Sunday Night Brisket Tempetature Stall.

cvn71saltydog · Feb 28, 2016

It's Sunday night and I'm smoking a 9 Lb. Brisket. I started at 11:30 this morning and it's now 10:00 pm. I was smoking at 240 deg. I was going to wait for the IT to reach 270, then start checking the brisket with a toothpick. Question 1 how is the internal temp going to reach 270 when I'm smoking at 240? Question 2 I have read that for each Lb. It should take about an hour or so. Question 3 What do some of you all do when your temp stalls?

dukeburger · Feb 28, 2016

CVN71saltydog said:
It's Sunday night and I'm smoking a 9 Lb. Brisket. I started at 11:30 this morning and it's now 10:00 pm. I was smoking at 240 deg. I was going to wait for the IT to reach 270, then start checking the brisket with a toothpick. Question 1 how is the internal temp going to reach 270 when I'm smoking at 240? Question 2 I have read that for each Lb. It should take about an hour or so. Question 3 What do some of you all do when your temp stalls?

how is the internal temp going to reach 270 when I'm smoking at 240? - Hopefully never!! You're looking for an IT of 195 degrees to start checking for tenderness.

What is your current IT??

cvn71saltydog · Feb 28, 2016

Hi DukeBurger
The current IT is 167.

cvn71saltydog · Feb 28, 2016

Wow that's crazy I just noticed what I put in my original post, as far as the temps. I made myself out to be an idiot. I am smoking at 240 and hoping for my IT to reach around 170 before I start checking it.

dukeburger · Feb 28, 2016

That seems more like it. Looks like you're about past the stall point. You can choose to wrap the brisket in foil for the rest of the smoke (aka the Texas cheat or crutch), this will finish it quicker and some believe it gives you a juicier brisket. Or you can ride it out unwrapped for a better bark. Start checking for tenderness at 195 degrees if you're wrapping and 190 if you're leaving her nekked.

Remember, you're looking for the meat to probe like a hot knife through butter.

Good luck!

cvn71saltydog · Feb 28, 2016

Thank You So Much For The Info..

dukeburger · Feb 28, 2016

Keep us posted!

SmokinAl · Feb 29, 2016

Well how did it turn out?

Al

cvn71saltydog · Feb 29, 2016

How are you doing AL,
I pulled it from the smoker this morning around 2 am wrapped it in foil let it sit for an hour then threw it in the fridge. Had to be up at 4:30 for work. I will slice it when I get home. Let you know how it turns out later. I would like to continue this conversation later to see what I can do different next time. I do however have another question, I posted this on roll call. Should I have have posted in another category? Thanks again for the help. This old Navy veteran thanks you.

SmokinAl · Feb 29, 2016

CVN71saltydog said:
How are you doing AL,
I pulled it from the smoker this morning around 2 am wrapped it in foil let it sit for an hour then threw it in the fridge. Had to be up at 4:30 for work. I will slice it when I get home. Let you know how it turns out later. I would like to continue this conversation later to see what I can do different next time. I do however have another question, I posted this on roll call. Should I have have posted in another category? Thanks again for the help. This old Navy veteran thanks you.

Since you have only had a few posts, nobody caught it. Yes it should have been posted in beef.

I'm going to move it there now.

Al

cvn71saltydog · Feb 29, 2016

SmokinAl and DukeBurger
Thanks for your help. My Wife and son really liked the brisket, I thought it was OK but I know that it could have been better. It had a great smoke ring, but I thought it was a little dry.When I smoked this brisket I placed it directly on the top rack. As for the temp stall the foil method did bring it up a little, I had to turn the heat up to reach an IT of 195. If I would have left the temp at 240 would it have eventually started to rise and if so, what if it took 15 hours. As long as I kept my temp at 240 would it have come out tender and juicy? I know this is not an exact science, I'm just trying to figure out what to do next time, and there will be a next time I have a temp stall. Sorry this is so long, any reply would be great. Thanks Ed

jayace · Feb 29, 2016

Hi Ed, yes the temp would have continued to climb with your smoker at 240. How long it would have taken is difficult to say. Might have been 15 hrs, maybe more maybe less. Every piece of meat is different. If you pulled at 195 and you found it dry, did you find it a little tough as well? That's where the toothpick probe for tenderness method is essential to find that sweet spot between not cooked long enough and over cooked where it starts to dry out.

cvn71saltydog · Feb 29, 2016

Hi Jayace,
Thanks for the reply. To answer your question, yes the brisket was a little tough and dry. I do have a question on the toothpick trick. Would you insert the toothpick into the thicker part or the thinner part? Something else I thought of. For some reason the butcher removed the fat cap from this brisket. Could that have maybe contributed to the brisket being a little on the dry side? Thanks for all of the replies. This smokingmeatforum is great!

SmokinAl · Mar 1, 2016

CVN71saltydog said:
Hi Jayace,
Thanks for the reply. To answer your question, yes the brisket was a little tough and dry. I do have a question on the toothpick trick. Would you insert the toothpick into the thicker part or the thinner part? Something else I thought of. For some reason the butcher removed the fat cap from this brisket. Could that have maybe contributed to the brisket being a little on the dry side? Thanks for all of the replies. This smokingmeatforum is great!

You insert the toothpick in several places all over the brisket, if any places are still tough, keep cooking it.

Yes the fat cap being gone could let the meat dry out.

When I smoke a brisket I take the fat cap off, but I put it on a rack above the brisket. That way it renders out & drips on the brisket keeping it moist. I also smoke the brisket in a pan sitting in it's own juices.

Hope this helps,

Al

hardcookin · Mar 2, 2016

For brisket your looking for it to be probe tender in the thickest part of the brisket. Usually I probe starting at 195. Usually done by 205.
I also like wrapping my brisket with butcher paper around 165 or when it has bark to my liking. Wrapping it with butcher paper serves a couple purposes.
1. It will help push the brisket through the stall
2. It helps the brisket retain some moisture.
Once done I let it set in the butcher paper for 10-15 minutes on a table. I then remove butcher paper double wrap with tin foil and let it rest in a cooler wrapped in towels for an hour. Never cut more brisket than you plan on eating. Keeping the brisket in one piece, will help it from drying out.

Brisket is a little less forgiving than some other meats. Pull it to soon and it's dry and tough. Let on to long and it will be dry.

Good Luck!

cvn71saltydog · Mar 2, 2016

Hardcookin,
Thanks for the info. It sounds like you've been smoking for a mighty long time. I do have a couple questions if you don't mind. When you say that you wrap the brisket and "throw it in the cooler" is that the refrigerator or like an Igloo Cooler and where do you buy the butcher paper. Thanks Ed

jayace · Mar 2, 2016

He means in a regular chest cooler only you're trying to keep the meat warm, not cool it down. To do this you lay a couple of dry towels in the bottom of the empty cooler, wrap the brisket in another towel or two (after you've wrapped the brisket in butcher paper or foil), place the wrapped brisket in the cooler and then add a couple more towels on top. Close the cooler and you've now insulted the brisket to preserve the heat. This resting period allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat to maintain that moisture when you go to carve it.

hardcookin · Mar 3, 2016

CVN71saltydog said:
Hardcookin,
Thanks for the info. It sounds like you've been smoking for a mighty long time. I do have a couple questions if you don't mind. When you say that you wrap the brisket and "throw it in the cooler" is that the refrigerator or like an Igloo Cooler and where do you buy the butcher paper. Thanks Ed

Yep I met and Igloo cooler. You could rest the brisket in the cooler longer if you needed to.
I bought my butcher paper from Sam's club. It's under $20.00 for a roll which will last a long time.
Some people like the peach butcher paper on Amazon. Either one will work.

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