The last time and my first time cooking a Costco prime brisket the flat turned out just a little dry. Watched a couple videos and some of them just checked the point temp and pulled it off at about 202 when probe went in easy. Do you monitor the point or flat more and at what temp are you shooting for on the flat? I will be wrapping in butcher paper when bark sets around the 8hr mark. I also cook at around 225. I was also wondering anyone ever spritz the brisket with coffee if so how did it turn out?
Some smart people are going to tell you to monitor the center and thickest part of the flat and look for around 203°, but more importantly to check for probe tenderness throughout the entire brisket. Tender with no resistance, like going through soft butter.
I buy Costco briskets as well. Maybe trim off the thin end of the flat, that's what I have been doing.
Never have spritzed with coffee.
^^^^^^^ This.
It seems all of you posting so far are definitely the smart guys and said everything I was going to say haha
Just to reiterate.
A brisket is done ONLY when it is tender ALL OVER.
You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a wooden kabob skewer and you get no resistance..
You check for tenderness when the meat probe is placed in the thickest yet center-most portion of the FLAT muscle tells you to. I check for tenderness at 200F, many start 195-198F.
If it is not tender ALL OVER wait another couple of degrees temp rise and test for tenderness again ALL OVER. Repeat until tender and done :)
The POINT will deceive you so don't even worry about it. The point comes out great with ease, the FLAT is the problem child.
I think you are fine with the wrapping approach. To make it more specific. I would say wrap when you know it damn well looks like BBQ brisket and not Roast Beef lol, for me this is usually an IT of 180F in the meat if I were to wrap a brisket... but I don't wrap whole packer briskets.
If you wrap too early you get roast beef in taste and appearance instead of BBQ brisket, so don't wrap too early.
Spritzing, never done it, never needed to.
Smoker temp of 225F will work but just know that briskets don't care what temp you cook them at as long as you aren't burning them. As long as you don't season with sugar you can cook well over 225F and save hours. I smoke at 275F and if my MES insulation was rated to go higher for such long periods of time I personally would go around 350F but I can't so I stay with my max of 275F and it takes on average just over an hour a pound or so before tenderness tests start to pass. Sometimes longer, sometime lesser but tenderness doesn't lie :)
Follow these fundamentals and you will have a better brisket for sure. I hope this info helps and best of luck on brisket #2. :)
