# Brisket Has Stalled



## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2017)

It's been at 162-165 for a couple of hours.  It's now 1230 and dinner is planned for about 1730 or 1800.  If I wrap now, this thing may be ready too early, even with a rest in a cooler.  How long can I continue to cook it before too long.  It's plenty moist now but I don't want to dry it out.


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## noboundaries (Sep 2, 2017)

Dave, I don't believe you understand brisket.  If you serve it now, it will taste dry and tough.  It is a VERY different cut of meat than steak or roasts you use to make roast beef.  You have to cook it long enough and take it to a high enough temperature so that the collagen connecting the muscle tissues melt.  THAT'S what makes a brisket juicy and tender. 

You don't say how big it is or what temp you are smoking it at.  I've seen stalls last for hours and hours, and that last 40 degrees to an IT of 200-205F take five to six hours. 

If you have a concern that it won't reach 200-205F before dinner, wrap it in foil, put it in the oven at 350F, and don't take it out until a toothpick stuck in it goes in with no resistance.


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## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2017)

I understand the stall and the collagen.  What I meant was how long you can cook it (during the stall) before you have to wrap it?  I'm now beyond the stall, wrapped it at 164, and am continuing the cook at ~270.  It's now at about 192.  It started out at about 14.5 lbs before I trimmed it.  It was looking good when I wrapped it.  FWIW, it is a Costco product, Prime grade, and it's was wet aged for about 35 days.


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## noboundaries (Sep 2, 2017)

Dave, my apologies for the misunderstanding. 

I take briskets to probe tender, wrap and serve.  It can rest several hours without impacting flavor.  Bark may soften a little, but flavor and tenderness should be great.


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## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2017)

Well, boundaries, I learned something new on this cook.   The brisket came out pretty good, overall.  Nice bark, smoke ring, flavor.  BUT it was a tad too dry, I thought.  I should have wrapped it when it stalled rather than cook it for another hour or so unwrapped.  If the stall results from evaporative cooling, then the loss of moisture would explain the dryness.  Lesson learned; when the stall arrives, wrap it or else it will get too dry.  Then hold it in a cooler for up to several hours.


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## Rings Я Us (Sep 2, 2017)

Dave Schiller said:


> Well, boundaries, I learned something new on this cook.   The brisket came out pretty good, overall.  Nice bark, smoke ring, flavor.  BUT it was a tad too dry, I thought.  I should have wrapped it when it stalled rather than cook it for another hour or so unwrapped.  If the stall results from evaporative cooling, then the loss of moisture would explain the dryness.  Lesson learned; when the stall arrives, wrap it or else it will get too dry.  Then hold it in a cooler for up to several hours.


Many of the old timers here say they dont foil any at all. Until it's time to rest it for a couple hours.I should say to hold it for a couple hours.. resting is not wrapped up tight.. I think if you want good brisket flat that's juicy , you can tear it off the point and let the point keep going to 200 plus. Take that flat off and wrap it to rest or hold.. separately. Earlier .. it's probably tender much earlier than the point. Usually though.. to hold the whole thing in foil 170 for a couple hours in a cooler or oven with some nice juices in there will work good. Just as long as the flat wasn't to well done.

I think I'm going to continue to cook my two brisket parts separate. It works good for me.


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## albinva (Sep 2, 2017)

My last brisket was a full packer prime from costco.  I took the point to 165, then separated from the flat.  Flat was about 180.  I cubed the point for burnt ends and put back in smoker in foil pan.  I wrapped the flat, put back on smoker  til it hit 202.  Placed in cooler until burnt ends were ready, about 2 more hours.  Got great juices for gravy from the wrapped flat.  It was moist and tender.  225 the whole way.

I just bought a 22.5 lb prime packer from costco today.  $3.99 per pound.  I trimmed 6 lb of fat/silver skin, rubbed down with fresh ground pepper, salt and garlic powder and placed in fridge.  Will try to duplicate previous brisket with the same process.


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## Rings Я Us (Sep 2, 2017)

AlBinVA said:


> My last brisket was a full packer prime from costco.  I took the point to 165, then separated from the flat.  Flat was about 180.  I cubed the point for burnt ends and put back in smoker in foil pan.  I wrapped the flat, put back on smoker  til it hit 202.  Placed in cooler until burnt ends were ready, about 2 more hours.  Got great juices for gravy from the wrapped flat.  It was moist and tender.  225 the whole way.
> 
> I just bought a 22.5 lb prime packer from costco today.  $3.99 per pound.  I trimmed 6 lb of fat/silver skin, rubbed down with fresh ground pepper, salt and garlic powder and placed in fridge.  Will try to duplicate previous brisket with the same process.


 wow! Yeah, that sounds like the way to do it .. can baby both pieces that way.. 
That sounds like the biggest brisket ever . [emoji]128514[/emoji]


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## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2017)

I was under the impression that cooking just the flat or point was less than desirable.  All the gurus here say to get a whole packer, not a part.  Now I'm reading that they might be better if cooked separately.  That makes sense to me, as each part can be "custom" cooked.  That is, longer for the point after pulling the flat.  One day I'll figure all this out.

As for wrapping, I used paper, not foil.  Maybe foil holds in more moisture, but the term "Texas Crutch" sort of bothers me.  What's good for Franklin is good enough for me.


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## noboundaries (Sep 2, 2017)

I don't wrap at all. When I said wrap above I meant after it becomes probe tender I wrap it for the rest period.

A packer brisket is an ornery cut of meat.  It can only be tamed with heat and time.  I don't separate the flat/point or wrap the meat during the smoke.  No spray, no injection, no looking.  I rub it, put it in the smoker, and let the meat and Mrs. Smoker get intimately familiar with each other.  Generally I won't even take the brisket's temperature until it's been on the smoker for 12 hours.  The point gets probe tender well before the flat, so it is the flat that tells me when it has finally surrendered to the heat of Mrs. Smoker, getting all tender and juicy.

Once I stopped trying to cook or smoke briskets by futzing with them or worrying constantly, they started coming out perfect.

Just saying.


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## mike5051 (Sep 2, 2017)

Dave Schiller said:


> Well, boundaries, I learned something new on this cook.   The brisket came out pretty good, overall.  Nice bark, smoke ring, flavor.  BUT it was a tad too dry, I thought.  I should have wrapped it when it stalled rather than cook it for another hour or so unwrapped.  If the stall results from evaporative cooling, then the loss of moisture would explain the dryness.  Lesson learned; when the stall arrives, wrap it or else it will get too dry.  Then hold it in a cooler for up to several hours.


What was the IT?  Was it probe tender?  I don't wrap until I take it off the smoker, and if I overcook it, the slices fall apart.  BUT, they are still juicy!  Dry has always been undercooked in my experience.

Mike


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## albinva (Sep 2, 2017)

There are obviously many ways to cook a brisket and many variables between smokers, the cut of meat, ambient temps, etc.  I believe the brisket is the hardest meat to get just right, so if you find a method that works, stick with it.  If you want to experiment with different cooking techniques, that's cool too.

A pic of the honkin hunk of meat I picked up today.













20170902_115904 (2).jpg



__ albinva
__ Sep 2, 2017


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## dave schiller (Sep 3, 2017)

Thanks to all for the comments and ideas.  I'll keep trying until I get it perfect.  Perfect as in "tastes great, can't be better."  But still, I'll wrap it sooner.  Also, I may have trimmed off a bit too much fat.  So many variables to deal with.


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