Beef Brisket Emergency!

Unknown

Hi, folks. :-)
Two weeks ago Santa left me a Big Green Egg! Since then I have played with some old grill (fake smoker) favorites like Beer Can Chicken, and Planked Mahi. We even added a smoked turkey to the list last week. What a great addition to my family! I never thought an egg (and cedrtainly not green) would be so well loved so soon.
Anyway ...
A request was made (from Santa) for a BBQ Beef Brisket. I read through the BGE manual and wasn't impressed. So I resorted to an old favorite cookbook by Steven Raichlin and made a rub yesterday. Today is cooking day! (Talk about waiting until the last minute.)
Finally ...
This morning I "stumbled" over recipes and Eggtoberfests and the writings from Ward the Elder. How should I cook this brisket? I am so confused. I have never even eaten BBQ Beef Brisket before, so I can't imagine the final product! These are my choices:
a) With Platesetter in pan. Use a mop sauce.
b) With Platesetter on V-rack over drip pan.
c) No Platesetter in pan on grill. Use mop sauce.
d) No Platesetter on V-rack.
e) Just tell the BGE to take care of it and leave.
f) None of the above.[p]Your input is greastly appreciated. :-) In about one hour I need to make the BIG decision. Any thoughts at this final moment?[p]Thanks in advance,
Peter

The Naked Whiz

omba,
Here's a collection of hints and tips I collected from various posters on various forums:[p]TNW
[ul][li]Brisket Hints and Tips[/ul]

Unknown

omba,[p]Use your platesetter legs up with a drip pan under grill[p]Sprinkle brisket with rub… Use plenty of charcoal and cook at 225* – 250* dome with a few pieces of oak wood for smoke… when it hits 195 internal (this can take a LONG time) take it off and wrap in foil and let it cool an hour or so.[p]When cool trim fat and slice ¼” slices against the grain and serve or put in serving tray to warm later. Serve whith bread and with favorite sauce on the side.[p]Note… If you want to speed up the process or try soothing a little more complicated wrap brisket in foil after it hits 175* and then put back on to 195* then rest/cool, slice and serve.[p]
[p]

mojopin

omba,[p]And make sure you start with enough charcoal... half way up the fire RING always works for me for a long cook like brisket... and definately do like 1/2 Chicken said and go with plate setter, legs up drip pan on plate setter, grill on top of that. And definately go ahead and read a little on the Naked Whiz site as well. Once you get it on, walk away and try not to be tempted to open the lid too often or at all, as long as the dome temp stays good let it go.[p]Hope this helps,
Jill

Unknown

mojopin,
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all! :-)
What a great world you/we have here. I hope that I get to give back someday.[p]Got to get that fire started now. Dinner is in 7 hours ... or more![p]Peter

Unknown

The Naked Whiz,
Appreciate your help. What a GREAT web site you have. Congratulations and thank you.
BTW ...
That fat side DOWN issue stunned me. First time I ever read that. I'll give it a shot.
And the whole collagen science ... fascinating!
Boy, I have a lot to learn. :-)

ChuckGGa

omba,[p]7 hours... won't abrisket take alot longer than 7 hours to finish? It's been awhile since I've done one, but I recall it taking alot longer, cooking at low temperature, to get to finished product. [p]???
ChuckGGa

ChuckGGa

ChuckGGa,
Elder Ward's recipe says 6-7 hours for 11 pounder.... Nature Boy's recipe says to allow 2 to 2 1/2 hours per pound... big differences in time... [p]anyone cooked one recently with a better estimate on time? I hate for him to plan to eat in 7 hours and be 3-4 hours away from it being done... [p]ChuckGGa

Unknown

ChuckGGa,
I'm probably going to change the men to hot dogs, huh?
FWIW ... this is NOT a whole brisket. It's a "flat" or maybe a "point." It's sort of triangular and weighs 4 pounds.
Am I in DEEP trouble?

mojopin

omba,[p]At a four lb. flat I think you will be fine with 7 hours. Wrap in foil towards the end and you can always kick up the temp on the egg a little once it is out of the plateau.[p]-Jill

WessB

omba,
You better hope you got a SMALL brisket...general rule of thumb is 2 hours/# .....I don`t think you will be done and eating in 7 hours.[p]Wess

ChuckGGa

mojopin,
I agree, on a 4 pounder, you should be fine.

WessB

omba,
The 4.5# brisket I poseted earlier in the week to 7.5 hours "cook" time...then you gotta figure another hour or 2 to rest before slicing...never tried the foil at 175° but it might be your only hope of getting it done in time.[p]Wess

ChuckGGa

ChuckGGa,
old link in the archives, gives you some pointers on temp reading, what to expect during the cook, etc... [p]http://www.biggreenegg.com/archives/2001/messages/64906.htm[p]Here it is copied / pasted:
I am sure there are others if you search the archives section - [p]
Brisket - oh that tough cut of beef we all struggle with. But I have learned - I am grateful to some unknown writer on the Web as to how to make a really good brisket.[p]My past attempts were satisfactory but not outstanding. I did everything that I borrowed from the good people here on the Forum. Maybe these good people already know what I am goig to explain below/ If so excuse me please. And maybe my past experiences were average because I may have missed some of the information these good folks gave me. If this is true, again please excuse me. But I will say it for the benefit of those who do not know and want to know, or who may have missed a bit of crucial information like I could have.[p]The 4 or 5 times I tried brisket, it always fell short of what I thought it should be. So I searched and read, read and searched and found what seemed to make sense to me. It was the "theory of brisket)[p]This writer explained a bit of what I and many others already knew, that brisket is tough because it is filled with connective tissue, that this tissue is composed of collagin that begins to break down and convert to gelatin at 150 degree F., that this takes time and needs to be done "slow and low" as the saying goes. This is pretty conventional knowledge.[p]But then the writer began to explain an interesting angle. It seems that when collagin begins to break down at 150 degree and is being converted to gelatin, at the same time moisture is being driven out of the brisket by the heat making it a bit drier. As the internal temp of the brisket creeps up to 190 and 200 degrees, the rate moisture is being driven out of the brisket is much faster than the rate collagin is being converted to gelatin. [p]This seems like a catch-22. The higher the heat, the more tender because of the breakdown of collagin to gelatin. But at the same time the higher the heat, the greater the loss of moisture tending to toughen the brisket[p]But if the internal temp. of the brisket is taken beyond 200 degrees a dramatic reveral occurrs. At 205 and 210 internal, the collagin converts to gelatin at a much faster rate than the moisture is being driven out of the brisket. [p]The result is a dramatic increase in not only the tenderness of the brisket but remains very moist, becomesfork tender and takes on s very pleasing texture.[p]Today I gave this theory the test. However, due to the very nasty storm we had during the past 36 hours in Minnesota, I was forced to do my brisket inside, in the range oven rather than in the BGE. But I think that would not change much except maybe the smoke flavor was absent. [p]In the past when I made brisket I always pulled it at between 190 and 200. Too early according to the theory. And I was never really impressed with the result.[p]Today I held the oven temp. steady at 225 degrees, and took the internal temp of the brisket up to 210 on the thick part and 215 on the thin part. The results were truly amazing. Far better than I could have imagined.[p]The thin part was tender, was not overly moist, but far more moist than in the past. The thick part (Which makes up about about 80 % of the brisket) was simply fabulous, out of this world. It was by far more moist and more tender than I thought any meat (least of all a brisket) could be. It was fork tender, and almost fell apart when being sliced. And the taste was fabulous. [p]My wife always said, brisket was her least favorite meat on the BGE. Today she changed her mind entirely. She too could not believe it.[p]All briskets are different. Maybe this one was better meat than the others, and its possible that is what made it better. But no meat could become that much better that the previous 4-5. Maybe the oven made a difference. I really do not think so. [p]Nevertheless, I will test it again, next time on the BGE and see if I get the same results. In the mean time I will be anxiously waiting to hear from those far more experienced than me, about this theory and its effects. I hope others would try this method and see if it holds true. Let us know.[p]Good luck to all who try it. I will be waiting to hear back.[p]Anthony[p]

Unknown

omba,[p]
I'd think that on a 4 pound brisket you're going to be alright with 7-8 hours. If it gets to the 6 or 7 hour mark and it's not through the plateau yet..wrap it in foil and bump up the heat just a little and it should finish it up a bit quicker. It will be a bit different than a full slow-cooked brisket, but it should still be very good.[p]TUS

omba

ChuckGGa,
That temperature data was great information for this newbie. Thanks.
I'll just tell my guests that we'll eat when it's ready! :-)
This reminds me of Charlton Heston playing Michelangelo in some movie. When asked when the Sistine Chapel ceiling was to to be completed, his reply was something like, "When I am finished!"

The Naked Whiz

ChuckGGa,
Did you read all the replies to this post? There was considerable skepticism about cooking the brisket to 210 degrees.[p]TNW

Unknown

omba,[p]Run to the store, get some good sausage and throw it in on hour 5. Then if your brisket runs over you have something to serve your guests.

omba

The Naked Whiz,
I just read through that whole thread. Yikes! Talk about confusing the newbie mind. :-)
Right now the BGE is running between 225 and 240. I keep telling myself not to open the egg until HOUR 6. But I want to peek! No, don't do it. [p]As for cooking temps ...
I have seen/read references from 210 to 300 degrees!
As for the finished temp ...
I have seen/read references from 190 to 220!
As for method ...
I have seen/read references from complete egg cooking to wrap it in foil in a 300-degree oven. :-)[p]I probably should have eaten a brisket in my life at some point just to know where I'm headed, huh? Anyway ...[p]Can I take a peek in hour #2? :-)[p]Thanks,
Peter

mojopin

omba,[p]No peeking Peter! Unless of course you open the daisy and take a quick peek, I've done that before and it doesn't hurt the temps. If you open the dome you lose valuable heat and moisture and add oxygen to the fire.[p]Just my 2 cents![p]-Jill

omba

mojopin,
LMAO!!!
But it smeels so good out there!!![p]I won't peek. Why?
To get those wheels to line up EXACTLY as they are now would take me another half hour. :-)[p]Peter

ChuckGGa

The Naked Whiz,
I did not read the posts, 210s ound shigh to me though - agreed. I'll go back and read through it.

DannyV

omba,

No need to lift the lid an peek, just get a good temp probe. I ordered two more of these today because one of mine went out last weekend. The only problem with them seems to be the temp probe tends to go out after a few months. When these kick over I'll probably order a Stoker or BBQ-Guru. [p] Nice thing about these is you can use the PGM mode and set a specified temp to have the remote pager issue and audible alarm. No more wondering about what temp the meat is at on the long cooks. For regular cooks search the forum for Thermapen, just got one today and will be trying it out tomorrow.

http://www.truevaluecloseouts.com/servlet/the-28/TAYLOR-1474-Cooking-Grill/Detail[p] I've only had my egg for 4 months and am still learning as well. You'll learn a lot by spending some time lurking on the forum, reading the archves and visiting some of the users web sites. [p] I'm going to try my second brisket for Saturdays Saints game. Hope ur brisket turns out good.[p]DannyV

stike

WessB,
ah. how prophetic, given his post of this morning.[p]