Brisket virgin needs assitance

Unknown

Hello all... looking to do my first brisket cook. I have done several pork butts but have yet to do a brisket.[p]From what I have read.. it is an indirect cook in the 250 temp range..
I have seen various times from 6 hours to 18 hours...[p]Basically I'm looking for tips and a little knowledge as to what to expect?[p]About how long should I really expect this cook to go? Say for a 8 lb brisket..[p]Any links to info also appreciated.[p]Cheers, [p]Brian[p]

Unknown

Nardi,
Have done several briskets, heres what works best for me. I buy 6 to 8 pound flats with a thin layer of fat. My butcher saves about a pound of fat for me also. I use a dry rub-24 hours before cook time. I try to keep the BGE in the 220-230 range. Wood chunks to smoke for at least an hour, slice up that extra pound of fat, pile it on top of brisket, insert probe and set for 200 degrees internal temp. close BGE and not open until meat reaches 200. The time seems to range from 13 to 15 hours. I then wrap in foil and towels put in a cooler for a couple of hours and then we eat. Life is good.

Marvin

Nardi,
Andy's method is about it. We don't add the extra fat and still get a very tender, moist brisket. At 230-240, we average about 1 1/2 hr per lb. The temp to stop can vary anywhere from 185-205. After 185, we test it with the easy in-easy-out fork method. Have fun.

Unknown

Morning Brian,[p]Brisket be a good hunk of meat to eat if'n it is cooked up right. You mentioned an 8 pounder. Is that a whole "packer cut" brisket or is that just the flat? If it is just the flat, then I can't offer too much help since I really haven't done any.[p]If it's a whole brisket, then I can tell you what I do. It may not be the best way but it works for me.[p]1st off, you need learn the different parts of a brisket (if you know these, then skip this section). Basically there is the flat (the flat end), the point (ummm, not the flat end), a layer of fat betwixt the two and a fat cap that covers both. The grain of the meat from the point will run perpendicular to that of the flat. It is important to see which way the grain runs before you cook it because it will play a part later when you are done cooking and it may not be as easy to tell.[p]First off you will need to prep that thing. Some folks say to trim the fat cap down to about 1/8 or ¼ of an inch. I used to do that but don’t bother anymore. I never really saw the advantage. Any excess fat can be removed quite easily once it is done cooking. Regardless, you will want some fat on it. The fat will render out while the darn thing cooks. The rendered fat will aid in keeping the meat moist. Use whatever method you like for trimming it. If you turn the hunk of meat over (assuming the fat cap was on top to begin with) you will see a big pocket of fat in between the point and the flat. I like to cut this part out just because it makes me feel better. I can’t say that it does any good but it is something that I have always done.[p]Next it is time to season this dude. Salt and pepper will suffice. So will any number of commercial rubs available on the market or you can make your own. Some of that Dizzy Pig stuff aint bad. Anyways, I apply the rub all over, including the fat. I don’t know if seasoning the fat helps any but my theory is that if the fat is gonna render out though the meat it might as have at least seen some spices. [p]Once it is all rubbed down, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and set in the fridge until ready to cook or you can go straight to the smoker with it. I like to smoke them indirect at about 225° - 250° but have heard and witnessed great results from higher temps (up to about 300°, higher might work but I don’t have any knowledge about that).[p]You mentioned that you have done butts before. If so, then you know about the plateau where the temperature stalls and quits climbing. This is true for briskets as well. It will hit the plateau around 160-ish (could be higher or it could be lower). It’s gonna take a while to cook, depending on your cooking temp as well as the cut of meat (I have ample access to choice briskets so I don’t bother with select grades). It will be done when it is done. If you can insert a probe into the flat without much effort then it is about done. This could be anywhere from 190-ish to 200-ish. I have found that anything over about 200 makes the thing dry out but others who cook at different temps than I might be able to go higher on the internal temp without drying it out.[p]Some people will foil the brisket when it hits the plateau to speed things up a bit (wrap in foil and then place back onto the smoker). I will sometimes foil but that is mainly because bark can get a little tough and I have found that foil and make it a bit more gooder. Perhaps I should consider spraying it with something next time to see if that softens the bark...[p]Anyways, once you think that the flat is done, you can remove the whole thing and place (wrapped in foil) in an insulated container until ready to serve. Either way, I would think that letting it rest for about 30 minutes can’t hurt in redistributing the juices. If you like, you can separate the point from the flat when the flat is done and put the point back on the smoker (!caution! that thing is gonna hotter than all hell so be careful if you separate the two). The point has a bit more fat in it that can be rendered out. Adding some sauce to the point at this juncture don’t hurt too much either but you don’t have too.[p]So everything is (hopefully) and you are ready to eat. Slice the flat thinly against the grain (you do remember which way the grain was running, remember?) and serve. For the point, I like to pull it into nice long thin strands for BBQ sandwiches.[p]I will serve the flat slices with the excess fat still in place but you can easily remove it once the cooking is done by using a dull knife to scrape it off.[p]There have been discussions about cooking briskets right side (fat cap on top), upside down, flipping (combination of the two) or even hanging then from the flat (on a larger cooker). I put them in with the fat on top and it has worked decently thus far. [p]I hope that this helps
Matt.

Unknown

Andy,
Excuse a very basic question but I just got my large BGE and have not attempted a brisket yet. One thing I have been curious about is keep it at 250-300 for 8-15 hours. Is it possible to do this without having to remove everything and adding charcoal. I assume so, but this seems pretty hard to believe. [p]Thanks,
Erin

JSlot

Fill the firebox with charcoal up to the fire ring and you can get 24+ hour burns with no problem at all. The longest I've seen reported in here is 32 hours on one load of lump.[p]Jim

Unknown

JSlot,[p]Guess that's why it was 600 bones....I'm gonna give it a shot the weekend![p]Thanks for the info,
Erin

Unknown

South O,[p]Thanks for the info... to the others as well.[p]Going to give it a try this weekend. Haven't gotten the meat yet. Sounds pretty similar to a butt cook but a little shorter time wise. [p]Thanks, [p]BRian

Unknown

Nardi,
Yup, it be very similar to butt cook... Just another long low-n-slow effort. I don't know that it would be a shorter cook than a butt though. Plan on it taking as long as a butt (if not longer) and you should be alright.[p]Good luck with it
Matt.

tnkpepper

South O,
IN OUR TRIALS WITH THE BRISKET, THERE IS A REALLY GOOD RECIPE TO THE BIG GREEN EGG COOKBOOK. THE FIRST TIME WE TRIED IT, I WAS NERVOUS. BUT TO MY SUPRISE, IT WAS WONDERFUL. IT TOOK SOME TIME TO PREPARE AND APPROX. 5 HOUSE TO COOK, BUT THE 7 POUNDER WE FIXED WAS DEVOURED BY 20 OF OUR GUESTS IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. ( NO FORKS REQUIRED.