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Over Cooked Brisket ?

OCGrillM8
OCGrillM8 Posts: 8
edited February 2020 in EggHead Forum
Hey Team !
  I made an attempt at a brisket this past weekend . I did my homework on the interwebs .. on temp and cooking times .. 
 1st Shoutout to Costco for selling the packers for 3.99  for Prime grade !  Trim went well. Cooked for about 9 hours at 225 degrees  to 165 .. then wrapped for about another 3.5 hours (in foil) ( between 230-245 degrees). Once it hit 205 I pulled from fire and let it rest in a cooler for about 3 more hours till time to serve ..

 So it was super juicy, super tender  . almost too tender in that i was falling apart - the cut across the grain created a chipped beef kind of result .. 

so . over cooked ?  resting in the cooler too long ? 
  looking forward to your input .
 OCGrillM8     
   
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Comments

  • OCGrillM8
    OCGrillM8 Posts: 8

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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    Instead of cooking to 205, next time only cook till it probes tender in the thicker part of the flat. Every brisket will be tender at a different temp.
    If it was already foiled, and pulled off at 205, it probably went up at least another 5 and maybe as much as 10 degrees in the cooler. Your brisket might have been tender at 195 degrees but actually cooked to 210 or more. I pulled my last brisket at 185, it was butter probe tender. Average for mine are 195-200. It's all a learning curve, but you are so close!
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,369
    ^^^ Agree with @Photo Egg.  
    Very nice to know it was still tender, and juicy, when slightly overcooked, you only had to change the serving method.  And Wow, what a great price!   :o 

    “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”

                  - Mark Twain 

    Ogden, UT, USA


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  • OCGrillM8
    OCGrillM8 Posts: 8
    Thanks for your responses ! 
    Is holding in the cooler a bad idea?   Would butcher paper be better than foil ?
    Hard to believe in 10 years of Egging - I finally got the courage to brisket  :0) 

    I also think I'm leaking air in through my gasket ( its 9 years old) after I wrapped I could not get temp back to 225. had bottom and top damn near closed and it was hovering 240 / 250 ...  
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    edited February 2020
    OCGrillM8 said:
    Thanks for your responses ! 
    Is holding in the cooler a bad idea?   Would butcher paper be better than foil ?
    Hard to believe in 10 years of Egging - I finally got the courage to brisket  :0) 

    I also think I'm leaking air in through my gasket ( its 9 years old) after I wrapped I could not get temp back to 225. had bottom and top damn near closed and it was hovering 240 / 250 ...  
    A cooler rest is not a bad idea and many people say it helps the brisket. I normally go no wrap the whole cook unless I'm trying to speed up the cook. aka...Texas Crutch.
    When I wrap with foil, after the brisket probes tender, I let it rest 10-15 min sitting on top the foil before I wrap it to let it cool a little. This will help stop the brisket from continuing to rise in temp after I wrap it in foil and rest in cooler. 
    Using butcher paper towards the end of your cook will help maintain a little more bark. Keeping a low temp around 225 can be a struggle especially if this is your dome temp. No problem at all running your cook at 240/250. That's an easier temp to hold. Just remember you will have a little more carry over temp rise in your finished brisket.
    When you pull your foiled brisket, or butcher wrapped, let it rest 20 minutes on a wire rack before you toss in your cooler for it's rest. This will let the outer temp drop a little before rest in cooler. Just my opinion.
    Toss some wood chips in your Egg and see where the smoke leaks out. But it only takes a few minutes for a 225 temp to get enough air while foiling to spike to 240/250 and struggle to drop back down. But I wouldn't worry about it.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,790
    Great result right out of the gate.  Definitely a learning curve every one you fire one up.  I just sent you a PM that has a lot of info all of which and more has been mentioned above.
    There will be definite improvement with the next one.  
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,369
    OCGrillM8 said:
    Thanks for your responses ! 
    Is holding in the cooler a bad idea?   Would butcher paper be better than foil ?
    Hard to believe in 10 years of Egging - I finally got the courage to brisket  :0) 

    I also think I'm leaking air in through my gasket ( its 9 years old) after I wrapped I could not get temp back to 225. had bottom and top damn near closed and it was hovering 240 / 250 ...  
    For the first half of my 'queing life, I never did the FTC cooler thingie; since starting it, I feel all my briskets have been much better, although I haven't kept strict data on that.  I've always used foil, so I have no input wrt foil vs. paper.  
     
    I've never been able to keep my Large at 225, even with my KAB, ever.  I finally just went with the 240/250 that apparently your Egg prefers too, and haven't had an issue.  I haven't done a brisket since getting my SmoBot, but when I do I'll probably set it at 240 anyway, why change what works?  

    “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”

                  - Mark Twain 

    Ogden, UT, USA


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  • brentm
    brentm Posts: 422
    Botch said:..  

    I've never been able to keep my Large at 225, even with my KAB, ever.  I finally just went with the 240/250 that apparently your Egg prefers too, and haven't had an issue.  I haven't done a brisket since getting my SmoBot, but when I do I'll probably set it at 240 anyway, why change what works?  
    I have no problem nailing 200 for hours in my large.  There must be an air leak somewhere.   I am interested to hear how you like the Smobot.

    @OCGrillM8 - I think you have enough input to nail your next brisket! :)  My only .02 would be to start checking for tenderness around 185.  It was difficult for me to feel "feel" tenderness with my probe.  It usually always felt like it needed more time.  But check around the thinner sections and in multiple spots as you turn that 190degree corner.  You'll get a feel for it...  and lock it in. :rock_on:
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Sharp knife !!!!!     Make sure your slicing knife is sharp.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Even if you can hold less than 250 on your egg, there is really no reason to smoke large pieces of meat at that low of a temp.  Your wood is going to smolder more and you will get "dirtier" smoke (which is true, but less-true at 250ish or so).  Cooking that low is fine for stick burners but it's not as effective on the egg.

    See Cen-Tex's extensive treatises on the subject.
    NOLA
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  • brentm
    brentm Posts: 422
    edited February 2020
    buzd504 said:
    Even if you can hold less than 250 on your egg, there is really no reason to smoke large pieces of meat at that low of a temp.  Your wood is going to smolder more and you will get "dirtier" smoke (which is true, but less-true at 250ish or so).  Cooking that low is fine for stick burners but it's not as effective on the egg.

    See Cen-Tex's extensive treatises on the subject.
    meh - you find something that works and you stick to it.  last time I changed up my brisket I screwed it up.

    200 is fine in the egg...  after a few hours I don't even see any smoke.  put my face right over the daisy wheel and it just smells delicious.  maybe it's the way you build the fire?  i'm not sure... but I understand the argument.
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  • brentm
    brentm Posts: 422
    edited February 2020
    @buzd504 - my only counter to your temperature point is that at higher temperatures, the drippings begin to smoke.  In fact, what you may end up with is a drip pan with a 1/4 inch of oil in it cooking for time.  And that oil starts to smoke.  faster at higher temperatures and it just continues to smoke for the duration of the cook .....directly under our beloved bovine :open_mouth:

    If I did a higher temp brisket, I would swap out drip pans more frequently.  I've been emptying mine, mid-cook, and it's a mess to try to pour that into a tin can.  So I just bought another drip pan and I'll set the first one aside and let it cool.  The other enemy inside the drip pan is the au jus that leaks out.  The smoke point of that stuff is below 200, because i still get the black foam.  And that smoke tastes nasty (and varies from brisket to brisket).

    I also stand off my drip pan with a spider and use the CGS round drip pan.

    This is also an area where an offset has an edge on the egg.  If I were to argue, which I am not.  That is what I would say.  :hug:
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    @brentm All valid points, and I certainly agree that if you have something that works for you, no reason to change it.

    I'm just saying that I have found using temp that your eggs settles comfortably in - anywhere from 240 - 280 or so, can produce excellent results.  And higher temps will cook a little faster with a cleaner fire.

    Your point about the drip pans is taken - I also raise mine off the deflector (using a spider and round stone with foil to protect the edges of the meat) and I haven't had any issues with smoking drippings, but it's something I will look for.

    Good discussion.
    NOLA
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  • OCGrillM8
    OCGrillM8 Posts: 8
    brentm said:
    @buzd504 - my only counter to your temperature point is that at higher temperatures, the drippings begin to smoke.  In fact, what you may end up with is a drip pan with a 1/4 inch of oil in it cooking for time.  And that oil starts to smoke.  faster at higher temperatures and it just continues to smoke for the duration of the cook .....directly under our beloved bovine :open_mouth:

    If I did a higher temp brisket, I would swap out drip pans more frequently.  I've been emptying mine, mid-cook, and it's a mess to try to pour that into a tin can.  So I just bought another drip pan and I'll set the first one aside and let it cool.  The other enemy inside the drip pan is the au jus that leaks out.  The smoke point of that stuff is below 200, because i still get the black foam.  And that smoke tastes nasty (and varies from brisket to brisket).

    I also stand off my drip pan with a spider and use the CGS round drip pan.

    This is also an area where an offset has an edge on the egg.  If I were to argue, which I am not.  That is what I would say.  :hug:

    Drip pan ? Is that necessary ? I had the plate setter feet up and let the dripping accumulate there or drip into the fire .. ? 

    thanks for the input !!
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  • OCGrillM8
    OCGrillM8 Posts: 8
    buzd504 said:
    Even if you can hold less than 250 on your egg, there is really no reason to smoke large pieces of meat at that low of a temp.  Your wood is going to smolder more and you will get "dirtier" smoke (which is true, but less-true at 250ish or so).  Cooking that low is fine for stick burners but it's not as effective on the egg.

    See Cen-Tex's extensive treatises on the subject.
    Kind of a crazy thought . but you said "wood" ?  I use lump , are you also adding non-lump dry wood to the firebox ? 
     thanks in for all your valuable input !
      
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877

    Yes, wood, for more smoke flavor.  Chunks or chips ( I use chunks).  Traditionally in Texas, that means post oak, but pecan is nice, or a fruit wood.

    NOLA
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