1st attempt at brisket...

NERVOUS · June 2016

Found a 16.55 lb USDA PRIME whole brisket (for only $2.99 per pound) at Costco!

Hans61 · June 2016

Tuned in - when you gonna smoke it?

Spaightlabs · June 2016

It's a beaut Clark.

Do it proud.

What's your plan?

NERVOUS · June 2016

Hans61 said:

Tuned in - when you gonna smoke it?

This weekend...

Spaightlabs said:

What's your plan?

I'm researching now... Putting together a plan as I type this message. I've only done some passive research prior to today (i.e. following the Memorial Day brisket thread, reading through other brisket threads, etc). Truth be told, I didn't necessarily intend on trying a brisket this weekend, but when I saw this bad-boy sitting there I just had to get it.

lousubcap · June 2016

All you need to know and more is covered in the Memorial day thread-just pick some process and document it to the extent the adult beverages enable such and then go from there. If nothing else registers, "It's all about the feel in the thickest part of the flat." That drives the finish-line which is what we all strive for. Many roads will get you there. Brisket cooks-the most fun you can have with a BGE. Enjoy the journey. FWIW-

Hans61 · June 2016

looks like you picked a great piece of meat!

johnnyp · June 2016

Looking forward to the finish

Ladeback69 · June 2016

Looks like a good piece of meat to be your first. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

nolaegghead · June 2016

One secret to improving the quality of brisket. Take note that perception is ninety-somethin' percent of reality. So you leverage this axiom in real-life. Here is how. Super simple. Get everyone who eats your first brisket hammered, or show them a good time. Maybe a Pixar video for the younguns.

That said, you got a great chunk of meat. I've cooked a number of them and they're pretty easy to cook, just get 'er up to 195F then poke the flat near the point with a stick and when it's like butter, take it off and let it cool. Temp just puts you in the ballpark. Each piece of meat is gonna follow it's own path.

KKorkmaz · June 2016

Remember, stabilize your Egg before putting the brisket on, I typically allow for 30-60 minutes. Cook to feel (you'll want the point FLAT [EDIT] to probe with minimal resistance in and out...typically 190-200F) rather than temperature and time your cook to finish early instead of "just in time." Consensus is that brisket improves after several hours (2-4) wrapped in foil or unwaxed butchers paper and towels in a warmed cooler (FTC). You can feel comfortable letting the resting temp drop all the way down to 140F and FTCing for as long as 8 hours.

And most importantly...memorialize the process by taking and posting pics on this forum.

lousubcap · June 2016

@KKorkmaz - makes some good points but for me, pay NO attention to the point during the cook, with the high fat content it is just along for the ride. The flat "feel" is the finish-line indicator. If some of the flat does not release when you get the feel in the great majority declare victory and let it rest on a cooling rack (20-30 minutes to stop the carry-over cooking) before either slicing or giving it the FTC (preferred) routine. FWIW-

KKorkmaz · June 2016

@lousubcap Agreed...pay all the attention to the flat not the point like I wrote, the point will be just fine as stated. Typo on my part.

johnmitchell · June 2016

Standing by Fork in hand... You will kill it..

KKorkmaz · June 2016

Fork?!?!? Let me dig in brisket in hand and I'm a happy man!

NERVOUS · June 2016

Simply put, I'm amazed at the results of my first brisket cook. If I'm being 100% honest, it feels like doing a little bit of Internet based research and using the right equipment is somehow like cheating the ancient ritual of bar-b-que!

Here are my notes on the cook...

Step 1: Cook whole brisket at 250 degrees F indirect for as long as it takes (fat side down on a BGE).

Step 2: At some point after the brisket forms an adequate bark and/or takes on the desired color, a decision has to be made regarding wrapping… Are you going to wrap and if so, what are you going to wrap with:

Unwrapped - Longest cook time, hardest bark, most smoke flavor.
Foil - Shortest cook time, softest bark, least smoke flavor.
Butcher paper - Medium cook time, medium bark, medium smoke flavor.

Step 3: At or around two-thirds of the expected cook time (based on 60-75 minutes per pound) or approximately 180 degrees F internal temperature start probing the brisket for tenderness. Remove the brisket when you're either happy with the tenderness or by 205 degrees F internal temperature, whichever happens first.

Step 4: Let the brisket rest for at least 1 hour, but ideally 2-4 hours. As long as internal temperature stays above 140 degrees F there is no food safety issue. Foil, towel, cooler (FTC) is a popular method for resting a brisket.

Notes:

Due to the variance in briskets (i.e. whole vs flat vs point, overall weight, fat content, how much fat was trimmed, etc), it's difficult to cook based on time or internal temperature. For best results, cook to tenderness; which is most reliably obtained by probing the thickest part of the flat.
Fat side up/down is based on where the heat is coming from… Basically, you want to use fat to protect the meat from heat. For example, on a BGE the fire is below so the fat side should be facing down. Likewise, in an offset cooker the fire is offset, so the point should be placed closest to the heat source and the fat side should be up.
Foil vs butcher paper… Foil expedites the cook time and retains moisture, but it does so at the expense of the bark. Butcher paper is more breathable; which means it doesn't moisten the bark as much, but still expedites cook time and retains moisture.
Beware of the stall…
Trimming fat…

I started probing when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the flat reached 180 degrees F. Then I probed at increments of 5 degrees F. It didn't 'probe like butter' until 195 degrees F. Total cook time was 16:15. I opted for not wrapping this time around, but I'll be experimenting with butcher paper next time around. After removing the brisket from the BGE I wrapped it in foil and let it rest for 2:30.

Brisket_Fanatic · June 2016

Looks great!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · June 2016

Wow. That looks incredible.

KKorkmaz · June 2016

Decent first attempt at
brisket

seriously tho...you knocked it out of the park! Home run!!!

DRoberts908 · June 2016

Looks great!!!

Theophan · June 2016

Looks WONDERFUL -- great job!!!

dmchicago · June 2016

Wozerz.

Thanks for for posting and documenting.

NERVOUS · June 2016

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Wow. That looks incredible.

@The Cen-Tex Smoker - Just FYI, you were quite helpful in several other threads I read while preparing for this cook... Kudos!

lousubcap · June 2016

That is a home-run right there. Great write-up and even better result. Nailed it-you set the bar pretty high for the next one.

4Runner · June 2016

looks good. I tried wrapping with foil and paper but we prefer the unwrapped bark. Fine by me as that is easier. Great looking cook. How did it taste?

smokeyw · June 2016

It sounds like you have done your homework and I agree with everything you noted. I might add that when it comes to wrapping, if you wrap in foil you will have some nice aus jus which is an added bonus to me. You won't have that with butcher paper either. It is a tradeoff on bark however so make your choice. It's all good. Nice job!

fiver29 · June 2016

Bookmarked. Awesome job and I love the research done. What was your rub?

Ladeback69 · June 2016

Awesome first brisket cook, nice bark, smoke ring and juiciness. Do you still feel nervous about cooking on the egg or brisket now? You may have to change your forum name. You did your homework and it paid off. Now I am hungry.

20stone · June 2016

That is a great looking brisket. Congratulations.

DieselkW · June 2016

Nice job!! I tend to watch the damn stall and wonder if my instruments are screwed up... but then, off it goes!!

Two questions (for anyone)
What's the deal with one brisket turning to "buttah" at 190 and another at 220?
Does "prime" get graded before or after slaughter?

NERVOUS · June 2016

4Runner said:

looks good. I tried wrapping with foil and paper but we prefer the unwrapped bark. Fine by me as that is easier. Great looking cook. How did it taste?

Taste was fantastic! The only pseudo-negative thing about this particular cook was that the meat dried out quickly after being sliced; which is a common thing with brisket from what I understand. Other than that, I was very pleased with the results, as were those I shared the meat with.

fiver29 said:

Bookmarked. Awesome job and I love the research done. What was your rub?

I used coarse ground sea salt and black pepper.

Ladeback69 said:

Awesome first brisket cook, nice bark, smoke ring and juiciness. Do you still feel nervous about cooking on the egg or brisket now? You may have to change your forum name. You did your homework and it paid off. Now I am hungry.

I'm definitely feeling more comfortable with the subtle nuances of Egging now. As a result, I get less and less NERVOUS with each additional cook. That said, I still can't help but feel like I've somehow cheated the ancient ritual of bar-b-que... Making food this good used to require generational skill, not just Internet research!

saluki2007 · June 2016

NERVOUS said:

4Runner said:

looks good. I tried wrapping with foil and paper but we prefer the unwrapped bark. Fine by me as that is easier. Great looking cook. How did it taste?

Taste was fantastic! The only pseudo-negative thing about this particular cook was that the meat dried out quickly after being sliced; which is a common thing with brisket from what I understand. Other than that, I was very pleased with the results, as were those I shared the meat with.

That is correct. It is recommended to cut only what you are going to eat. Then if you want seconds, cut more.

1st attempt at brisket...

Comments

Categories