Brisket advise pleas

Borders

Morning,
I have a brisket going that has been on since last night and this morning my dome temp erroneously and negligently got to 325 while I was coaching a soccer game. My internal temp had gone from 155 to 185 in 2 hours.
I had planned on serving my guests at 7 or 8 tonight. My questions are.
Should I start testing to see if its done now.(Dome temp is back down to 275, and dropping)[p]Assuming it's done 7 hours early, how should I handle it. Refrig and reheat?[p]If so, how should I reheat? [p]THanks, Scott

tn slagamater

Borders,you are in good shape, brisket is known for having a wide range of cooking time. When the meat hits 195 degrees, test for doneness by sticking a fork in the meat and turning it. If it turns easly, it is done.When the meat is finished, wrap it in foil, put a towel around it, and place in a cooler to rest for at least an hour.I have seen posts where folks left it this way for 6 hours or more to rest.

BobinFla

Scott,[p]If it's done early, wrap it in foil and put it in a (inside, roo temperature) cooler. It will let the meat "rest" and also hold a hot temperature for several hours. [p]You could also wrap it in foil and keep it in an oven set at about 175 or so if yours will go that low.[p]Wrapping in foil *does* have the effect of slightly "steaming" the meat, and will soften the crust that you worked so hard '-) to produce, but I think a softer crust is preferred over re-heated brisket. [p]Good Luck, and your brisket will be fine,[p]BOB

The Other Dave

Borders,[p]Personally, I would pull it at that temp, wrap in foil then in a ziplock bag to catch the juices, then into a warmed towel and then placed into a small cooler to preserve the heat as much as possible. This should work very well. Put the cooler in a warm location.

Borders

BobinFla and Slag,
Thanks for the relaxing info.
One other question, there's still about 1/2 inc of soft fat on the top of the brisket. Is this ok, should it render off?

Borders

The Other Dave,
Would you pull it even if it didnt meet the "fork test"?

BobinFla

Scott,[p]It's OK, it might render off, but if it doesn't you can trim it as you slice the meat.[p]*IF* you happen to have any "leftovers" this fat will help keep the brisket from drying out in the refrigerator, and will add flavor when you re-heat.[p]It sounds like you have a successful brisket to me.

Borders

BobinFla,
Thanks

The Other Dave

Borders, It will continue to cook at anything near 180 degrees, so if you can retain the heat adequately, then I certainly would consider that. It's kind of a toss-up with all the variables. I would rather have it slightly underdone than slightly overdone, though.

Borders

The Other Dave,
Thanks for your thoughts

WilliamH

Borders,
This is what I do:
-Wrap in foil, then place into a zip-loc bag.
-Take a mediup size towel and roll-up, secure with large rubber band.
-Place in small Igloo cooler.
-Wrap the cooler up in old sleeping bag and roll it up.
-Place sleeping bag in Hefty garbage bag.
-Place in larger cooler. Wrap securely with duct tape.
-Have some beer and watch the game. When I get hungry, I order out for pizza because I remember how dry the last brisket was that I cooked.
-A year later when I'm packing for a camping trip, it finally occurs to me where my sleeping bag is. Shoot! I wish I had closeed that zip-loc bag.

FoxrunBob

Borders,
Just getting ready to start a 6lb brisket; how long should I cook at 250 to reach the 200 degree mark?

Borders

FoxrunBob,
Sorry Bob, I was off line tending to my brisket and party. My 8 pounder ended up taking 19 hours. It was top notch.