Help first time brisket

[mdboatbum]

VAYank, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that from looking at your pictures, the brisket wasn't quite "done". Yes, technically it was overcooked, but that's kinda what brisket is all about. It's a game of 3 way chicken between you, the clock and the connective tissue in the meat. Judging by the pictures and your assertion that "There was no pulling my brisket as it held together way too tightly" I'd say the meat had in fact squeezed out all the water based moisture, but had not yet reached the "breaking point" for the collagen. If you had gone past the point of no return and it was actually overcooked to the point of being hopelessly dry, the long meat fibers would have been quite separate and your slices would have pretty much crumbled into little bits.

 

[vayank5150]

VAYank, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that from looking at your pictures, the brisket wasn't quite "done". Yes, technically it was overcooked, but that's kinda what brisket is all about. It's a game of 3 way chicken between you, the clock and the connective tissue in the meat. Judging by the pictures and your assertion that "There was no pulling my brisket as it held together way too tightly" I'd say the meat had in fact squeezed out all the water based moisture, but had not yet reached the "breaking point" for the collagen. If you had gone past the point of no return and it was actually overcooked to the point of being hopelessly dry, the long meat fibers would have been quite separate and your slices would have pretty much crumbled into little bits.

Ok, now I'm really confused. Did I smoke it too long or not long enough? I let it rest, wrapped in foil and blanketed in a cooler for nearly 4 hours after pulling it with an IT of 200 degf.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

VAYank, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that from looking at your pictures, the brisket wasn't quite "done". Yes, technically it was overcooked, but that's kinda what brisket is all about. It's a game of 3 way chicken between you, the clock and the connective tissue in the meat. Judging by the pictures and your assertion that "There was no pulling my brisket as it held together way too tightly" I'd say the meat had in fact squeezed out all the water based moisture, but had not yet reached the "breaking point" for the collagen. If you had gone past the point of no return and it was actually overcooked to the point of being hopelessly dry, the long meat fibers would have been quite separate and your slices would have pretty much crumbled into little bits.

Ok, now I'm really confused. Did I smoke it too long or not long enough? I let it rest, wrapped in foil and blanketed in a cooler for nearly 4 hours after pulling it with an IT of 200 degf.

If you say it was dry and tough, yeah, it's overcooked. The brisket flat lacks the necessary inter-muscular fat content to pull easily, (unlike the point muscle of the brisket) unless prime conditions are present during cooking. I've done it, but it's not easily duplicated. If it sliced and held together after that high of a finished temp, and that long of resting, and, was dried-out...I can't fathom any other reason than being overcooked.

I noticed you had a thin fat-cap present on the slices...this will aid in self-basting the meat as cooking progresses, but can actually reverse the process of keeping the meat moist if you go too far with internal temps, as the meat's surface fibers will remain loose from the rendering fat and moisture present under the fat-cap, which allows for a higher percentage of interior moisture to evaporate.

I sent you a PM with info on this subject...long read and lots to digest, yes, but I strongly suggest you go through it, as it explains what happens in these situations and describes proven methods I have developed to avoid it, from meat prep to smoking to resting...others have used these method as well, with very good results. I wouldn't steer you wrong here...I take pride in my reputation here on SMF, and I stake my reputation on any advice I give here.

Eric

 

[beaummiler]

the it is kinda a guide a lot of people feel for tenderness with toothpicks, probe it should go in like a warm knife in butter

 

[mdboatbum]

This is my first brisket as well. 5 lb flat, put it on at 9 am and wrapped it when IT hit 170 and now here it is about an hour later and it is reading 198. Smoker ranged from 210 to 255. It shouldn't be done already if 1 1/2 hours per lb. what do y'all suggest?

So, 5 hours to 198˚ in a smoker ranging from 210˚-255˚? Something is amiss here. One of your thermos is off perhaps, or something, I dunno. But even if you'd been at a steady 255˚ I can't see reaching that IT in that amount of time.

Please give us a little more info on what types of thermos you used and where you were checking on the brisket. This has me intrigued.

 

[garyc]

First time smoker here. I fell asleep around 4 am last night temp was 170. I woke up on the couch and checked my smoker. The fire was out and meat was at 160. I started a new chimney and dumped it in. It is roaring now. I don't want to make my guest sick. Will I be giving them food poisoning?

I sometimes have the same problem with long smokes, falling asleep, and I solved that problem with a good thermometer that measures both the meat and the cooker temps. I use the maverick dual thermometer I bought from Amazon.


Set the bbq alarm for your low smoker temp, put the receiver next to your bed and it will wake you up when the temp goes below the set point. If you are wanting to hold a temp of say, 200 degrees I would set the low alarm for 195 to give you enough time to start more charcoal before your cooking chamber temp gets too low. This saved me several smokes destine for lunch the next day.

I have both a Char Griller horizontal charcoal smoker and an MES electric with the cold smoker attachment. What I normally do for a long haul smoke like a brisket is start it off in my Char Griller to get that nice smoke ring and just before going to bed I put it in the MES with a full load of chips to finish it off. I would also recommend using a water pan to keep everything moist. Works great that way.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

First time smoker here. I fell asleep around 4 am last night temp was 170. I woke up on the couch and checked my smoker. The fire was out and meat was at 160. I started a new chimney and dumped it in. It is roaring now. I don't want to make my guest sick. Will I be giving them food poisoning?

I sometimes have the same problem with long smokes, falling asleep, and I solved that problem with a good thermometer that measures both the meat and the cooker temps. I use the maverick dual thermometer I bought from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Wireless-BBQ-Thermometer-Set/dp/B004IMA718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369147688&sr=8-1&keywords=bbq+thermometer

Set the bbq alarm for your low smoker temp, put the receiver next to your bed and it will wake you up when the temp goes below the set point. If you are wanting to hold a temp of say, 200 degrees I would set the low alarm for 195 to give you enough time to start more charcoal before your cooking chamber temp gets too low. This saved me several smokes destine for lunch the next day.
I have both a Char Griller horizontal charcoal smoker and an MES electric with the cold smoker attachment. What I normally do for a long haul smoke like a brisket is start it off in my Char Griller to get that nice smoke ring and just before going to bed I put it in the MES with a full load of chips to finish it off. I would also recommend using a water pan to keep everything moist. Works great that way.

Using water pans to keep the meat moist.......major mis-conception. Added humidity in the smoke chamber improves smoke reaction, but if high humidity is used for too long with high finished temps in the meat it keeps the surface fibers loose and porus too long and allows more interior moisture to evaporate from the meat........opposite of what you think it would do.

On my Blackberry @ work...will come back with links discussing it later this evening.


Eric

 

[vayank5150]

You

So, 5 hours to 198˚ in a smoker ranging from 210˚-255˚? Something is amiss here. One of your thermos is off perhaps, or something, I dunno. But even if you'd been at a steady 255˚ I can't see reaching that IT in that amount of time.
Please give us a little more info on what types of thermos you used and where you were checking on the brisket. This has me intrigued.

You may be on to something here. I use the Maverick Redi-Chek dual probe thermometer that I bought through Amaze-N products. However, I have noticed on my last couple of smokes upon inspection of my charcoal bowl, only one half side seems to be burning? It was almost as if someone cut the bowl in half and only lit one side? Is it possible that this uneven burning of charcoal could have given me incorrect smoker temps? I typically place the smoker probe in a small potato and put it as close to the meat being smoked at that time. I am at work right now, but I will try to take a pic of the used charcoal bowl after the brisket smoke and send it along for your viewing pleasure.

 

[vayank5150]

I may have to retract my previous statement. This burn wasn't so one sided after all.

image.jpg

• vayank5150
• May 21, 2013

 

[garyc]

Using water pans to keep the meat moist.......major mis-conception. Added humidity in the smoke chamber improves smoke reaction, but if high humidity is used for too long with high finished temps in the meat it keeps the surface fibers loose and porus too long and allows more interior moisture to evaporate from the meat........opposite of what you think it would do.

On my Blackberry @ work...will come back with links discussing it later this evening.


Eric

Ok, now I am confused. I always use my water pan when doing long smokes. When I do a brisket or pork shoulder I keep my smoker temp @ 220 deg and use the water pan until I pull the meat to wrap it in foil to finish. I even put some liquid in the foil when finishing. My meats are always moist and tender.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Using water pans to keep the meat moist.......major mis-conception. Added humidity in the smoke chamber improves smoke reaction, but if high humidity is used for too long with high finished temps in the meat it keeps the surface fibers loose and porus too long and allows more interior moisture to evaporate from the meat........opposite of what you think it would do.

On my Blackberry @ work...will come back with links discussing it later this evening.


Eric

Ok, now I am confused. I always use my water pan when doing long smokes. When I do a brisket or pork shoulder I keep my smoker temp @ 220 deg and use the water pan until I pull the meat to wrap it in foil to finish. I even put some liquid in the foil when finishing. My meats are always moist and tender.

The method is a Wet-to-Dry Smoke Chamber...works best with lean-trimmed meats, and has the most impact on meats finished to high internal temps, such as pulled pork and brisket, but also has noticeable benefits with ribs, steaks, chops, and many other cuts of meats.

Here's the link from my signature line...these threads are all directly related to this method, and explain the process, tips for best results, etc. Start with "Lean-Trimmed Butt", then "Second Attempt at Lean-Trimmed Butt"...move on down the list from there, chronologically, by date started, and you will see how this method has been somewhat refined for even better results. The latest is I've done is with brisket. A few others have tried this method as well, and you will find links to their threads among these posts.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/ne...sort=relevance&order=descending&Search=SEARCH

Not to say that this is the only method to achieve juicy, tender meats with a great bark, but for certain smokers, this can help to bring out the best in your smoked meats...it's just another way to do it, is all. And, being you're starting with lean-trimmed meats to use this method, the finished product makes for healthier dining.

Eric