# Burnt brisket Pellet fail



## Olriverman57 (Jul 29, 2019)

Cooked a prime brisket yesterday..approx 13lb trimmed. Fat side up. 250deg. Franklin says 1hr lb,,I cooked 6hrs then wrapped 4 more and realized I WAS over when internal was 205 degree n bottom was burnt 1/4" . Kind suggestions appreciated..


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## BigW. (Jul 30, 2019)

Since the firebox for a pellet is in the middle, I have been doing fat side DOWN.  That protects the meat a bit.  I'd also get a therm to check that the 250 temp was accurate.


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## gmc2003 (Jul 30, 2019)

A little more info is needed to really help you out. 

When you say burnt - was it really burnt or was it just an extremely heavy bark almost meteorite like, and what did you use for a rub? 

Time is good for getting you in the ballpark. You really need to probe the meat to determine if it's done.

How was the brisket overall: dry and tough, juicy and tender, somewhat juicy and crumbly? 

Chris


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## Olriverman57 (Jul 30, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> Yeah get yourself a meat thermometer and cook to temp not time. The only thing I do by time is work ribs everything else gets a meat probe. The wireless units are handy especially  for those long cooks like butt and brisket. I have a maverick XR50 that I like a lot. Four probes and lots of range. You'll find a good instant read handy too. I use one to double check before the meat comes out of the smoker. Both are useful around the kitchen for other stuff. However my wife is getting to like my instant read a bit too much. I think she's trying to steal it. Pretty soon she'll lay claim to it and won't want to share. Women!


 That makes sense and I do have a remote probe. It just got done so quick - the top of the brisket was delicious but


BigW. said:


> Since the firebox for a pellet is in the middle, I have been doing fat side DOWN.  That protects the meat a bit.  I'd also get a therm to check that the 250 temp was accurate.



Yes my grill seems to want to run on 250 setting at 250-258 degrees. I will def try fat side down next attempt. although most everyone I see seems to go fat up. I'm going to start watching that temp better too. thanks!


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## Olriverman57 (Jul 30, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> A little more info is needed to really help you out.
> 
> When you say burnt - was it really burnt or was it just an extremely heavy bark almost meteorite like, and what did you use for a rub?
> 
> ...


Chris it had a hard bark on the bottom. my slices came off a little TOO tender but were real juicy. I think I just need to keep a better eye on it going forward, I kinda relied too heavily on my smoker - ive ordered a digital probe and a meat probe for future cooks..my old mercury thermometer is hard to read - Ive also had mixed results on my Ribs. I just cant seem to get the balance of time and tenderness..thanks for your reply!


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## gmc2003 (Jul 30, 2019)

Olriverman57 said:


> Chris it had a hard bark on the bottom. my slices came off a little TOO tender but were real juicy. I think I just need to keep a better eye on it going forward, I kinda relied too heavily on my smoker - ive ordered a digital probe and a meat probe for future cooks..my old mercury thermometer is hard to read - Ive also had mixed results on my Ribs. I just cant seem to get the balance of time and tenderness..thanks for your reply!



riverman it sounds like your getting things under control. I'm looking forward to your next thread. If you have any questions prior to your next smoke - don't be bashful, ask away.

Chris


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## martin1950 (Aug 4, 2019)

I don't know about other therm but mine has a "programable" setting for custom temps. Set it and wait for the alarm.


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## gnarlykaw (Aug 5, 2019)

the best advise you will pull away from here is, cook by TEMP.  as mentioned above, ribs are the exception.  get a GOOD thermometer, whatever works for you.  wireless to your phone is my choice...


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