to check it. Using a FlameBoss 500 and the IT is already at 203 when it’s usually in the 175 range at this point. Temp stayed at 270 all night, bark looks like it’s not quite ready to wrap but getting close, feel says it has a ways to go too so I just wrapped it and put it back on. I’ll probably keep the pit temp lower to keep the IT from getting too high but it definitely needs to cook more, I just have no clue what’s going on with the IT (I even tried moving the probe to a different area and same crazy high IT everywhere…I’m frustrated cause we’ve got friends coming over this evening to eat it and I have no clue how it’s gonna turn out!!

unoriginalusername

if it’s tender get it off. I would have not wrapped if the bark is not there yet. I would cheat adding a bunch of wood chips for some heavy smoke which in 15-30 min can make the bark look more complete. 

I’d remove form heat for 20min to stop carry over cooking. Then wrap and place in my oven set to 150f. Most ovens can be adjusted. I put -29f in my oven settings and set to the min 170f on the oven which for me holds brisket at a food safe temp of 145-150f. 

Then tonight remove to slice and serve 

lousubcap

@unoriginalusername nailed it.  
I will have to see if I can make that oven temperature offset.
Since I'm here in a partial hijack for @unoriginalusername , any update on your BBQ road trip you can share?

unoriginalusername

lousubcap said:

@unoriginalusername nailed it.  
I will have to see if I can make that oven temperature offset.
Since I'm here in a partial hijack for @unoriginalusername , any update on your BBQ road trip you can share?

Yes i am recording a pulled pork episode today in Canada, and the next five episodes are in the US Mid May that I booked around Memphis in May that I joined Steve Gow's (Smoke Trails BBQ) team to compete in.

Will be in Michigan, Illinois, Atlanta (2x stops), North Carolina and Maryland for Chicken, Ribs, Brisket, Wings and Pizza episodes 

wps456

It wasn’t tender enough to take off so I wrapped in butcher paper and put back on (the bark was close enough but it definitely needed to cook more) but lowered the temp to around 250. Funny thing is the IT slowly started dropping down to around 185 so I’m thinking it’s gonna be alright and I can start the slow steady climb back up to done but then all of a sudden the pit temp and then IT start shooting up insanely fast. The dome temp has been pretty steady though. What I think is happening is I used a water pan under the brisket and I think when all of the water evaporated the temps go crazy. I add water to it and everything stabilizes again. Or it could be that my FB is going crazy, this happened on a cook a while back too where the temp kept climbing crazy fast up to low 300’s then it would drop insanely fast down to the 190’s and kept doing this. It drove me crazy but again, the done temp has been steady but around 300 when FB is at 275.

lousubcap

The water pan is your big heat sink, until it has all evaporated then the internal temperature will climb to a new equilibrium.  I don't use a controller (or water pan) but once the temperature started to increase I figured your controller would sense it and take steps to reduce the air flow and cook temperature...FWIW.

wps456

Yeah, I’m thinking next smoke I’ll try without the water so I don’t have to fight that battle. I wouldn’t think drying out would be a problem on the egg, I’ve just always used a water pan to err on the safe side.
as for the fan sensing the temp change, it only kicks on to increase temps and shuts off to reduce. Once it gets above or close to the set temp, it shuts off but the temp keeps climbing quickly. Basically it can increase temps pretty easily but reducing takes a while.

CP92

From my very limited experience, those big hunks of meat take on a life of their own. Each one can be different. One of the reasons why I hesitate to do overnight cooks, not to mention I probably wouldn't sleep a wink because of that very reason.  

Canugghead

Do you have a Thermapen to keep the FB honest?

wps456

Canugghead said:

Do you have a Thermapen to keep the FB honest?

Yes but I didn’t even think to use it. Once I open the lid my goal is to close it as fast as possible and that never crossed my mind, I’ll check it later next time the temps go crazy and I have to add more water.
I added water a while back and the IT dropped from 198 down now to 185, this whole cook has been fluctuating like that so whenever it’s been on about 10-12 hours and technically “should” be close to done I’ll start feeling the meat to check for doneness and just use my best judgement. I’m pretty sure it’ll turn out good, I just didn’t want to have to babysit the temps all day.

Foghorn

The water pan has likely contributed a lot to the instability.  When it evaporates it goes up - when you add water that isn’t boiling, temp goes down quite a bit. As mentioned, kamado smokers don’t typically need a water pan. 

The water may also have contributed to your relative lack of bark development. 

shtgunal3

^^^This^^^

wps456

If anyone cares, to follow up on my last post, the IT kept dropping to the low 170’s after I added the water (I also moved the FB pit clip to the dome temp probe from the grate) then started climbing again and acting like a normal brisket cook. It stalled at 179 and when it got to about 200 I started feeling it, took it off at 202 and threw in a cooler for about 4 hours. It turned out awesome!!

lousubcap

@wps456 - way to power thru the challenges and get the result!

Mark_B_Good

wps456 said:

18 lb prime brisket, Franklin-style on egg (275, S&P, oak). Usually the way it works is you start checking about 6 hours in (when bark is right and it gets through the stall it’s time to wrap) so I put it on at midnight and got up at 6 to check it. Using a FlameBoss 500 and the IT is already at 203 when it’s usually in the 175 range at this point. Temp stayed at 270 all night, bark looks like it’s not quite ready to wrap but getting close, feel says it has a ways to go too so I just wrapped it and put it back on. I’ll probably keep the pit temp lower to keep the IT from getting too high but it definitely needs to cook more, I just have no clue what’s going on with the IT (I even tried moving the probe to a different area and same crazy high IT everywhere…I’m frustrated cause we’ve got friends coming over this evening to eat it and I have no clue how it’s gonna turn out!!

Inject with drippings or vegetable broth before serving ... best to ensure whatever you inject with is hot .., so bring to a boil in a pot.