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Best internal temp for brisket

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I've got a brisket on the grill now, dome temp is 220F and internal temp is 162F.[p]What is the best temp to pull the brisket?[p]I have read recommended temps ranging from 165-170F (Texas Beef Coucil) to 202F (Elder Ward's recipe).[p]Anybody care to share their thoughts?

Comments

  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    paulH,
    There is information in the link to Natrure Boy's Brisket recipe that you may find helpful.[p]Cheers,
    New Bob

    [ul][li]Nature Boy's Brisket[/ul]
  • New Bob,
    Thanks, this confirmed I need to bump my dome temp up. At 220F dome the brisket internal tmp wasn't rising past 163F very fast - Nature Boy has a specific comment that dome temp should be 240-250.

  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    paulH,
    I'm still trying to make the perfect brisket but I started off using 200 degrees internal (too done), then 195 degrees (still too done) and my latest one was set for 193 degrees. It was also a bit overcooked. However, on that one I accidently let the dome temperature climb to almost 300 degrees for an unknown amount of time (I think 30 minutes) before I could bring it back down.
    Something else I noticed on my last brisket, there was liquid in the pan that apparently drained from the brisket while idling in the frig overnight prior to cooking. I suspect the salt in the rub draws out the liquid over a period of time. Next time I plan to hold off using rub until an hour or two before I put it on the Egg. Personally, I like the flavor of the meat better by itself than the flavor of meat with a heavy rub. In answer to your question, I'm shooting for 190 degrees next time.[p]Spring Chicken
    Spring Texas USA

  • Spring Chicken,[p]I will shoot for 185F and let you know the results. Unfortunately, it looks like we may have a thunderstorm which may complicate things. I expect a downpour may drop the dome temp drastically.
  • nikkig
    nikkig Posts: 514
    paulH,
    We cook in the rain and snow here all the time. I have not noticed it affecting the temps during a cook. One of the great qualities of the egg...cooking in any season![p]~nikki

  • nikkig,[p]Well, this should be a good test then. When we have a thunderstorm here in the Texas Gulf Coast region, it's usually real heavy for a short time (about 1/2 hour). It would be comparable to spraying the grill with a waterhose.[p]Hopefully, it will just blow over. I don't know if I could talk the wife into going outside and pulling the brisket off the grill in a thunderstorm.
  • Zip
    Zip Posts: 372
    paulH,[p]That brisket will well served by removing at 188º - 192º, wrapped in foil and placed in a warmed cooler for at least a hour. A couple hours seems to work best, but you will not have a crunchy bark with this method. If this works well for you just remember to thank Ray(DrBBQ) sharing this handed down method with the Green Room.[p]Ashley [p]

  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    paulH,
    I have seen post where they put a coffee can with holes in the sides over the daisy top to act as a rain cap or when at a place like Home Depot get a roof rain cap that fits the daisy wheel.[p]Cheers,
    New Bob

  • We start looking at these things real close at about 190. Depends on where you are taking the temp. Can have a variation of temp depending on where on the flat your probe is. 190 has been treating us ok in competetion.
  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
    paulH,[p]How did the brisket turn out? At what internal temp did you pull it?[p]
  • TRex,[p]I turned out pretty good, the only prblems were my scheduling and the thunderstorm.[p]It was only about 8.5 pounds before I trimmed off about 1 poiund of fat and put on the grill at 9 am. I used TNW's method to start the coals for a low and slow cook, it worked great. Unfortunately, I kept my dome temp a little low (it was 220-230 and it probably should have been 240-250). At 4:30 the internal temp was 163 and I had to leave to pick up my car from the repair shop. The thunderstorm hit while I was gone and when I got back at 5:30 the dome temp was down to 200 and internal temp was 165.[p]I cranked the grill up to 250. My wife and young kids didn't want to wait for the brisket, so we ordered pizza. (They are not as impressed with my cooking as I am).
    At 8:00, the internal temperature was at 185. Zip had recommended I follow DrBBQ's method and remove at 188-192, wrap in foil and towel and put in cooler for an hour. I actually removed at 185, wrapped in foil and placed back on the grill with all vents shut for an hour. At 9:00 I took the brisket off the grill and put in fridge, dome temp was about 180 at this point.[p]Late this morning I sliced the brisket and made a sandwich, it was pretty good, but perhaps a bit dry. Actually, it was better than you find at most of the BBQ places around here (suburb SW of Houston).[p]Next time I will try to keep the dome temp at 240-250, foil wrap at 190 internal and put in cooler for 1 hour and see what the result is. Maybe I will try this Sunday, I picked up 2 small briskets at $0.39/lb at HEB last weekend and still have one left