Happy Independence Day / Brisket

QingEsq · July 2015

Happy Independence Day weekend to all! I just got my brisket on the egg for the night. I know it is nothing compared to some of the other efforts being put in by Eggers today and tomorrow (ahem, @DMW), but it is the biggest brisket I have ever done at over 17 pounds. Here is a pic of the label of the brisket that I got at Shady Maple thanks to DMW.

I trimmed the brisket and my finger (damn worst knife cut I had in 20+ years), seasoned it(the brisket, not my finger, at least not much of my finger) up yesterday with S&P, garlic powder and a bit of mustard powder. By Franklin's standard, I over seasoned, but I like it this way.

Here is the set-up for the egg. I didn't even bother trying to fit this big hunk o' meat on the grid flat. I have it draped over the rib rack with a foil drip pan with some watered down red wine underneath most of the meat and my SS ARR drip pan under the rest.

Brisket on, but it is still a real tight fit. It seems to be touching a bit on the flat. My rib rack seems a bit tall. Being a wise man who foresaw this , that is another reason that I loaded up on the rub. Now the meat will still be clean when I take off that part of the bark. How's that for rationalization. Anyway, seems to be a good night for this in Downingtown. I hope that mother nature is cooperating with all of your cooks.

lousubcap · July 2015

Reads like a great plan and cook. One thing I can't tell from your last pic-make sure any brisket that overhangs outside your heat deflector is foil protected. And as shrinkage takes over, you will get some height relief before you can go flat on the grid. Enjoy the cook. BTW-fat cap down here:)

itsmce · July 2015

Off to a good start. Good luck on the finish.

fljoemon · July 2015

Waiting to see the finished pics ... Looks great so far.

Hawg Fan · July 2015

Waiting on the end of cook pictures. That's a monster brisket even by Texas standards.

QingEsq · July 2015

Thanks folks. @lousubcap, I have forgotten to protect the ends in the past, which is why I have the offsetting drip pans tonight to be underneath the full brisket. Innaddition to catching the drippings, they should also work as a bit of a heat shield, although admittedly, the part without the stone below is still more exposed. As for fat cap, I have always been a cap up guy, but heard Franklin suggest that he might go cap down in an egg to protect against the rising heat which makes sense to me, sort of. I figured when it is this high up in the dome though, I would go fat cap up to protect against the reflecting heat, but I may flip after the shrinkage. Thoughts?

lousubcap · July 2015

You are fine-I just tossed the "fat cap" thing in there with the

as it can be a topic of too much worry. Either way you are fine-and glad you have the foil protection sorted out. Great eats at the finish-line.

QingEsq · July 2015

It's funny, I tell others not to overthink it. But when I am cooking, I am always reading about methods, thinking about things like cap up or down, inject or not, turbo or low n slow. I know that almost whatever I do, the end product will be better to me than any BBQ restaunt in the area and really good eats, but I am always striving for my personal version of perfection. I have hit it on chicken and ribs, but brisket still evades me. I still love trying for it though!

QingEsq · July 2015

12 hours in and sun is up. Too groggy to remember to take a picture.

Fluctuations in the grate level thermometer were driving me crazy, so I pulled the plug on that, went with dome which held steady through most of the night at about 260, and got some sleep. The dome temp was starting to dip a bit at my 6:30am check in, so I opened the lid and I could almost hear the fire breathe in the fresh oxygen. I opened the bottom vent a smidge. Brisky's temp is about 187 and the bark is looking good. After some internal debate, I wrapped in foil. Now back to sleep for another hour or two.

TexanOfTheNorth · July 2015

Sounds like all is under control. Looking forward to seeing the end results.

Happy 4th!

NPHuskerFL · July 2015

Sounds like it's trucking right along. Happy 4th to you. Will standby for the finale.

CriggyBites · July 2015

Can't wait to see the result. Newbie question....... what is fat cap, cap up etc?

TexanOfTheNorth · July 2015

Fat cap is the layer of fat on the outside of the brisket (side opposite the point). There is some debate as to whether you should cook with that side up or down. The former suggests that, as the fat renders, it will self-baste the meat. The later say that it protects the brisket from too much heat. Not sure that there is a right/wrong, better/worse option.

CriggyBites · July 2015

Thanks @TexanOfTheNorth Not done brisket yet, but am looking forward to doing so.

QingEsq · July 2015

Hi @CriggyBites. Brisket has a lot of fat typically, but one side of the brisket has a thick layer of fat all over it and the other has more silverskin and random placements of fat here and there. The thick layer of fat is referred to as the fat cap.

Bbq'ers debate and talk way to much (sometimes to themselves

) about whether the fat cap shoulb be facing up or down on the gril grate. I would say a manority go cap up with the theory that the fat relacionadas nders and bastes the mest below it. However, others don't believe the basting and focus on using the fat cap as a shield from the direct heat ine cooker. So, for example, the brisket guru, Aaron Franklin, goes fat cap up in his cookers, not so much because of the basting theory, but because there is more heat above the brisket in his cookers. He has theorized that if he were to cook on a BGE, because the heat comes from below, ho would probqbly go fat cap down.

this link should take you to aaron franklin's bbq series on youtube, he explsins this much better and in more detail than I ever could. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU

QingEsq · July 2015

@TexanOfTheNorth beat me to the punch and is not nearly as verbose.

QingEsq · July 2015

Brisket came off the egg at 10:30 AM for a total cook time of about 16 hours. Temp reading was 201. FTC'ed for my buddy's party. Served around 1:30. It was a hit. Tasty, tender and juicy. I guess it was a touch over because when I tried to balance a slice on the knife, it split at the last minute, but I was nonetheless very pleased. Overall, between taste and texture, it was probably my best brisket.