Newbie Brisket Advice

TulsaMurph

I have read just about everything I can regarding briskets, but need a little help here. I have a 6-7 pound whole brisket (I think) on the egg, has been cooking for about 12 hours between 225 and 250. The dome temp just went up to about 280 in the last hour and my internal temp is about 186. I tried the fork test, but the meat does not feel like it is tender yet. Should I just wait longer, have I overcooked it or should I crank up the fire a bit? The fork tasted great, it is hard to wait for this thing to finish.

Thanks!

Unknown

I usually pull brisket at 195-200... then wrap in foil and let it rest 30-60 minutes.... but you can take it off and slice right away if you're hungry!
I would ley it go another 10-15 deg. and then pull... and your time for that weight looks pretty much right on the money....
HTH,
wrobs

TulsaMurph

Thanks for the advice. We pulled it and sliced away. It was very tasty, but not as juicy as I would have liked, and it was not tough, but not super tender. I would guess I should have cooked it a little hotter, maybe 250-275 or so, does that sound too high? After I opened the egg for the fork test, my dome came back to about 280, but the brisket actually cooled off just a bit to 183 or so. Hard to say how long it might have taken to get to 190. Is there such a thing as too low, too slow? Overall, not bad for my first try.

Thanks!

Unknown

I think your temps were OK... what I found is that the resting period in foil seemed to make a difference in tenderness. I have read where some folks wrap in foil for the last several hours before pulling and then letting it rest... I haven't tried this yet but its on the agenda for the next cook....
wrobs

TulsaMurph

The part we did not cut is in foil, in towels in a cooler. In an hour or two, I'll try slicing a piece and we will see if that seems to help.