help with brisket???

[lendog]

I have two butts and a full brisket on my MES. Started at 3:15am with temp at 235-240. Porks are as I suspected, at 150 degrees 7.5 hrs in to the smoke. I will wrap at 165-170 and finish without smoke until 195 or so.

Problem is the brisket. It is reading 185 at 10:30am or 7.5 hours in and it is an 11pounder?? What gives? I swapped thermometers to make sure. Should I wrap and continue cooking or remove, foil, towel, and cooler???? BTW, brisket was started on the top rack with butts below and I have not moved anything.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!!!

 

[fatback joe]

When it is done it is done.

If the temp is what you were looking for and it passes the probe test.......or any other means you guage your brisket by.......wrap it and rest it.......it will be fine.

Some haul arse and some putt along. I would not sweat it.

 

[cinnamonkc]

Are you slicing or pulling?
If slicing, pull it and get it into the cooler

 

[lendog]

Thanks for the quick reply. Since it is done earlier than expected, is there a max time I can wrap and keep in cooler? How long will it stay warm. Feeding
folks this evening...not until about 6:00 or so.

 

[fatback joe]

If you wrap it and cooler it you should be fine. If you want to make sure, keep a probe in there and take action if the temps start to get close to that magic 140 number.

It will help if you fill the empty space in the cooler with more towels, newspaper, any thing to fill that gap instead of jsut air.

Also, if you heat the cooler before putting the meat in it will help keep the temps up. Get a pot of boiling water and pour into the cooler and shut the lid for a bit.........drain the cooler and then put the wrapped meat in. Having a warm cooler from the get go will help you prolong things.

If you close it up good and no one peeks, you should be fine, but you are on the long end of "fine"........lots of factors, keep a probe in the cooler and watch temps.

 

[lendog]

thanks again Fatback. Warming the cooler is a great idea. I just opened to spray and moved thermometer in the brisket to make sure and it is now reading 170. I am perplexed but have decided to stay the course and see if we are in the plateau. Will keep you posted.

 

[fatback joe]

Yeah, don't panic.

If you question the thermometer readings, jsut go by feel..........if you have resistance when pushing the probe in, then you still have more cooking to do.........if it goes in like butter, then you are there.

 

[fatback joe]

I am perplexed but have decided to stay the course and see if we are in the plateau. quote]

Sometimes if the probe is in the fat between the point and the flat you can get some screwy readings............who knows........just relax, you'll be alright.

 

[cinnamonkc]

I've had mine in the cooler for over 8 hours and it was still piping hot!!
Had a similiar situation where my brisket finished WAY before it should have.

 

[fatback joe]

My first competition..........brisket got done at 5 am...........for a 2pm turn in..

It didn't score well, but yep, it was still hot.