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OT: Brisket

vehemon

vehemon

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2010
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Charlotte, NC
Taking another shot at doing a brisket this morning. I'm 0 for 2 so far.

Got it in an electric smoker with temp at 190.
Pulling it out when internal is 150 and wrapping with the reynolds butcher paper.
Putting back in and changing temp to 210.
Pulling out when internal hits 195-200.

Any suggestion of changes to the above?
Fat cap was thinned out and is pointing down toward heat.
Not planning on basting as I don't want to stale any smoke flavor.
Planning to slice
 
Do you have a whole brisket or just the flat? If possible I’d put the thickest part toward the fire. As you know they take a long time and I’ve found that even when the internal temp is around 200, you still need to probe for tenderness. Also, unless you’ve had problems at a higher temp, you might try and get the smoker temp to 250
 
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spardue said:
Do you have a whole brisket or just the flat? If possible I’d put the thickest part toward the fire. As you know they take a long time and I’ve found that even when the internal temp is around 200, you still need to probe for tenderness. Also, unless you’ve had problems at a higher temp, you might try and get the smoker temp to 250
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Flat cut I believe; never knew there was something else. Always thought brisket was a specific/expected cut.

The last time I did this in my electric smoker; I tried 240-250 and got the internal temp to 190 and it was basically hard beef jerky.
Kept water in the bowl but it still dried out by the internal temp was hit.
 
GamecockinHouston said:
Cooking Temp 225
Wrap at 160-165
Fat cap up, this allows it to render into the meat.

pull at 195 wrap in a towel and put in a cooler for at least 30-60 minutes

Ditch the electric smoker and get an egg :)
Click to expand...
I can't cold smoke salmon with an egg ;)

By default; shouldn't you always have the fat cap, brisket or pork, always pointing toward the heat source? For my boston butts, I always have it pointing down. (and that is one thing that i've finally perfected)
 
vehemon said:
Flat cut I believe; never knew there was something else. Always thought brisket was a specific/expected cut.

The last time I did this in my electric smoker; I tried 240-250 and got the internal temp to 190 and it was basically hard beef jerky.
Kept water in the bowl but it still dried out by the internal temp was hit.
Click to expand...
Do yourself a favor and search for Aaron Franklin’s Brisket vids on YouTube.
 
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I’ve never tried to cook one at that low of a temperature. Did you inject it?

Ive done them in an electric smoker and a pellet smoker and have never wrapped them. As long as the water pan is full you should retain enough moisture where that isn’t really necessary.

I always do every cut of meat fat cap up so it drips in and through the meat.
 
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GamecockinHouston said:
Cooking Temp 225
Wrap at 160-165
Fat cap up, this allows it to render into the meat.

pull at 195 wrap in a towel and put in a cooler for at least 30-60 minutes

Ditch the electric smoker and get an egg :)
Click to expand...
I have an electric Master built and love it. I do use a pellet tube to add smoke. I'll match my brisket or butts against anyone's.
 
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Dizzy01 said:
I’ve never tried to cook one at that low of a temperature. Did you inject it?

Ive done them in an electric smoker and a pellet smoker and have never wrapped them. As long as the water pan is full you should retain enough moisture where that isn’t really necessary.

I always do every cut of meat fat cap up so it drips in and through the meat.
Click to expand...
I've never tried to do my boston butt fat cap up; last 5-6 i've done on my electric smoker have been absolutely perfect so haven't tried to experiment at all.
 
I don't wrap my brisket until it is finished. Same with butts. I have an electric and use pellets in a smoker tube. I cook at 240. Pull at 202 in thickest part.
 
vehemon said:
I've never tried to do my boston butt fat cap up; last 5-6 i've done on my electric smoker have been absolutely perfect so haven't tried to experiment at all.
Click to expand...
I always do butts with cap up. Never had a bad one. Butts are the easiest and most forgiving meat. As long as you get internal temperature over 200 and wrap it for an hour...it's pretty much fool proof.
 
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Dizzy01 said:
I’ve never tried to cook one at that low of a temperature. Did you inject it?

Ive done them in an electric smoker and a pellet smoker and have never wrapped them. As long as the water pan is full you should retain enough moisture where that isn’t really necessary.

I always do every cut of meat fat cap up so it drips in and through the meat.
Click to expand...
No injection; i haven't seen any recommendations on injection for brisket. Only rubs.

Put salt and pepper on last night and wrapped in plastic and put in fridge;
then added this before putting it in;
www.theseasonedgourmet.com

Willie's Original Hog Dust

Willie’s Hog Dust is a World Famous BBQ rub that is delicious on pork, beef, chicken and seafood. It can be sprinkled on veggies, fries, popcorn or blended into a dip. Willie's Hog Dust® products are All Natural, Low Sodium, contains No Preservatives, No MSG, and No Gluten. Made in USA. 8.75 oz.
www.theseasonedgourmet.com www.theseasonedgourmet.com
Buddy in Houston swears by it and I liked it on my last boston butt so...
 
GamecockinHouston said:
Cooking Temp 225
Wrap at 160-165
Fat cap up, this allows it to render into the meat.

pull at 195 wrap in a towel and put in a cooler for at least 30-60 minutes

Ditch the electric smoker and get an egg :)
Click to expand...
This is almost what I do^^

225, fat cap down
Wrap at 165. I add a small amount of liquid (mixture of ACV, bourbon, and apple juice) to it.
Pull at 205
Let rest for 2 hours wrapped in an old towel.
Slice, and then pour the liquid in the foil over the meat.
It always gets gone quickly.

I do mine on a pellet grill. I bought a no-name one at Tractor Supply a couple years ago on closeout for $240. Figured I'd start with a cheap one to dip my toes in the water. It does everything I want it to do. I'll ride the cheapo until it gives out and then upgrade to a better one. My father bought a Rec-Tec Bullseye (stainless) several months ago. It's a great entry level (moderately priced) pellet grill, and it's very well built.
 
vehemon said:
Taking another shot at doing a brisket this morning. I'm 0 for 2 so far.

Got it in an electric smoker with temp at 190.
Pulling it out when internal is 150 and wrapping with the reynolds butcher paper.
Putting back in and changing temp to 210.
Pulling out when internal hits 195-200.

Any suggestion of changes to the above?
Fat cap was thinned out and is pointing down toward heat.
Not planning on basting as I don't want to stale any smoke flavor.
Planning to slice
Click to expand...
The flat is good, but the point is the best part. I’d also recommend looking at How to BBQ Right. He uses a Texas style brisket rub, which I do not prefer. But he has recipes and videos for every kind of smoker. I prefer a KC Style brisket with cubed burnt ends. The burnt ends are made from the point. There are a lot of tricks to doing it right so the more research, the better. I also inject my brisket before smoking.

I love pork, but I truly believe if you can get burnt ends down….you’ll never view BBQ the same. There is no better bite of food than a perfect burnt end cube.
 
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vehemon said:
I've never tried to do my boston butt fat cap up; last 5-6 i've done on my electric smoker have been absolutely perfect so haven't tried to experiment at all.
Click to expand...
I've done it both ways. Some people say the fat cap down insulates it from the heat. Others say putting it up renders it into the meat.

I started out doing it down. I honestly just started doing it up because I saw a lot of people (most of them) on Pitt Masters doing it that way. Can't hurt to try it on the Brisket. It's all about trial and error.

I've had more success with it up though.
 
A nice beef flavor injection that works well. This is what Myron Mixon uses in his competition brisket:

Make the injection 2 days ahead of time. Inject 24 hour before cook. Inject along the grain of the meat so it doesn’t blister.

32oz Hot Water
- Add -
Minors Beef Base - 2 TBSP
Minors Beef Au Ju - 2 TBSP
Boil and Strain to injector doesn’t clog

you can order the Minors stuff on Amazon and get quite a few uses from each tub.
 
225-fat cap down

(Lots of research has been done on fat cap up vs fat cap down. Fat cap up will leave the rendering fat washing most of the seasoning off. All competition brisket coolers do fat cap down that I know of)

Salt pepper seasoning maybe some garlic powder nothing else. That is texas style.
I wrap in peach butcher paper at 165 and it take off at 199.

Brisket needs ample time to rest. Minimum 2 house I like 3-4 before cutting and serving. This is important to let the fat and flavor solidify before cutting. Cut at a 45 degree angle to the flat then cut the point straight up and down.

Put a pan of beer, water, or apple juice to keep grill moist while cooking. Spritzing with apple cider every 30-45 min until wrapped. This is one I did this week.

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postimg.cc postimg.cc
 
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Boom4life said:
225-fat cap down

(Lots of research has been done on fat cap up vs fat cap down. Fat cap up will leave the rendering fat washing most of the seasoning off. All competition brisket coolers do fat cap down that I know of)

Salt pepper seasoning maybe some garlic powder nothing else. That is texas style.
I wrap in peach butcher paper at 165 and it take off at 199.

Brisket needs ample time to rest. Minimum 2 house I like 3-4 before cutting and serving. This is important to let the fat and flavor solidify before cutting. Cut at a 45 degree angle to the flat then cut the point straight up and down.

Put a pan of beer, water, or apple juice to keep grill moist while cooking. Spritzing with apple cider every 30-45 min until wrapped.
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Yep. For some reason people believe this fat melts and drips down into the meat. That just doesn’t happen…

Most also trim that fat cap down to about a 1/4 thick. And trim the cap off completely on the point.
 
Bud Wiser said:
Yep. For some reason people believe this fat melts and drips down into the meat. That just doesn’t happen…

Most also trim that fat cap down to about a 1/4 thick. And trim the cap off completely on the point.
Click to expand...
Yes I left this out. And you are absolutely correct about people thinking fat rendering through meat is possible.
 
I love seeing all these differences of opinions. If we can't agree on barbq; why do we even talk about politics on FGF? :D
 
Great advice from most. If you're having a problem with it being dry then after 3 hours spritz every 15 mins. with your choice and then wrap it at 165 and add more liquid. Cook until 200 degrees. Take off, immediately wrap in towels and place in cooler for a minimum of 2 hours. Trust me, the longer the better. Plan ahead and don't rush this process which is a common mistake with most brisket cooks. If the brisket is whole, put the point or thick end closest to the heat source. I always cut a corner off the flat so I can cut against the grain once done. Also separate the point and cut it against the grain which is different from the flat. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
GatorlandGamecock said:
Great advice from most. If you're having a problem with it being dry then after 3 hours spritz every 15 mins. with your choice and then wrap it at 165 and add more liquid. Cook until 200 degrees. Take off, immediately wrap in towels and place in cooler for a minimum of 2 hours. Trust me, the longer the better. Plan ahead and don't rush this process which is a common mistake with most brisket cooks. If the brisket is whole, put the point or thick end closest to the heat source. I always cut a corner off the flat so I can cut against the grain once done. Also separate the point and cut it against the grain which is different from the flat. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
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My buddy in Waxhaw says the typical stall temp for the fat is 165 and wrap then. I would think you would want to wrap it before it stalls and the fat starts to break down... so 150-160.
 
Your buddy is correct. 160 to 165, your choice, and above 165 before wrapping is a no no, but 166 is not a disaster. Here is what Arron Franklin recommend.
Beef is technically considered well done by the time it hits 165°F, but if you attempted to eat the brisket at this stage, the meat would be incredibly tough. The key to getting it tender is raising the internal temperature above 180°F, at which point tough collagen in the meat will start to break down into gelatin.

That's why I wrap at 165 and above 180 to me is 200 and pull it, wrap in towels and place in the cooler for a minimum of 2 more hours. The internal temp reaches 205, and cools. Never rush this stage. BBQ of any type is your preference on how you cook it, to your taste. Too many variables to be exact, but this general guideline should be successful 99 percent of the time.
 
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If you do a butt cap up, the fat will liquify downward into the meat at 200 degrees, making it more moist. If you do it cap down, the fat if it liquifies will drain down into whatever you have the butt sitting on and the meat will be more dry. I can’t think of any conceivable way that a butt cooked cap down would be better than cap up.
 
sickoftryingtothinkofausername said:
If you do a butt cap up, the fat will liquify downward into the meat at 200 degrees, making it more moist. If you do it cap down, the fat if it liquifies will drain down into whatever you have the butt sitting on and the meat will be more dry. I can’t think of any conceivable way that a butt cooked cap down would be better than cap up.
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Because it doesn’t wash off the seasoning. Rendered fat does not travel back though the meat. That is a misconception. Science says it doesn’t. However this is a highly debatable topic like abortion or Pepsi vs coke. This argument goes round and round in the bbq world.
 
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vehemon said:
Flat cut I believe; never knew there was something else. Always thought brisket was a specific/expected cut.
Click to expand...
A whole brisket is actually two separate pieces, the point and the flat. Cook it in one piece then separate the two.

The flat has less fat than the point.
 
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I do it fat cap up on the big green egg. Also Coke over Pepsi in spite of their wokeness. 2nd choice is Cheerwine, maybe first choice.
 
Boom4life said:
Because it doesn’t wash off the seasoning. Rendered fat does not travel back though the meat. That is a misconception. Science says it doesn’t. However this is a highly debatable topic like abortion or Pepsi vs coke. This argument goes round and round in the bbq world.
Click to expand...

why would seasoning that’s been cooking on the meat for 4-8+ hours wash off? That doesn’t even make any sense. The rendered fat absolutely drains and saturates through the meat. The meat is porous, it’s not like a round nut or something with a hard impenetrable outer shell.
 
sickoftryingtothinkofausername said:
why would seasoning that’s been cooking on the meat for 4-8+ hours wash off? That doesn’t even make any sense. The rendered fat absolutely drains and saturates through the meat. The meat is porous, it’s not like a round nut or something with a hard impenetrable outer shell.
Click to expand...
www.smokedbbqsource.com

Should You Cook Brisket Fat Side Up or Down?

Let me guess, you've got a brisket trimmed, seasoned, and ready to throw on the smoker, but before you do, you want to know if you should have the fat side facing up or down?
www.smokedbbqsource.com www.smokedbbqsource.com
 
Boom4life said:
www.smokedbbqsource.com

Should You Cook Brisket Fat Side Up or Down?

Let me guess, you've got a brisket trimmed, seasoned, and ready to throw on the smoker, but before you do, you want to know if you should have the fat side facing up or down?
www.smokedbbqsource.com www.smokedbbqsource.com
Click to expand...

you linked an article about brisket. I didn’t say the first thing about brisket, I said BUTT. Though I’d bet it works close to the same- though there are definite differences between butts and briskets- I was specifically talking about butts, though it is a ridiculous notion that seasoning on meat that’s been cooking for many hours will magically “wash away” no matter which kind of meat you’re talking about.
 
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