Brisket very tender

Csg

The results of my first brisket cook were very good. The brisket was so tender that I could have made pulled beef with it. It fell apart when I tried to carve it. Surprizing since the 11.5 lb roast only cooked for 15 hrs. The only thing wrong with it is that I got a little too much hickory taste. You guys warned me about that, but I guess practice makes perfect. Thanks for all your help.[p]Carolyn

JohnL

Csg, congrats on a great cook. Sounds like your brisket turned out great. In my smoking experiences, I've found out in the first part of the cook makes the biggest difference. What I normally do is throw on 2 or 3 chunks or hickory or mesquite just before I put the meat on the grill and that usually adds enough smoke flavor for my tastes. That reminds me, When I first got the Brinkman smoker, I thought I was supposed to smoke this thing all the way through the cook, so, I think I used about 10lb of mesquite chips presoaked in water. The ribs that day had to be thrown away. My wife commented that they tasted something like Captain Black. Anyway, try a little less wood chips next time and try in the beginning of the cook, then adjust your next cooks with either more or less wood chips until you get the smoke flavor just to your liking.[p]John