Brisket size this time of year.

bembring,
I have been getting briskets that weigh 12 lbs. or a little over. I buy them by the case.It must be a few younger steers they are running through right now. Sooner or later they will have to butcher the older ones too.
I usually use hickory to smoke brisket. The cherry is a mild flavored wood. I like it on chicken and on sausage.

At the "end" of the season, because of the hot weather in summer, pork prices go up, weight goes down. Same with beef.

Seems they sweat too much in the summer to keep any weight on.

Here is my report.

This brisket was very tender.
From now on I will not turn down a small brisket it was realy good.
Checked it at 180 for ease of probe took it to 185 was like butter.
Took it out of my Amerique, then wrapped it in foil with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup apple juice put into ice chest for an hour and half hour before serving.

The taste from cherry mixed with mesquite was not strong, but didnt taste as good as hickory.
Next time I will try all mesquite using 4 oz.

Thank you,
Brian

Them poor babies are still sweating here.

I'm calling PETA!

Bembring,

I was hoping you would provide us with your details on how you cooked the brisket(temp, time, trimmed etc.) and seasonings you used. The briskets I have cooked on my Amerique have turned out drier than what I like, it sounds like yours turned out about perfect, so I would really appreciate the details. Thanks.

Hi B.Tatton,

Packer Brisket untrimed
Set Amerique at 225 temp
Cookshack Brisket rub
Put it on the second rack.
Wood I experimented with this cook, usally use 6 oz of hickory.
Checked it at 180 for ease of probe took it to 185 was like butter.
Took it out of my Amerique, then wrapped it in foil with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup apple juice put into ice chest wrapped in a towel for an hour and half hour before serving.

I hope this helps.

What temp did you cook at and what was the temp of your brisket when you took it out of the smoker.
Did you let it rest before serving.

Thank you,
Brian E.

Hi Bembring,

Thanks for your response. I have started my briskets at 200* for about the first 7 hours and then I bump it to 225* until it reaches 190*. The briskets I have cooked have been around 14 lbs and have taken almost 20 hours to get to 190*. Once they hit 190* I foil them and put them in a cooler wrapped in towels for a couple hours. They taste good, but they are dry and the bottom of the brisket has been cooked to the point that it is difficult to cut through.

I wonder if starting them at the lower temperature slows down the cooking process to the point that I am drying them out by the time it gets to 190*? I have also wondered about my thermometers not being accurate because when I test ice water it shows a temp of around 37-39* and boiling water around 200*. I have tested 3 different thermometers and they are all pretty close, so I wonder if the elevation of 4500 feet above sea level factors into that.

How long did it take to get your brisket to 185*

Thanks.

Brett

Hi Brett,

This cook started about 9:00 pm and finished around 4:00 pm
Only had one brisket in it, which takes longer then a fully loaded one.
Also mine is one of the first ones with a 750 watt heating element, the new ones are 1,000 watt.
Here are a couple of links on high altitude cooking
http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/081893.html
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__5790807.pdf

Thank you,
Brian

Well,I'm no expert,but I have cooked a few in assorted Cookshacks.

I haven't had the chance yet on an AQ,nor at high altitude.

Most folks would consider themselves fortunate to get a packer in Ca.

Stores can usually order by large ,or small case,as well as the seasonal issues.

Sometimes smaller "could" come from younger animals,which sometimes can be more tender beef.

Moistness may well come from the quality/grade of the packer and defy cooking technique.

We find internal temp to be an indicator of when to start poke testing a packer.

My extremes have gone from 186º to over 212º.

Rarely,do I get one to come tender at 190º,but other cooks do.

Brisket is usually considered the most difficult product to cook well consistently.

Practice and some percent of dissatisfaction are the typical keys.


Did you try adding a cup of beef broth/black coffee,etc to the foil you let it rest in?

Just a couple of thoughts.

Tom:

quote:

My extremes have gone from 186º to over 212º.

Rarely,do I get one to come tender at 190º,but other cooks do.

What do you find to be a "ballpark ideal" temp to take your briskets to?

Thanks!

We cook a lot of IBP choice packers, around 15 lbs.

We do some trimming of excess fat.

We start low for a few hours,and increase to 225º-240º.

It takes around 70 mins/lb,to get above 195º.

It will usually poke tender, before 200º.

Ours typically set in a warm cooler,with about a cup of broth,etc,for at least two hours.

The temp can rise a few degrees.

I made a longer reply,because I feel that the conditions may control the timing.


Hope this helps a little.

Hey thanks for these posts Tom!

Some of us need all the help we can get with our briskets, which is why I don't offer advice on them, not enough experience. I need to practice my briskets. I haven't finished one yet that my BH loved, and she loves beef. I have enjoyed them, however, on sammiches.

Peace.

Yessir.

Let us know what you aren't liking and maybe some of us can give a little help.

Tom --- Do you usually (turn your head Smokin) "foil" at 160º or do you feel that foiling with broth when pulled from the Smokette at 195º - 205º is sufficient?

Thanks!

Tom,

I rest my brisket in a cooler wrapped in foil with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 apple juice.
When you rest yours with beef broth and black coffee, is it instant or drip coffee?
Is it better then water and apple juice?
Also how does the beef taste using that mixture of broth and coffee to rest in?
Do you taste coffee?

Thank you,
Brian.

I find my standard Cookshacks to be very moist cookers and don't like to foil.

They are efficient so they don't oversmoke-one reason pure stickburners may foil on long cooks.


They don't flow large volumes of air,like some offset style stickburners,which is a cause of drying out.

If I'm cooking several packers, in my larger Cookshack,I'm too lazy to foil them all.

Smokin' taught me to learn to cook on my cooker,and then worry about tricks.

Every brisket is different.

If I am cooking an Excel select, or ungraded cutter,etc. I may adjust.

This could be from an 18 yr old dairy bull,or a wild longhorn.

These should have been ground for burger,or maybe a pot roast.

If so ,I'm looking for color and bark,but by 170ºI'd probably add some liquid.

In my regular Cookshacks,I tend to cook fat up and not on the top,or bottom racks.

As to liquid,some don't believe in any.

"Crutch" users,or vendor/caterers like black coffee,because it was usually around and cheap.

There are recipes for sauces and rubs,where coffee adds a flavor variance,that doesn't really taste like coffee.

If you use liquid,there are no rules.

Broth,coffee,vinegar,olive oil,wooster,bbq sauce,salad dressing,soup,hot sauce,water &rub,seasonall,msg,celery seed,beef base,wine vinegar,balsamic vinegar,liquid margarine,butter,liquid bouquet,soy sauce,teriyaki sauce,multiple blends of fruit juices,etc.

Thanks Tom:
Your help and all the facts you provide us with are fantastic. It has rally been a valuable help to me since I bought my AmeriQue 6 months ago.

Thanks for the kind words.

Smokin' Okie usually caries the load,but he's has been buried in projects,lately.

Tom,

Thank you for this info