First brisket issue ever

[bat masterson]

I've been smoking meet for a while and have just run into a problem I have never had before, I checked all my gauges in boiling water, Everything is good, Digital reads are right, Smoker (Primo XL) Guage is right,

Cooking a 15# brisket, estimated 1.5 hours per pound would be 20+ hours

set temp at 200 and in 5 hours I was at an internal temp of 195

at 140 I wrapped it in foil

Do I have a big hunk of fat that is jacking with my meat probe????

 

[one eyed jack]

I would check the IT at a number of spots with a hand held thermometer,  (Thermapen), to get a better feel for what is going on.  You may need to change the location of your meat temp probe.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[bear55]

Every piece of meat is different but I have never had a 15 pound of brisket be at 195 in 5 hours @200.  I suspect something is amiss with either the set temp of your smoker or the thermometer taking the IT of the meat.  I usually figure one hour per pound plus 2 hours at 235 for my briskets. 

 

[themule69]

I will say your taking the temp of the smoker. Maybe pushed the probe all the way threw the meat???

Happy smoken.

David

 

[gary s]

Look at these post I did a while back

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...r-the-misconception-of-the-1-to-1-5-hour-rule

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...st-on-misconception-of-the-1-to-1-5-hour-rule

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/174019/east-texas-style-brisket-ribs

Gary

 

[bat masterson]

I double checked everything, where i put the probe into the brisket and pull all temp gauges out and re-verified in boiling water, the only thing that makes sense to me is that there was a line of fat throwing off the temp, smoker never went over 205 and I have 2 gauges, one digital and one in top, I left all the gauges out and am just letting it cook away until I hit the 20 hour mark, smoker is holding steady at 205 for 15 hours now.

 

[gary s]

205 º is a little low  I smoke at 225 º that's about as low as I go. Sometimes you just get a piece of meat that takes longer.  I did a brisket a while back that took 13.5 hours, did one the same size the other day took 10 hours

Hand in there

Gary

 

[bat masterson]

Figured it all out...I have been buying my brisket at costco for the last few years and have never really given it a second thought...this time they got me a really, fat brisket.  I couldn't see it when i brought it home but now that I am cutting it.....7 lbs of fat (weighed on a scale) on a 15 lbs. brisket, the meat probe was in the fat and that is what was telling my gauges the brisket was done....so I barely fed my party with the actual 8 lbs. of brisket and will pay much closer attention to fat lines.

Lesson learned...

Thanks for the tips

 

[one eyed jack]

That's a fat brisket for sure.  Just curious;  Did you trim the brisket before smoking?  Did the probe wind up in the fat vein between the point and flat?  Time for another try, huh?