Brisket-where did I go wrong

You cooked at too low a temp and kept it in the stall excessively long and probably gave up and pulled before it was probe tender.  Or some combination.  Cook at 250-300.  Flats can be lean and will benefit from wrapping.

Cooking at low temps is fine with large chunks of meat but it dries out smaller pieces.  A mind excercise on this is to imagine cooking a 1/8" steak vs an inch and a half steak.

How was the Travis brisket? It seems to be quite popular around here.

NoobZero said:

7-8  pound flat. Cooked at 225 for 13 hours (I couldn't believe it). Wrapped in butcher paper at 165. End result, very dry meat. Where do you guys think I blew it at?

My guess, as @nolaegghead said, you cooked through the stall.  You cannot wait until a precise internal temperature like 165F before you wrap. You have to see when the thermometer just has a problem climbing ... it can happen anywhere from 140F to 165F.  Stall is the meat sweating (releasing moisture) and then it evaporates at surface, which actually shields the meat from increasing in temperature (all the fire energy is going into evaporating the water, not heating up the meat).  You have to catch it BEFORE this process finishes, and preferably as soon as it starts.

Only way to figure it out is watch the temperature when it hits 140F, then you'll see it just isn't rising as fast as it was ... take it off and wrap it right there. If you want juicy ... use foil. If you want a good bark ... use butcher paper.

Also, preparing the brisket pre-cook is SUPER important ... it's not like many other meats.  You HAVE to leave fat on the flat, and take fat off the tip ... it's the only way to shield the flat from overheating while allowing the thicker tip to cook right.  Fat should be towards the fire (indirect of course).

I've always cooked brisket at 225F to 250F ... and that works for me.  It's still a long process, but if you catch the stall and wrap it then ... it turns out amazing.

In the end, start probing it at 195F with a chop stick ... and when it slides through ... take it off. I've learned from others here to unwrap and let it cool down for a few minutes to stop the cook, then wrap again and in towels and in a cooler for another couple of hours before you serve.

We've all screwed up a brisket.  Now that you got yours out of the way ... you're all clear for the next one! Looking forward to it.

Briskets are tough to nail.  You will get better with practice.  Sometimes though, you may just have a lousy piece of meat!

StillH2OEgger said:

How was the Travis brisket? It seems to be quite popular around here.

You know, it's been so long ago, it's difficult to remember.  It was before I was taking notes too.  I asked the Mrs. and she said "It was really nice and beefy, but it wasn't completely tender".

It's somewhat of a braise.  I do remember buying a braise book for the bookshelf after that, and that's what lead me onto the Grand Champion rub that I'd used for so many years in my cooks.

To the OP:  You're going to get a lot of input on how you should approach your next brisket.  I'd advise you to develop a plan of attack, write it down, do it, then review.  Take lots of notes, photos, and post it here.

Repeatability in briskets is the most maddening part of them.  No two briskets and no two cooks are the same.  But to get the brisket just the way YOU like it, and be able to repeat that on a cook-by-cook basis, is the chase.....

I've noticed on egg I don't get much of a stall and wrap when bark won't sluff off when pouring beef stock on when wrapping. Did you pour stock on when wrapping or inject prior to cooking?  Injecting helps battle dry brisket.

I've even poured beef stock on dry brisket when storing in fridge and it helps soften the meet.

I recommend watching some Harry Soo how to brisket Youtube videos.  I've been following his methods with good success.