Need a little help with brisket. First time

[dieseladdiction]

Hello all, I have a quick question since I have never done a brisket. I didn't exactly plan on doing one tonight but said what the heck and at about 8- 8:30 pm decided to throw it in the smoker. So I unpack it and the first thing I am unhappy with is that the point has a big slice thru it. I'm sure I will be ok being my first brisket but I am not thrilled about it and not something that should have been missed upon packing. I will try to attach a pic. I get I put in the smoker at 9 pm (cold smoker since I forgot to turn it on while trimming) it was between 11 - 12 lbs pre trim so with what I read before I expected a good 10 - 12 hour smoke. I had the smoker set to 240 (now dropped to 230) to help get cold smoker going and got it about the setting. Well it is 2 hours in and the brisket temp is already reading 161 deg. I have my probe in the point and I understand stall but should it get to those temps that quick and does stall really last that long on a brisket to end up at 10-12 hr smoke? I figured I could sleep thru night and start checking it around 6 am and be safe but now I am a little worried about it getting done before I plan on waking up. Do I need to worry and start checking earlier? Any thoughts? Would like to get some sleep tonight. Thanks

 

[dieseladdiction]

Can not get pics to load right now. Sorry. Cell signal at home is horrible. Will try again when I have better signal somewhere

 

[hardcookin]

You want to check the brisket in the thickest part of the flat. Should be probe tender when it is done.

 

[SmokinAl]

Well it should be getting close to done by now!

How is it going?

Al

 

[3montes]

The slice you are referring to may just be where the flat and the point split. Sometimes it is very evident still raw other times after they have cooked for several hours it becomes more evident. I have taken briskets off the smoker at 170 or so and they almost come apart themselves at the point/flat split.

Best brisket I ever made was when I pulled one at 170 split the point from the flat and returned both to the smoker until finished.

 

[dieseladdiction]

So I still can't get pics to load. Anyway, it seemed to go ok. Woke up at 4am and was still 170's went back to bed and got up at 6 and still 180's I only open the door once to take a quick peek I left go until reached 190's because my probe was already in the point. I checked flat and read 200 but didn't push in like butter. I ended up with a very dry brisket.
Flavor wasn't bad and it looked good. I only used salt and pepper with hickory smoke. To me it kinda just tasted like a roast. The center was tender but dry. Also I ended up with a very tough bark. The bottom bark got so tough it was hard to cut thru but rest of it was tender. I guess it was a learning experience. Expensive one but the meat will not go to waste. I am sure wrapping would have made it a lot better but I didn't feel good to get up in middle of the night to wrap it. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing because I just bought that brisket and was thinking it would look better sitting in the smoker than in the fridge.

 

[dieseladdiction]

The slice you are referring to may just be where the flat and the point split. Sometimes it is very evident still raw other times after they have cooked for several hours it becomes more evident. I have taken briskets off the smoker at 170 or so and they almost come apart themselves at the point/flat split.
Best brisket I ever made was when I pulled one at 170 split the point from the flat and returned both to the smoker until finished.

Wish I could get pics to load but no it was a bad cut from butcher. I trimmed the hard fat from around the place where point and flat separate and this was right on top of the thick part of the point.

 

[SmokyMose]

Wrapping it would have made a big difference. I don't think that cut on the point hurt anything, really.

 

[jokensmoken]

Dry brisket flat is why some swear by wrapping at 160° IT (Texas crutch method) and adding some liquid to the foil pack...beer, broth, red wine, cola, water... whatever you've got handy.
IMHO, prime cuts are a little more juicy but also more pricey.

Walt.

 

[cksteele]

what grade of beef was it ? if it was choice  they can be tricky they have less fat in them and the flats can dry out.  prime  or  AAA Angus even a wagyu have nice marbling in them  so they are more forgiving but they are also more $$$.   it sounds like your heat was coming from the bottom is that correct next time might try fat side down  to keep the  flat from drying  out also  spritzing it every hour  after a couple hours helps  keep it moist as well  as wrapping in foil  or butcher paper.  one tip  to help the bottom from drying out is cook the brisket after a  hour or 2    on a piece of cardboard  it protects the flat from getting  dry and crusty 

 

[dieseladdiction]

20170712_201648.jpg

• dieseladdiction
• Jul 15, 2017

 

[dieseladdiction]

20170712_201657.jpg

• dieseladdiction
• Jul 15, 2017

This is the cut I was talking about

 

[dieseladdiction]

20170712_205903.jpg

• dieseladdiction
• Jul 15, 2017

 

[dieseladdiction]

20170713_074939.jpg

• dieseladdiction
• Jul 15, 2017

 

[Rings Я Us]

2 hours in at 230° and your point was 160 ? [emoji]129300[/emoji] better than my microwave cooks..

 

[dieseladdiction]

Now you know why I was concerned, actually it was 240. That's when I seen that I forgot to lower it back after turning smoker on

 

[Rings Я Us]

Hmm.. I would have used a couple skewers to close the slash.. not sure how you could be so far along at 2 hours.. takes me 6 hours to achieve that. But I go 230 max .. maybe your probe was in a spot that was hotter than some other parts.