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8 replies

1/2 a good brisket story

FM Former Member
Here I go again.

Did 1st brisket this weekend. Mixed results. Here are the particulars: nice packer @ 11.5 lbs, rubbed with Montreal Steak seasoning, 225 degrees, fat side down, 17.5 hrs to 190 degrees, 3 oz pecan, opened once at three hours to put trimmed fat on top. Double foil wrapped and toweled for one hour (couldn't wait to taste it any longer.) 7:00 Am to 12:30 PM, long day, lousy timing.

Results: Deckle (thinner flat side, right?) quite dry. Pointed end very moist and good tasting. How do I avoid dessicating the deckle? I hope sauce will rescue some of it.

Also, I was watching the temp of the smoker with a separate thermomter. It seemed that every once in awhile that the temp would drop ten degrees or more. When this occurred, I moved the heat control up to 250 and then right back to 225 and the heat would come on and the temp would recover.

Has anyone seen a themostat stick and not close when the temp drops? I know there can be swings in oven temp but in this case the temp of the meat would drop a degree or three too and I was afraid the BTUs were gone for good.

Still trying,

Hook
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FM Former Member
hook: you said you opened at 3 hrs to put trimmed fat back on? Assume you trimmed cause you wanted to get seasoning on that side? I would suggest just leaving that whole bad boy as god made it, and putting the rub on top and bottom (over fat), and placing in smokette fat side up. thats it. Cook til probe hits at least 190, then give the poke test. It may be tender any time after 190. soon as it is, take it out. The point and deckle refer to the same piece, the point on top. the flat is the flat. the flat will dry out before the deckle, since it has less fat in it. if you want, do as above then, at about 175, take it out and wrap the whole thing in foil and return to cooker to 190-200. will help hold moisture.
FM Former Member
Hook
The deckle is the point in your description and has a larger amount of fat in it. The flat can be helped by cooking a butt over it or by foiling earlier in the cook with apple juice or another liquid to help with finish moisture content.
The brisket you choose to cook is a very big part of this equation also. Choice or better briskets have a higher fat content to start with and give you a much better chance of have moist finish.
Jim
FM Former Member
quote:
Also, I was watching the temp of the smoker with a separate thermomter. It seemed that every once in awhile that the temp would drop ten degrees or more. When this occurred, I moved the heat control up to 250 and then right back to 225 and the heat would come on and the temp would recover.

Has anyone seen a themostat stick and not close when the temp drops? I know there can be swings in oven temp but in this case the temp of the meat would drop a degree or three too and I was afraid the BTUs were gone for good.
I find a range of internal temperatures of +/- 20 or 25 degrees from the set temperature to be normal. I think there is no need to bump up the thermostat during those normal fluctuations. I can't imagine why the meat temp would drop because the CS temp was still higher than the meat.
FM Former Member
Well, I better go back to brisket 101.Looks like I flunked my anatomy lesson. As for trimming, I was just following the directions for taking some off the pointed end. I read two ideas about which side up when smoking. Chose the wrong one, I guess.

Jim and Woodburner mentioned the F word. I take it, since they are in the know, that foil is okay in this case.

Belly Buster, the temp would drop to something like 185. May have been due to therm placement. The probe was only stuck down the vent. But it was at a place where in read 220 at one point. Turned the heat up and right back down in an attempt to "unstick" the thermostat. Didn't leave it at 250. I don't understand why the meat temp dropped either. I'm going to pay closer attention to it next time. and put the probe in a ball of foil at meat level before I start to cook.

Thanks folks.

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