Brisket 101

I guess the usual questions are in order, how big? What was the internal temperature when you pulled it out of the smoker? You know the general rule "it is done when it's done". My guess would be that the pan interfered with heat going into the brisket and it was not done. Remember brisket is a time and temperature process. Both are very important.

I just got my model 50 for Xmas and did my first brisket last weekend. I did get a CHOICE packer from a good butcher (the deckle end had been trimmed a bit as it was only 8.75 lbs). That was ok as it fit perfect on one shelf. All I did was use the cookshack rub. Put it in at 225 with two chunks hickory and 1 briquette. I put it in at about 9pm expecting to go overnight with all these long cook times being posted. My remote went off at 3:30am, 190 deg. 7.5 hrs. At that time I did foil it, sprayed with apple cider and turned the CS down to 140. It looked so good when I woke up the wife and I had some for breakfast and dinner! You could cut it with a fork.

DJ,

I don't think you'll have a tough time move techniques from one smoker to a different smoker. The pan to catch drippings shouldn't impact the time (unless it served as a heat sink and absorbed all the heat in the smoker).

How big was the brisket? You only smoked it 9 hours before pulling out of the smoker?

What was the temp of the brisket when you pulled it out? Your smoker will work fine, you should NEVER have to finish in the oven.

As for tough as shoe leather, I'd wager you didn't cook it long enough as opposed to it being dried out/overcooked. I don't care what temp it says, I still use my senses to determine tenderness, not temp alone. When I insert the probe inside the brisket I try to get a feel for how easy it goes in?

RS is right It's done when it's done A lot of people poke fun at my famous saying, but think about it. The brisket will tell you when it's finished, this isn't like baking a cake with a specific time and specific temp to finish a specific way.

You might also want to check your smoker, when you had it set at 225, was it 225 internal?

And you'll need to change the title of your post, Brisket 101 is a registered mark of mine

Have you seen Brisket 101? click on the guide page in the navigation links at the top of the page and look for Brisket 101

Since we cook at least one packer every week,the cocook would say "order chinese in advance".

We can follow the same time and temp. with the same method and the same size brisket and one will need lots more time than the other. I think each brisket has its own personality! It'd be interesting to have 2 briskets purchased from different places that are the same size and cook them at the same time to compare the 2. Maybe that will be the first thing I do when I win the lottery!
Peggy

Well Peggy,
Good luck on the lottery ticket!
The brisket was 6lbs, bought at BJ's (like sam's club) Internal temp was 175 when removed from the smoker. I do think I will add a thermometer by drilling a small hole into the wall and adding one just to watch internal temps of the smoker. Next time I will do the overnight thing. Dj
P.S. sorry about the name of the topic, Can I change it?

I would emphasize SmokinOkie's comment to not rush it. It is the time--not just the temp--that breaks down the meat and renders it tender.

You also hear some people comment about turning up the heat to move past a plateau in the meat's internal temp. But once again, it is the time that renders it tender.

Don't drill a hole in your CS!! To monitor the smoker temp and the internal temp of the meat, get a 2-probe remote thermometer. The wire probes can be inserted through the smoker's smoke hole (one goes in th meat--one on the rack). Some are even wireless so you can monitor the temp from anywhere in your house. If you need recommendations, plenty of forum members use them and can give you suggestions.

Dennis,
I do have a wireless thermom. Although it is only a single probe. I was just thinkin about the dial type that has a probe attached. I used one of these on my keg smoker and it worked great to watch the temps.
ANYWAY you are all correct on having to cook it longer. I placed it in the oven on 220 for 6 hours today and it was fantastic! So I just need to allow more time and be more patient. It is also true that trial and error is the way to learn. I'm also going to check my thermometer to see if it is accurate! Thanks all.

DJ,

Did you happen to open the smoker a lot to check the temps as it was cooking? That will add time each time you open it.

If you drill a hole in the smoker, stuff will leak into the walls of the smoker, where you drilled the hole and ruin the insulation.

The probe with a wire through the vent is the key.

If it was typical of our BJ s ,it probably was a choice flat.

We have been finding that while our choice packers may need to come out around 186� internal,choice flats need more like 195�.

The packers tend to finish in about an hr/lb,while the flats are taking longer.

Although,we have run a second probe into the smokette[years ago] to check temp swings-after a couple times it wan't necessary to repeat.

The Cookshack was essentially designed as a brisket cooker.

Like Dennis said,don't drill or add anything.

As far as needing to watch the cavity temp,I'm not sure the difference between 200� and max dial setting greatly affects anything- except timing.

My suggestion would be to cook three or four at 225� until you get an internal of 195� and then probe it for tenderness.

If it is about there,add 1/4 beef stock to some plastic wrap,wrap tight,foil tight ,and let rest in a dry cooler about three hrs.

Just my $0.02

OK guys,
I get the picture, no one wants me to drill a small hole in my smoker. So I won't. I do need to remember that the temp needs to get higher. I'm also going to start my notebook, aka my memory with sections for each item. I'm learning alot here and again I thank all of you for guidance. I did slice the leftovers into a sandwich fo rmy son today. He's addicted! Dj

DJ
I COOKED A BRISKET LAST WEEKEND AND THE WEEKEND BEFORE.THE FIRST ONE WAS AN 11LB PACKER SELECT GRADE. I COOKED IT AT 225 FOR 14HR TO 191 DEGREES IN THE FATTY END.. WRAPED IT IN FOIL AND PUT IT IN A ICE CHEST(NO ICE) FOR 2HOURS. I SEPARATED THE FLAT FROM THE THICK FATTY END. THE FLAT WAS VERY TENDER BUT A LITTLE DRY. THE FATTY END WAS STILL A LITTLE RUBBERY SO A COOKED IT IN THE OVEN AT 300 FOR 2 HOURS. IT WAS JUST OK.

LAST WEEKEND I FIGURED I WOULD TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I COOKED A 12LB CHOICE PACKER BRISKET AT 225 FOR 10HOURS TO 188DEGREES IN THE FLAT END.THEN I WRAPPED IT IN HD FOIL-PUT IT BACK IN AT 200DEG FOR 4HR-THEN TURNED THE CS DOWN TO 150 FOR 2 MORE HOURS. WHEN I PULLED IT OUT WARM I COULD NOT CUT IT WITHOUT IT FALLING APART . I PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE FOR A COUPLE HOURS THEN SLICED IT UP. BOTH THE FLAT AND FATTY END WERE TENDER AND JUICY-MAYBE TOO TENDER BECAUSE YOU DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE TEETH TO CHEW IT!

I HAVE A 055 AND USED 3-4 PIECES OF WOOD.
I USE AN ELECTRONIC DIGITAL THERMOMETER WITH THE PROBE WIRE RUNNING UP THRU THE SMOKE HOLE.

THIS WEEKEND I AM GOING TO TRY AN 18LB SHOULDER CLOD. ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS?

One of my buddies at work has been trying to tell me that the Shift key on his computer is stuck. Maybe he was telling me the truth.

Is your real name Earl??

You can break the clod into several muscles.

Some will be slicable and the other is pullable at about 195� internal.

You can also foil it about 165� with a little sauce or stock and speed up the cook somewhat.

Shoulder Clod

Sorry for the stuck caps key. It's been a long time since typing 101.