dry brisket

[john kelly]

i have been getting whole briskets and cutting them in half the points always comes out great but the flats are dry   i cook at 225-250 until the IT is 170 then foil  i check it with probs for tenderness  until 200 im scared to let it go past 200 is it possable that im not cooking it long enough or too long?

 

[noboundaries]

The point comes out great because it has more fat.  The flat is leaner, Select grade even more so than Choice.   You don't say if you are adding any liquid to your wrap.  If not, add 1/2 to 1 cup of beef broth just to keep it simple.   

There are three sources of moisture in meat; water, rendered fat, and melted connective tissue.  Briskets, tough cuts of meat, get the majority of their final moisture from melted connective tissue, but rendered fat plays a role too.  Water evaporates out of meat in a hot environment and the stall is evidence of that occurrence. In fact all liquids in a cut of meat, water, rendered fat, melted connective tissue, will flow out of the meat if left in a heated environment long enough.   

Try experiments just for experiment sake and change only one variable at a time.  

First experiment, do everything the same as you described above and try probing it sooner, say 195F, and probe it every two or three degrees in temperature climb until it is tender.  You may even need to go as high as 207 to 210 IT, but I doubt it.  Pull it off when tender, leave it wrapped, surround it with old towels and let it rest for an hour or more allowing some of the juices to be pulled back into the meat as the meat relaxes and cools.     

2nd experiment; wrap it sooner.  Try wrapping it at an IT of 150F with a little beef broth.  Start probing at 195F IT. Probe it again like you did above.  When tender, remove, leave it wrapped, cover with towels and let rest an hour or more for the same reason as above.   

Last experiment; injection.  Using the initial smoking process you described above, inject it with beef broth before smoking.  Then do everything the same as you initially did wrapping at 170F with a little broth.  Start probing at 195F again and continue until you get tender meat. Rest the same.

All three of those should provide you with a moist product, and you may find you like a combination best to suit your tastes and needs.

 

[richiesbbq]

I always buy the briskets with the thickest flats and I always try to buy Choice even though I do use Select sometimes. I don't cut mine but I do trim them and when I buy them I try to get one that is as uniform in thickness from flat to point as possible and about 13 to 15 lbs in weight.. I have found that if I get the fat off especially on the point to about a quarter inch I'm good . You can also take a little off the hump underneath the brisket at the point end where it meets the flat . If your going to cut them in half then cook your flat to about 165 then check for dryness or hardness before you wrap you may want to move it to another part of the cooker.

 

[foamheart]

Have you signed up for Jeff's Fantastic Five day E-Course?

One of my favorite lines around here is: "If it doesn't seem juicy enough, mix a couple tablespoons of my rub recipe with a cup of beef broth and pour over the slices just before serving. NO more dry brisket."

I know its not what you are asking, but remember the idea, it helps save the day upon occasion.

 

[atomicsmoke]

"If it doesn't seem juicy enough, mix a couple tablespoons of my rub recipe with a cup of beef broth and pour over the slices just before serving. NO more dry brisket."

And mix liquid smoke in the brooth for a stronger smoke flavour.

That was sarcasm of course.

Dry brisket vs washed/overspiced brisket? Hard to decide.

 

[flash]

Shoot, add the beef broth when you wrap it on the smoker. That helps alot.

 

[john kelly]

 i put it ti put a pan of apple juice under to catch the drippings when it hit 170 i put it in the pan then wrap the top and finish n the oven

 

[john kelly]

 
The point comes out great because it has more fat.  The flat is leaner, Select grade even more so than Choice.   You don't say if you are adding any liquid to your wrap.  If not, add 1/2 to 1 cup of beef broth just to keep it simple.   

There are three sources of moisture in meat; water, rendered fat, and melted connective tissue.  Briskets, tough cuts of meat, get the majority of their final moisture from melted connective tissue, but rendered fat plays a role too.  Water evaporates out of meat in a hot environment and the stall is evidence of that occurrence. In fact all liquids in a cut of meat, water, rendered fat, melted connective tissue, will flow out of the meat if left in a heated environment long enough.   

Try experiments just for experiment sake and change only one variable at a time.  

First experiment, do everything the same as you described above and try probing it sooner, say 195F, and probe it every two or three degrees in temperature climb until it is tender.  You may even need to go as high as 207 to 210 IT, but I doubt it.  Pull it off when tender, leave it wrapped, surround it with old towels and let it rest for an hour or more allowing some of the juices to be pulled back into the meat as the meat relaxes and cools.     

2nd experiment; wrap it sooner.  Try wrapping it at an IT of 150F with a little beef broth.  Start probing at 195F IT. Probe it again like you did above.  When tender, remove, leave it wrapped, cover with towels and let rest an hour or more for the same reason as above.   

Last experiment; injection.  Using the initial smoking process you described above, inject it with beef broth before smoking.  Then do everything the same as you initially did wrapping at 170F with a little broth.  Start probing at 195F again and continue until you get tender meat. Rest the same.

All three of those should provide you with a moist product, and you may find you like a combination best to suit your tastes and needs.

thnx for advice i look forward to trying it out