First Full Brisket

[daricksta]

So do y'all think if my flat is coming out a little dry I should pull it off a few degrees shy of 200?

Earlier I asked you how much fat you leave on. I think even though Aaron Franklin recommends leaving a layer of soft fat on the brisket and I was also taught that in a BBQ class I took, I just read that the fat cap doesn't do a thing to retain moisture in the meat. What appears to be an important factor in turning out a most, smoky brisket is letting it rest wrapped or underneath a towel inside an insulated cooler for an hour or two. While I like to finish the brisket unwrapped I like to wrap it in foil before placing it inside the cooler. With the next brisket I think I might wrap it in butcher paper with foil around it before it goes inside the cooler. Allowing it to rest enables the meat to reabsorb fat and juices and that's how to virtually ensure a moist, smoky brisket.

An undercooked brisket can be less juicy and moist than a perfectly cooked one since not all the fat has rendered. I still think that's what helps make the meat moist despite the two articles I read which state the contrary.

 

[hardcookin]

That doesn't really make sense to me, how can something be dry if it is undercooked?

If brisket is under cooked it will be tough &dry. If it is over cooked it will be falling apart and dry. You need to hit that happy medium.

I also agree with what daRicksta is saying about the rest being important.

 

[daricksta]

If brisket is under cooked it will be tough &dry. If it is over cooked it will be falling apart and dry. You need to hit that happy medium.

I also agree with what daRicksta is saying about the rest being important.

I just read a couple of articles which contend because of an electric smoker's design, there are some tradeoffs in exchange for the ease and convenience of operation. The articles contend you can't get a good bark from an electric because it can never get hot enough due to the limited wattage. I know a MES is designed not to exceed 275° under normal operating conditions. And in my MES 30 getting firm bark has been a continual challenge. And because of the lower temps the differential between the exterior and interior temps can result in insufficient airflow that can cause smoldering wood pellets to go out until the interior temp is raised high enough to get that airflow, uh, flowing.

I'm going to be smoking a brisket very soon and I'll report back with Qview how it went. I'll be smoking the point half of a whole packer brisket and will try my hand at burnt ends for the first time. It'll also be my maiden smoking voyage using butcher paper for wrapping the brisket.

 

[froman524]

Hey guys I've smoked 4 brisket flats recently and have gotten better every time. The 4th time I got the tenderness perfect and I was finally able to get my hands on a full brisket weighing in at 15 pounds. I'm a little nervous about the time considering a 4 pound flat took almost 13 hours on my smoker at 250 degrees. I am planning on starting it at 8 at night so it will be ready around 5:30 the next day including at least a 2 hour rest. Please let me know if y'all have some pointers to help me on time or if my times sound about right, thanks!

What did you learn/change over the course of those 4 flats that resulted in perfect tenderness?  I just did my first and it was ok but would like to increase tenderness and moisture.  

Surprised that a 4 pounder took 13 hours.  I did one just under 5 pounds in 6 hours (4 unwrapped, 2 wrapped in butcher paper) @ 225.

It seems like the standard rule is 1 - 1.5 hours per pound but you are more like 3 hours per pound.

 

[daricksta]

Hey guys I've smoked 4 brisket flats recently and have gotten better every time. The 4th time I got the tenderness perfect and I was finally able to get my hands on a full brisket weighing in at 15 pounds. I'm a little nervous about the time considering a 4 pound flat took almost 13 hours on my smoker at 250 degrees. I am planning on starting it at 8 at night so it will be ready around 5:30 the next day including at least a 2 hour rest. Please let me know if y'all have some pointers to help me on time or if my times sound about right, thanks!

I'm going to put my brisket advice to the test on Thursday. I've got a 5 lb. point left over from a whole packer brisket I bought a few weeks ago. The wife took the flat to make her world famous Beer Braised Brisket Burritos. I'll be making my soon to be world famous Burnt Ends with the point part. With the flat portion that will be removed from beneath the point we'll have BBQ brisket sandwiches for dinner! I'll post the results with Qview.