Did my research - trying brisket <gulp>

Sea2Ski · May 2011

Did a bunch of searches, read all kinds of information, opinions and thoughts on cooking a brisket (most of which was conflicting (he he he)). There were only 2 consistent things I read, 1 was low and slow seems to be best (though you can also do it faster) and 2 - it is done what it is done.

So, I went to the local butcher, and asked the guy for a packer cut. When he brought it out, I pulled out my tape measure, and he said "oh boy...." Well I have to make sure it was going to fit, right?

So after looking at about 4 of them, I decided on one weighing 9.85 lbs, 18.25 inches – gonna be tight, bit I would make it work. I paid the guy and home I went with a smile on my face but apprehension in my mind wondering what I was getting into.

Cleaned out the lg egg totally - removed everything and all the ash. Then I filled the firebox with large lump at the bottom, medium in the middle and small lump up top. Throughout the lump I put some “larger then chips, but smaller then chunks” pieces of red oak. Not too much - if anything, I hope there was enough. I gave the egg a spark, and let it stabilize at 225 dome. 15 mins before putting on the beast, I put on a small handful of mesquite chips, and waited for the good smoke to appear. Then I put on the meat which was dusted with 33% DD course, 33% DD Red Eye, and 33% DD Cow lick at 9:27 last night.

Got up at 11:30 - dome was 230
Got up at 2:20 - dome was at 220
Got up at 5:00 - dome was at 240
Checked at 7:30 and dome was at 250
Just checked again, at 9:04, and dome was at 290! :pinch: I am going to try and get it back down to 225. I want to cooler it for at least an hour and want to eat about 4:00 - give or take an hour.

I am going to take a temp reading with the meat thermometer now, and start monitoring it closer.I only took a visual at the 7:30 check – looking great – I think. I really do not know what it is supposed to look like when it is "looking good", but it looked good to me!

I hope I am on the right track. I have been intimidated because of all the conflicting things I read, but I guess to learn you just have to do it yourself.

Let’s see what happens.....

The one question I have, and am asking for help on, is if I have to wrap and cooler it with a liquid, or can I just wrap it in HDAF and let it sit without adding liquid?

boston_stoker · May 2011

Double post

boston_stoker · May 2011

Dome target should be 250 but dont sweat 15 to 20 degree differences. At 250 dome the grid above the platesetter will be about 225, much lower and your cook will take forever.

Pull when you can easily twist a fork in it. With a packer you separate the point later, cube it, add sauce and put it back on to make burnt ends.

Regarding your one question, wrap jn foil, wrap in a towel, fill a cooler with hot water in bath tub, then empty the water after letting the water sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Then put meat in towel in warm cooler. Regarding the liquid, I would say no, but I defer to others on that.

Desert Oasis Woman · May 2011

I've heard that's a personnal preference

Don't forget the "twist" test (from Third Eye's blog)!

Nice rub blend.

And WELCOME!

Sea2Ski · May 2011

Thank you. Sounds like you have done a few!

Okay, this just got serious....

I just stuck it with the the meat thermometer...it is reading 198 in the middle of the flat!!!! But it was also very tough to get in.

I need someone with experience to chime in!

Do I lower temp (to what?) and leave on?
Raise temp (to what) and leave on?
Just leave it on at the 280 dome it is now? (I calibrated the themometer before the cook using the boiling water method).

Uggg... I thought I was doing things right! I never would have thought the meat temp was going to be that high so soon! Is it possible that it is overdone? Or way underdone? The meat temp is confusing me, I was planning on pulling it at 195 but I am now past that!

Help anyone?

Daddyo · May 2011

Daddyo · May 2011

Open your lid to drop your temp quickly and adjust your vents to keep it down. 290 is too high. Anything between 220 and 250 is fine. Even 210 is fine - if you've got forever to wait.

Wrap in foil. Wrap a few old beach towels around the foil. Drop in a cooler. You can pre-heat the cooler with some hot water from the sink (which you dump out after pre-heating the cooler) but that's not really necessary in the summer months. It's a good idea in December if you keep your cooler in the shed.

Don't panic if you are done "early." It will stay hot for 4 hours without a problem as long as you've got it wrapped and coolered. I believe time in the cooler helps.

Brisket is not really a tough cook. I'm not sure how it got its reputation. Must be people without eggs that struggle to make it tender.

I pull mine between 195 and 200.

gdenby · May 2011

If you had not visited thirdeye's site:

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/

Do so while you are waiting for the brisket to finish.

It sounds to me like you had much the same event as I did on one occasion. I had to start the brisket draped over a V-rack because it was so big. After many hours, it had finally shrunk enough that the airflow improved, and the dome went to 290.

That turned out to not be much of a problem. The flat was a little dry, but the point was excellent.

One of the problems with brisket is that it has both collagen and elastin. The collagen breaks down with heat, but the elastin does not. So briskets (at least the ones I've done) don't get nearly as tender as pork. Ergo, why it is food to slice very thin when serving, even thouygh the thin slices dry quickly.

Some people use a Jaquard to tenderize briskets before hand.

Daddyo · May 2011

Try cooking a pulled pork above your brisket. It will baste the brisket throughout the entire cook. Also, if you get your brisket from a butcher, even at BJ's, they'll leave some fat on for you. Never trim "all" the fat off. Finally, I never cook a brisket any more without a shoulder. The brisket is too big for my family alone, so I only cook it when I'm having people over. Once I"ve invited people over, well it ain't hard to use up some pulled pork.

field hand · May 2011

I agree re the advice thats available, some opinions complement each other while others seem to be going in opposite directions. That leaves you to be the final arbitrator and, after a few cooks, you'll learn what works for you.

Barry
Marthasville, MO

Daddyo · May 2011

198 is not overdone, but it is done. Test a few spots. If it is really 198, pull it, wrap it in foil, wrap the foil in beach towels, put it in a warmed cooler, and relax. It will stay hot WAY longer than you could possibly imagine. This will be the best thing that ever happened to you. Once you learn how long a brisket can stay hot in a cooler, you start all your cooks earlier in the future and then you don't have to worry about things being done "on time."

Do not check the cooler. Do not open the lid. Just take it out when you are ready to eat it.

Sea2Ski · May 2011

Daddyo wrote:

198 is not overdone, but it is done. Test a few spots. If it is really 198, pull it, wrap it in foil, wrap the foil in beach towels, put it in a warmed cooler, and relax. It will stay hot WAY longer than you could possibly imagine. This will be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Going on your advise. The temp all over is between 194 and 199. I have both the eggs vents closed now, and the hot water in the cooler warming it. In 10 mins I will wrap it in HDAF, and do as you say. Also checking to make sure the egg is not getting hotter.... opening the lid it dome gets to 240 and venting if so.

Daddyo wrote:

This will be the best thing that ever happened to you.

I really hope so!!

Thanks again!!!

bubba tim · May 2011

Welcome to the journey.....most of your questions will be answered here..http://bubbatim.com/Bubba_s_Brisket.php

Good luck

Sea2Ski · May 2011

thank you!

Meat is resting in the cooler all wrapped up for a couple hour nap.

Can not wait to dive into it. I just hope it is tender!

Sea2Ski · May 2011

Still resting, and no I did not take a look or open it.

The one thing that I do not understand is that after all I have read, the temp of the meat should not have gone up that fast for any reason. If it turns out great then great, I will call it beginners luck. But what about the plateau stage? Some say it can and often does last for hours and hours. Is it possible I got the one that didn't need one? I find that hard to believe. The connecitve tissue has to breaksown at some point.

If I was cooking at a higher temp, I would think I might "force" through it but I did not think I would be doing that at the temps I saw at the dome when I saw them. I know that every piece of meat is different, and things change day to day, but this much?

I just find it perplexing. Anyone have a hypothesis? Just wondering...

Daddyo · May 2011

Can't help you with that. You need a meat probe to check your plateau. I've had my meat temperature drop a few degrees during plateau, and stay in one spot for 3 hours, just as you suggest. That's usually while cooking with an egg at or near 225 degrees. If you ran up to 290, things happen faster, but your meat cooked really fast from what I can tell.

Let us know how it turned out.

P.S. Stick your egg thermometer in boiling water to make sure it's reading right. If it's not, you can calibrate it by twisting the nut on the back until it reads 212 in boiling water.

Sea2Ski · May 2011

Thank you everyone!

The meat came out good. I am not going to say great, but it certainly was not bad. The wife and in-laws loved it and would not stop talking about it. But it was not what I was thinking it was going to be. It was a hair dry, and I think it needed more smoke. Am I being hard on myself? Perhaps, but that is how I am on myself with everything. I still had fun doing it, and will do it again. I just hope a little better. I think I need to go lower next time.

Daddyo, I did calibrate the dome thermometer right before the cook - it should have been accurate.

Thanks again!!!

Did my research - trying brisket <gulp>

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