First Brisket on BGE - SNF or Creekstone?

I would just pick up a choice packer for your first time. If you go with a prime brisket from SRF, it's too easy to overshoot and dry it out because there isn't much fat.

but if you do choose and expensive brisket, good luck! And hopefully you kill it!

The only reason you would wrap in towels is if you need to hold it for a long period of time. I usually just put mine in a cooler wrapped in paper with no towels. I like at least a couple of hours but an hour is fine if that's all you have. It will still be too hot to handle at this point so I let it sit on the counter until it's easy to handle with bare hands (140 degrees or lower). 

If you do need to wrap in towels, foil over the paper will save you some mess. I just fill the cooler with wadded up butcher paper and it holds temp for many hours when needed. 

As far as which brisket- SRF is the best I have ever had. Creekstone is an excellent choice but you may be able too find a great brisket in the store depending on where you live. Certified Angus Beef and Meyer All Natural are the 2 best I've found available in grocery stores around here. If you are going to choose a primo brisket, I would go SRF just from my experience with them. 

buzd504 said:

slovelad said:

I would just pick up a choice packer for your first time. If you go with a prime brisket from SRF, it's too easy to overshoot and dry it out because there isn't much fat.

Nonsense.

Maybe that's just me talking myself out of so I don't have to hear from SWMBO

cazzy said: io

slovelad said:

buzd504 said:

slovelad said:

I would just pick up a choice packer for your first time. If you go with a prime brisket from SRF, it's too easy to overshoot and dry it out because there isn't much fat.

Nonsense.

Maybe that's just me talking myself out of so I don't have to hear from SWMBO

He called it nonsense, because saying there isn't much fat on SRF briskets (they're wagyu, not prime) couldn't be further from the truth.

A SRF brisket has a lot more room for error than a choice packer because there is way more intermuscular fat, especially in the flat.  It's also a higher quality fat, not as hard and renders really well.  With that being said, your comment is inaccurate and basically flipped.  The SRF offers more room for error, so if you overshoot it and dry it out, you're probably the worst pitmaster on the planet.  

As the saying goes, you win or lose at the meat market, so you're a heavy favorite if you start with the best packer available to consumers.

I agree, I just cooked my first SRF Brisket on Friday and the flat was better then a Prime brisket and the fat did render very well.  

Now if it is your first brisket I would start with a choice or prime brisket.  Just have a good plan and it should work out.

If you are wrapping in butcher's paper I would do it around 160 or when you get the bark you awant.  Start probing around 195 and pull when the flat probes like butter.  If holding for a few hours i like to wrap in foil and warm towels in a cooler till you are ready to slice.  Before slicing let it sit on the cutting board for a few minutes.   Remember to cut against the grain on the flat.

lowandslow said:

Thank you all for the good advice/feedback.  I think I am going to go with the Creekstone, being it is my first rodeo with brisket and $60 cheaper than SNF.  Once I master brisket after this first cook, I will step up to SNF next time.  (Watch it turn out like an old catcher's mitt, now that I made that statement)

Problem around here is I have to go mail order for brisket.  Living 8 miles from NYC, stores like Costco, etc only carry flats.  They have never even heard of packer briskets.  Plus, there are practically no local butchers.  Us Yankees need to step it up in the BBQ meats dept.

Although, amazingly enough, we do have some good BBQ restaurants popping up.  If anyone is ever in NYC, I would recommend heading to Mighty Quinn's BBQ.  Their brisket is amazing.   2nd to only Franklin BBQ that I have had.  It is really that good.  

Creekstone Prime is what Franklin cooks. They are plenty good. There are as many packer briskets sold in NY as TX. The problem is finding them before they are cured for corned beef or pastrami. Still, they are hiding in plain sight. Start nosing around and I'll bet you find some great ones.

lowandslow said:

Thank you all for the good advice/feedback.  I think I am going to go with the Creekstone, being it is my first rodeo with brisket and $60 cheaper than SNF.  Once I master brisket after this first cook, I will step up to SNF next time.  (Watch it turn out like an old catcher's mitt, now that I made that statement)

Problem around here is I have to go mail order for brisket.  Living 8 miles from NYC, stores like Costco, etc only carry flats.  They have never even heard of packer briskets.  Plus, there are practically no local butchers.  Us Yankees need to step it up in the BBQ meats dept.

Although, amazingly enough, we do have some good BBQ restaurants popping up.  If anyone is ever in NYC, I would recommend heading to Mighty Quinn's BBQ.  Their brisket is amazing.   2nd to only Franklin BBQ that I have had.  It is really that good.  

Hit up Hometown BBQ and ask Billy if you can buy a packer or if he can recommend a spot to buy one from.  

There are Restaurant Depots in your area. They have full packer CAB briskets. 

lowandslow said:

I was considering a Creekstone Prime or SNF Black?  Which one would you get?

You can't go wrong with either of the above choices. However I would give the nod to SRF. 
On a side note, and in my humble opinion, SRF Gold Grade is the epitome of Brisket. It just doesn't get any better.