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Help with beef brisket -- is this right?

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n2wdw
n2wdw Posts: 47
in EggHead Forum
I put an 8 lb beef brisket in at 11pm last night.  The grill temp has varied between 225-260.  It's now been over 16 hours and the meat temperature is stuck at 171.  I know there's a stall, but it's been at 171 for about 4 hours.  Is this right?

The egg did go out (I think) just before I woke up at 730am, where the grill temp had dropped to 160.  I re-lit the fire and it has been going steady since then at around 240-250.


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  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
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    Does sound like the stall. Should be fine.
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    +1 With Black_Badger-guessing your "grill temp" is the calibrated dome thermo??  If that is right then you could dial it up to around 280*F+/- to get across the finish-line.  And since I'm here-only slice when ready and slice against the grain.  Probe the thickest part of the flat and no resistance in or out and you are there.  Enjoy and welcome!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • n2wdw
    n2wdw Posts: 47
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    Ugh, now the temperature has dropped 2 degrees to 169.  But thanks for the advice, I'll pump up dome temp to 280
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    Same thing happened to me (a drop in temp to 160), so I would expect a longer cook and a drier than average flat. In a couple hours, it will push out of the plateau. If you are doing a packer, the point will be fine. Next time I do one, I'm going to keep the temp higher and finish it in foil to keep moisture content higher. It's a learning process, so I'm told.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • n2wdw
    n2wdw Posts: 47
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    do you think I should take it out, foil it, and put back in?
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    It wouldn't hurt anything at this point. If you do that, add a little moisture (dr pepper, OJ, apple juice - about 1/2 cup) and double wrap it in HD foil. You can turn the heat up a tad until meat temp is 195.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
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    You could also finish it up in the oven, after you wrap it, if you want. Not sure how much fuel you have left in your egg.
    Dave - Austin, TX
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    Okay-never forget "It is the journey".  We all learn for the prior road-trips and there are many ways to achieve the "promised land".  Build off this and it will be better the next time-BTW adult supervisory beverages are always good!

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • n2wdw
    n2wdw Posts: 47
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    okay, this was interesting.  I took the brisket out to wrap it, and as I did I used my thermapen to double check the temperature.  The pen went in like butter in places.  in other places it didn't.  I pulled off some meat.  where it went in like butter the meat was delicious, tender and juicy.  where it didn't the meat was delicious but a bit dried out and not as tender.  I decided to pull it.  I'm FTC'ing it now for about an hour, and we'll see how it does.

    as for the journey, I'm not sure what I would do different (or what I did wrong here).  maybe it was the cut of meat.  wegmans doesn't sell the entire brisket, so I think I got just the flat.  also, this morning the grill temp got down to 150 and I had to re-lite.  I'm not sure how long the temp was at that level, maybe that "re-set" the cooking so that's why it was taking longer.  Ah well, now I'm looking for a butcher who can sell me the entire brisket. 


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  • n2wdw
    n2wdw Posts: 47
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    so, even though I pulled the brisket from the egg with the internal temp was about 172, it turned out great.  I FTC'd it for about an hour, and then made sure to cut against the grain.  The meat was consistently delicious and tender, and the family loved it. 
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  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
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    n2wdw said:
    so, even though I pulled the brisket from the egg with the internal temp was about 172, it turned out great.  I FTC'd it for about an hour, and then made sure to cut against the grain.  The meat was consistently delicious and tender, and the family loved it. 
    That's a home run in my books!
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,835
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    Heck yeah. Home run.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,341
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    Great job; home-run for sure-congrats!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • SaturdayFatterday
    SaturdayFatterday Posts: 468
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    With brisket, it really is about feel, not temp, and it sounds like this one was perfect!  Well done!

    [Northern] Virginia is for [meat] lovers.
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