LET'S TALK BRISKET!!

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I smoked 3 15#ers for a company BBQ the other day. A tremendous hit with my colleagues.

I trim the fat and add the dry rub the night before.  Rub is Cayenne, black pepper, salt, and paprika.  I wrap in foil and put it in the fridge overnight.

I use Weber Domes. Light the charcoal in one side of the Weber and put the meat, fat side up, on the other side on foil when the fire is ready.  I add Mesquite chunks (soaked) when I add the meat.  I check the temp every 30-45 minutes, jsut be lifting the dome enough to add more coals and wood if necessary.

I've been cooking Brisket like this for over 20 years. Never had a bad one.  Meat comes off Juicy and tender. Serve with the usual sides.

This is a pic of a 12#er I cooked for our annual Fourth of July family and neighbor BBQ.

Am I the only one who still uses the Weber Dome?  Best smoker ever IMHO.

 
Hello Lemans.  Depends on the size of the cow.  
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  Just teasin.  What do ya think guys; somewhere between 12 and 17 lbs?  Usually around 13 - 15 lbs. from what I remember.  TOO large?  No problem. It looks like a rectangle.  So cut it in half length wise then again crosswise.  NOW you have four.  Four chances to fire up the smoker!  Two will be thicker and two thinner but use the same method.  Cook to tenderness.  The thicker ends will fight you all the way but will get tender.  " Patience Grasshopper"!  
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  Brisket is done when it is done and not on a timer.  Keep Smokin!


Danny
 
See a lot of packers at 13lbs which is what I usually get, but have seen them down to 10 lbs.
 
I woke up this morning and threw a 4# brisket (flat) in my smoker at 8 o'clock. Took it out at 6:15, just in time for dinner with the family at 6:30. Some kick ass pasta salad my wife made, sweet and hot beans, and smoked brisket.

Bare with me this is my first post.
How it started..... Friday at work I couldn't get bbqing off my head. Saturday, woke up wanting to smoke some meat.... Lasted all day but had prior engagements. Sunday, had my morning coffee and cigarette then left to get some meats and propane for my smoker. 2 racks of pork loin ribs, 1 pork shoulder (Boston butt), and 1 four pound brisket (flat). Fired the smoker and had some ribs.

Monday, woke up fired my smoker and applied the rub to the brisket while waiting for temp.

8:00 - 225 smoker temp reached, pecan chips loaded and brisket goes in (unadulterated fat cap up) until 160 IT.

12:30 - At 160 IT brisket is placed in foil pan, mopped with sauce and covered with foil, then placed back in at 225 smoker temp. Until brisket IT reaches 205-207.(I turned up my heat in the last hour to 300 to finish.)

5:15 - At 205-207 brisket IT I turned off my smoker and let it rest inside for 1 hour. (Gradual cool down to 150 smoker temp).

6:15 - pulled brisket from smoker and sliced. (Fat cap peeled right off)

Total time cooking at 225 was 8 hrs. +1 hr at 300.( 9 hrs. Total with 1 hr. Rest.)

In truth I wasn't going to post anything (join for that matter) about my brisket because I've never had a successful brisket before today. I have been lurking here gaining knowledge and give all credit for my success today to the members of this forum. I don't know why I decided to attempt a brisket, maybe it's because I've felt it was my nemesis of meats, if you can pull off a brisket you can BBQ anything. I wanted to pull off a brisket.

Anyways that's my addition to this helpful thread. I couldn't have had a success without the knowledge in this thread.

Thank you!
xcoachx
 
Congrats on the smoke, You know you have to post pictures !!!     Everybody like pictures

Gary
 
Hi Everyone. I bought my old country wrangler about a month ago. Ive smoked two briskets on it and now I think i could use some advice.

I know part (most?) of the problem is the temp. I have a cheap thermometer that I stuck in the hole midway up the door. I have a much better one that I need to drill a hole for closer to the grate. I just havent drilled the hole yet. I can keep the temp steady, but I am basing my adjustments on the crappy thermometer that I dont think is accurate. So before I smoke anything else I'm going to make sure to install the new thermometer.

I also have had an issue with cooking fat side up - the underside gets dried and crispy. Should i flip the brisket or just cook fat side down? is this something that you guys have seen? is it because the temp is too hot inside the cook chamber?

The other main problem ive had is judging doneness. Can someone roughly detail how a brisket will feel at the various points of a smoke? does it get tender and then tighten up and then get tender again? basically if a brisket feels/looks dry on the smoker does it need to cook more to get tender or will it just keep drying out if left in the cooker?

thanks guys Im sure ill have more questions soon. I had a blast smoking the briskets ive done by the way. and they were both completely devoured by my family/friends, but they weren't quite good enough for me.
 
Take a toothpick if it goes into the brisket like butter hen you are there. But I use an instant read thermometer so at 205 I pull it!
 
Hi Everyone. I bought my old country wrangler about a month ago. Ive smoked two briskets on it and now I think i could use some advice.

I know part (most?) of the problem is the temp. I have a cheap thermometer that I stuck in the hole midway up the door. I have a much better one that I need to drill a hole for closer to the grate. I just havent drilled the hole yet. I can keep the temp steady, but I am basing my adjustments on the crappy thermometer that I dont think is accurate. So before I smoke anything else I'm going to make sure to install the new thermometer.

I also have had an issue with cooking fat side up - the underside gets dried and crispy. Should i flip the brisket or just cook fat side down? is this something that you guys have seen? is it because the temp is too hot inside the cook chamber?

The other main problem ive had is judging doneness. Can someone roughly detail how a brisket will feel at the various points of a smoke? does it get tender and then tighten up and then get tender again? basically if a brisket feels/looks dry on the smoker does it need to cook more to get tender or will it just keep drying out if left in the cooker?

thanks guys Im sure ill have more questions soon. I had a blast smoking the briskets ive done by the way. and they were both completely devoured by my family/friends, but they weren't quite good enough for me.

The problem I was having was thinking I was drying it out then pulling it out too early. From what I've determined after reading through this thread was to be patient and let it get up to temp.... 205 internal temp. That's when the connective tissue breaks down and there is where you get your moistness. I always thought that it would get even drier if I left it on, so I would take it off too early.

Yes it does get firm then at about 205 IT it loosens up beautifully. Patience was what I was lacking with my brisket.

Regarding the crispness.... You may have your meat too close to the heat source, you may try raising the meat up inside your smoker, if your not looking for bark on your brisket you could wrap in foil at 160 IT. Or, since the fat cap isn't overly important for the moisture I would try fat cap down... Use it to my advantage kinda like a heat shield. I've read that people smoke brisket anywhere between 225-350 smoker temp both with good results as long as it reached 205 IT.

Gary, I will take pics on my next round. I wasn't even a member until after I finished my brisket. It came out so good I had to join and let yall know I couldn't have done if without this thread and the people sharing their knowledge.
xcoachx
 
The problem I was having was thinking I was drying it out then pulling it out too early. From what I've determined after reading through this thread was to be patient and let it get up to temp.... 205 internal temp. That's when the connective tissue breaks down and there is where you get your moistness. I always thought that it would get even drier if I left it on, so I would take it off too early.

Yes it does get firm then at about 205 IT it loosens up beautifully. Patience was what I was lacking with my brisket.

Regarding the crispness.... You may have your meat too close to the heat source, you may try raising the meat up inside your smoker, if your not looking for bark on your brisket you could wrap in foil at 160 IT. Or, since the fat cap isn't overly important for the moisture I would try fat cap down... Use it to my advantage kinda like a heat shield. I've read that people smoke brisket anywhere between 225-350 smoker temp both with good results as long as it reached 205 IT.

Gary, I will take pics on my next round. I wasn't even a member until after I finished my brisket. It came out so good I had to join and let yall know I couldn't have done if without this thread and the people sharing their knowledge.
xcoachx
One problem here is that not all briskets are done at 205.  Some might be spot on, but some might be undercooked while others might be overcooked at 205.   use the probe test.
 
One problem here is that not all briskets are done at 205.  Some might be spot on, but some might be undercooked while others might be overcooked at 205.   use the probe test.

I agree 100% with this post.

Mine just happend to pass the test at 205 when I probed it..... But I waited till 205 is my point, I always took it off early because it just seemed to get firmer as it cooked and I was unaware that at the higher temp Internal temp is when the connective tissues start to break down adding moisture. I needed to be patient and trust the posts that I read here. Patience is the one overwhelming thing I needed to add to make my brisket successful. Patience is key.

And I probably shouldn't be so specific with the temp when I was describing when the connective tissue breaks down adding moisture like I did in my post. You are absolutely correct that not all brisket is the same and I humbly thank you for correcting me.

xcoachx
 
I agree 100% with this post.

Mine just happend to pass the test at 205 when I probed it..... But I waited till 205 is my point, I always took it off early because it just seemed to get firmer as it cooked and I was unaware that at the higher temp Internal temp is when the connective tissues start to break down adding moisture. I needed to be patient and trust the posts that I read here. Patience is the one overwhelming thing I needed to add to make my brisket successful. Patience is key.

And I probably shouldn't be so specific with the temp when I was describing when the connective tissue breaks down adding moisture like I did in my post. You are absolutely correct that not all brisket is the same and I humbly thank you for correcting me.

xcoachx
All good coach.  
 
Even though I said I would never smoke another brisket . .I found a huge prime brisket at my grocery store on sale for $3.15 per lb.  As I was putting it in my cart, I was telling myself I'd sous-vide it or grind it for burgers . . but I think I knew all along I was going to try and smoke it, lol.  

Anyway - a picture from early in this thread:


This is exactly what my brisket looks like when it's done . .but mine is dry!!!  Every time I make brisket it's tender and pretty tasty . .but somewhat dry.  I live in San Antonio, which is not really a BBQ town.  My brisket compares favorably to most of what I can get around town but sucks compared to what I can get up in Lockhart (Black's is my favorite).  

What I do is pretty standard . .smoke it at around 250 until it hits around 170, wrap it until it hits around 200 and then start probing.   I typically let it rest for at least an hour in the cooler, too.  But every time I make it .. it's good .. but not really amazing and definitely not worth the trouble/expense.  My chuckies come out 10x better.    

Anybody know how to achieve that "magical" brisket?  Where the crust is crunchy, the meat tastes almost like a ribeye and the fat just tastes like beef butter?  
 
I'm no expert, but I finally got one done that I thought was pretty amazing.  I mostly followed Myron Mixon's approach in terms of injection and rub, but cooked it low and slow (around 225) and mopped it.  No foil until I pulled it to rest.  Next time I'll probably foil it to get the moisture a little better.  The first 3 or four slices off the flat could have had more juice, but the rest was really nice.  I think my cook is detailed earlier in the thread.  The brisket had a great, rich taste.  The point was magical.  The mop was important to keep it from drying out.  I've only had brisket at a couple of bbq places, and this was way better than either of those.

For me, probing the flat for doneness was the part I was missing (and allowing enough time to get it done on my cooker).  This thread really helped me.

 
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