brisket cooked w/ butts

bigmikej

I will be cooking my first brisket Thursday night for comsumption Friday evening. I will also be cooking (2) 8 lb boston butts. I plan to set up w/ a platesetter, drip pan, reg. grid, brisket, raised grid, 2 butts, in that order, bottom to top. I usually cook my butts at 225-250 dome temp. I am planning on starting the butts at 8 or 9PM Thursday night to have them ready to eat by 8 Friday night. I realize they may cook faster, so I will have a cooler and towels handy. My question is: Can I put the brisket on at the same time as the butts, or should I put it on later in the cook tho have it done around the same time. Also, I am not sure if I have a flat, a point or what. I got it at Costco and it weighs about 5-6 lbs. Can anyone give me a basic idea of time per pound at these temps? Also, what is the ideal internal temp for brisket if I plan on having Bbq sandwiches? (In other words, does brisket pull or slice, and at what temps?) [p]Another thing while I am thinking about it, should I use yellow mustard on the brisket? I usually use it on the butts. I am going to use Coarse Dizzy Dust on the butts and am considering either Cow Lick mixed w/ brown sugar, or the dizzy dust as well for the brisket. Any suggestions about the brisket rub?[p]Sorry for babbling on. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Strmn2Smoke

bigmikej,
This will take you to everything you will ever want to know about brisket. If you have room I see no reason why you cannot do the brisket with the "butts" . Just be careful with temperature as the brisket can turn out quite dry. Just did a brisket yesterday, wonderful tasting piece of beef. If you have the option I would start with the "flat" as opposed to the whole or "point". Hope this helps....nde[p]bbq.about.com/food/bbq/library/weekly/aa122599.htm

Elder Ward

bigmikej,
I would place the Butts above the brisket so the fat drips down on the brisket. Pull both when the butts are done. That way both will be moist. Just a thought. [p]Never tried it but you go first and let me know how it works. What fun is life without a little risk.[p]If you got em smoke em,
Elder Ward

KennyG

bigmikej,[p]Just an experienced guess on my part. Your butts should take 18 to 20 hours or so if you cook at the higher end of the temp range you mentioned. I'd suggest 250-260* dome. Your brisket is most likely a flat and should finish in 9 to 10 hours. It's always best to err on the safe side and allow extra time. All of this will hold nicely in a cooler for hours.[p]Start your butts overnite and add the brisket first thing in the morning. Check the brisket for tenderness once its internal temp reached 185* Just see how easily a toothpick slips in and out. You may have to go into the 190s before you are satisfied. Brisket doesn't "pull" per se but should slice easily across the grain for sammichs when cooked properly. I always use mustard on butts, but never tried it on brisket.[p]Good luck![p]K~G

Chuck

<p />bigmikej,[p]I think the photo is what you have in mind. Yes you can do it that way and it will turn out great. This is two 8lb butts and a 14 lb brisket. I did them at 225* for almost 20 hours. The butts were at 200*, the brisket was at 190* and both were amazing. The brisket you are using may take less time but, in my experience, not proportionally less than the 14 pounder I cooked. Just keep an eye on the inbternal temp of a butt and the brisket. Good luck with your cook and let us know how it turns out.

mike

bigmikej,
Just be careful that the dome thermometer is not touching one of the butts. I rigged this setup once and charred everything in about 3 hours because the probe was touching one of the butts and gave me very inaccurate readings. Raging fire but didn't know it.

Nature Boy

G'mornin bigmikej,
Gotta concur with KennyG that your brisket (being a "choice" grade chunk) with take somewhere in the range of 10 hours, where you are prolly looking at 15+ for the butts. To make sure dinner is served on time, I might allow 12 hours for the brisket, since they all cook a little differently. If it finishes early, 3 or 4 hours in a warm cooler will only make it better.[p]As far as the brisket rub, I might be a tad biased, but Qfan's Cow Lick rub, along with a heavy dose of sugar, makes the best brisket rub I have ever used. I don't normally slather mustard on briskets, but it certainly won't hurt anything.[p]Good luck! Sounds like a fun cook.
Chris

Unknown

bigmikej,
We cook brisket and butt together most of the time, we normally cook whole briskets (I believe you have a flat).
A 5 to 6 pound flat can take 10 to 12 hours to finish and I would put the butts over them to help keep the flat moist. I would cook closer to 250º dome temp rather than 225º.
Jim

bigmikej

Nature Boy,[p]Do you use brown sugar or turbinado to mix w/ the cow lick rub?

BlueSmoke

bigmikej,
You got plenty of good advice below, all I can do is concur. As to what you've got (flat or point). A whole brisket is kinda rectangular, with one end a little more pointy than the other. If you look close, the grain in the meat will only run one way (lengthwise) in the squared-off end. In the more pointy end, the lower layer will run in that same direction, but above that there will be a layer of fat and above that another layer of meat. The grain in the second layer will be in a different direction from the lower layer.
When they cut brisket, all they do is separate the pointy end (with meat grain running in two directions) from the squared off end (grain running in only one direction).

Unknown

bigmikej,[p]If that is for just you and your "old lady"---daddy look out! You have a special day coming soon and you need to fit into that monkey suit. So---don't let her--your family or most importantly her parents down and spread the wealth! Suggestion--4 cold chilly pops an hour.

Nature Boy

bigmikej,
I usually use turbinado sugar, but brown will work fine as long as you don't cook it too hot.[p]Have fun!
Chris