Nature Boy: Brisket again

DavidR

I hope you won't mind me buggin you for the next couple of days. Here's the scoop. Last night, the wife and I were at HEB, and whenever we go there, I always make a point to look at their tub of unfrozen packer briskets, and be on the lookout for one that looks really tender. I stumbled across one, that when I held the middle of it in my hand, and moved it up and down, each end of it 'flapped' like a bird. None of the other briskets did that, so I figured that was a winner, and bought it. It weighs about 9 lbs.[p]So now that I've got what looks like a 'decent' chunk-of-chest, now the "fun" begins, as in how do I get it to where it's tender and juicy in the flat.[p]So here's the plan. Later today, I'm gonna take it out of the cry-o-vac bag, rinse it off, and dry with paper towels. Then, I will coat it with it with (you-know-who)'s dry rub, and saran wrap it and stick it in the fridge for 24 hours. Then tommorrow around 6 PM, I'm filling up the large with fresh Hasty Bake up to the fire ring and stabilize at 225 degrees. I'm going to cook indirect on the main grid that's placed over a water-filled drip pan that's inside an inverted plate setter. I'm going to stick the Polder into the flat instead of the point. [p]The catch is, except for Polder placement, that's the same setup I used for the other briskets that turned out dry and tough in the flat. And I didn't lift the lid on those things until the internal was around 195 to 200. I know the meat is "officially" done at 165, but I'm wondering at what temp I should start lifting the lid, and check for 'real' doneness. I'm also wondering if the meat can still have pink in the middle, and still be done. [p]Comments?

Nature Boy

DavidR,
Sounds like you have a plan! Everything sounds good. I start checking for tenderness when the flat reaches 185.[p]Me thinks this will be the one for you!
Have a blast with it.
NB

Unknown

DavidR,
The flat can be over cooked, once the flat has rendered the fat, from that point the flat begin to dry out. Forget about 165º when it comes to brisket, at that point the fat is rendering off and tenderizing is just getting started.
When the internal temp of the flat hits 188º you can start checking for tenderness, you can use the probe of the thermometer, if it slides into the brisket flat like it's going into butter it's done.
One of the things I look for in a brisket when picking one out is the thickness of the end of the flat. I want it to be even across that end, 1 to 1/2 inches thick. if that end is very thin you will find that will be drier when there done.
Jim[p]

DavidR

Nature Boy,[p]Thanks. I'm gonna give it another whirl. You'll here me whoopin and hollerin all the way down here in Texas if it urns out right.[p]

Buckiquer

DavidR,
I put a 7# brisket on last night at 10pm at 225 250 still at 161f stuck,