First Brisket...........

MickeyT

I was gonna make jerky but decided to by another one and do both jerky and a brisket. (On seperate eggs of course).I know there is brisket advice in the archives but have no chance to check. Just a couple of questions:[p]5 lbs. flat I am guessing will cook for 12/15 hours?
Any suggested rubs?
Let internal get to 190 and pull?[p]Thanks and I'm sure I'll have some sort of picture this weekend. (I hope)[p]Thanks all,[p]Mick

KennyG

MickeyT.,[p]Your timing sounds about right. Here's a graph from yesteryear to show you what to expect. If it finishes early, just wrap in foil and it will stay hot for hours in a dry cooler. JJ's rub from the archives is a good choice or Lysanders from the grocery store or meat market. IMHO 200* is a better finish temp and slice across the grain.[p]Good luck[p]K~G

[ul][li]Brisket on the Big Egg[/ul]

Nature Boy

MickeyT.,
JJ's rub is a winner on brisket. A mustard slather along with a healthy coating of rub is nice also. Like Ken says, your timing sounds pretty close. yet every chunk-o-chest is different. [p]I like to try a fork test at 185, and sometimes it is done then. The fork should slide in very easily, and you should be able to twist it. If you cant' twist it, or if you can lift it iff the grate with the fork, it needs alittle longer. [p]If it hits 185 and your dinner time is still a couple hours away, I would pull it then (regardless of your fork test) and do the foil/towel/warm cooler technique. It will finish cooking in the cooler, and still be plenty hot for dinner.[p]good luck. It don't git much betta.
NB

Nature Boy

KennyG,
Nice graph. Does anyone have a copy of the archives before the big deletion last year??
PBR's to ya!
NB

Car Wash Mike

Nature Boy, You are the true master of this chunk-o-chest. So I come to you with a wierd question. Have you ever heard of putting sugar on your brisket? A guy that gave me the recipe said it is great and cooks in about 5-7 hours. If you want I'll forward his email to you and see for yourself. I think I'll be trying it Sunday.[p]CWM

Nature Boy

Car Wash Mike,
I have used rubs with sugar, and marinades with molasses...but never just plain sugar.
I suppose you can cook a brisket in 5-7 hours...but IMO that is not nearly enough time to get that collagen broken down. My guess is there will be quite a bit more chewing going on at the table.[p]Elder Ward posted a recipe (on the forum..not in the recipe section) last December (1999) that I treid. I cooked a 7 pounder at 270 over a naked pizza stone, and it was done in about 10 hours. This was a very good meal...but the texture was quite different from the longer cooks. Still good, but 5-7 hours would require even higher temps.[p]I'd love to read your friends email though. I look forward to hearing the results of your test, but I must admit some skepticism! Briskets don't like to be pushed.[p]Trying new things is what Q is all about. You always learn something.
Great weekend to ya
NB

Unknown

MickeyT.,
First,I`m going to be killed for being in the egghole.But if your cooking a Flat of a whole brisket for 12/15 hrs,I`m pretty sure you`ll wind up with more Jerky.I cook flats all the time,but I buy whole briskets,so that I can leave some of the fat cap on them.The flats you buy at the store are really trimed up.
Here`s how I cook flats on the Traeger.
Smoke mode(180º) for about 4hrs,wrap in foil,bump your temps up to 250º for 2(roughly) more hours.Just about perfect everytime.Like NB said,all meat is different.Use this only as a guideline.
If I were cooking on the egg,Pour the smoke on early at 200º(3hrs),take it off,wrap in foil,bump up temps to 250(3-4hrs).I think you`ll like this better than that 15hr cook.

Spin

Andrew,[p]I can't see why you would be "killed" on a forum that enables the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and experience of cooking a meal on which you offer your thoughts.[p]I agree that flats are trimmed to the "bone" with no cap left to cook with. How about a covering of slab bacon to provide the cap (no foil cover used) after the smoke as per your suggestion. Bump the temp to 225°F and cook until the meal is fork test tender? This cook would take from 9-14 hours (depending on the meat) and the bacon would still make a great BLT.[p]Spin[p][p]

Unknown

Spin,
I`m just trying to find the advantage to cooking one that long,when you may risk the chance of drying it out.The steaming process of the foil,retains the moisture of the piece of meat your cooking,plus it helps speed up the cooking process.[p]I have cooked briskets both ways,with foil and without,no difference in the end product.I do believe you lose a little smokey flavor when you wrap,but thats about all.Thats why,I`m heavy with the smoke early at a low temp.[p]I looked at Kenny`s chart down below...That poor brisket is averaging over 2hrs per pound...Seems like along time for a Flat with no fat cap.

Spin

Andrew,[p]I apologize as I am not at all familiar with a Traeger and cannot directly relate the difference :-{. I certainly have no problem with your methods as they do attain the goal we both seek (really good eats).[p]Cooking in the Egg doesn't need or require the use of foil to presevre the moisture in the meat (cooking over a drip pan). The BGE uses lump charcoal for fuel and is very efficient in burning the lump. Airflow through the cooker is very slow (at the temps we are talking about), thus moisture is contained in the cooker. The meat doesn't dry out with time - even 2-3 times the length of your cook. The bacon on top just aides the cook.[p]I'm not sure I agree with speeding up the cook as some things just take time, nomatter the method. The real purpose of the cook is to turn this very tough, chewy piece of meat into a tender meal. The result is a flavor that is well worth the effort. The cut is from the most used muscles of the cow, and as such are the toughest. The meat consists of muscle, collegen, and gristle. We like to eat the meat. The collegen is a flavorless chew in the meat and the gristle is an unchewable toughness.[p]Rendered with time, the collegen turns to flavor and gristle turns to flavor and a slight chew. What remains is some great tasting meat.[p]KennyGs chart is typical of a proper Egg cook of a brisket.[p]Spin[p]

Unknown

Spin,
Are you saying that,you use a water pan.Well then that would be a whole different story.[p]Two questions:
Are you using the water pan to control heat or for the moisture,Most will say both.But I know that water smokers are mainly to control heat.[p]If moisture is contained in the egg,when you lift the lid,Is there condensation dripping off the lid???[p]

Wise One

Andrew, when I use a drip pan, it's mainly to keep the fats from dripping on the coal and flaming up. You can put water in it but you really don't need it. I have never seen moisture dripping off my dome top but I also have never had meat so well done (my wife likes it well done) that is so moist.

Mop

Is this who I think It is???????[p]Andrew!........Nice to see you ...LOL......[p]
Mop!

Spin

Andrew,[p]No water used in the drip pan. I have tried using water several times and can say I see no real advantage to its use.[p]I use the drip pan mainly to insulate the meal from the direct heat of the fire, with the secondary benefit of collecting the drippings as the meat cooks.[p]No water collecting anywhere to drip, just a cloud of steam if I open the dome.[p]This thread is very quickly becoming past history and I wish to continue our conversation. I suggest we converse via email. As you have not provided any way for me to contact you, please contact me.[p]Spin[p]