You have two 13lb packers in the CS. You're entertaining 12 friends for the Ram's opening game at Philly. You wake up at the end of a storm at 5:00 am and your CS is off.
What do you do? Panic?
Well, first thing to do is easy. You flip the circuit breaker back on and fire up the CS.
How much longer do you cook, because you haven't a clue as to how long the CS was down? Easy, just use your Polder as a guide.
And, what if your Polder shorted out during the storm? Time for panic and/or guessing?
Nope. You rely on the only accurate test for doneness with briskets...you use your "magic fork". You start checking when you thought your briskets would have cooked about 1.5 hrs per lb. You insert a kitchen fork into many areas of the brisket. If it slides in AND slides out everywhere you poke...it's done.
No two briskets cook alike. No brisket cooks consistantly throughout, nor is there a pattern to the brisket's temperature distribution.Thus, cooking brisket by internal temperature is merely an approximation. Likewise with cooking brisket by time. An hour and a half per pound works...much of the time (as does 195 internal temp)...but far from all of the time.
The only foolproof method is the "magic fork". It will never fail you. It's always 100% accurate.
Our outside electricity went out last night...for how long we have no clue. Our Polders didn't short out. When they hit 195, I'll open the CS and use the fork. If not done, no problem. If the Polders had been shorted out, no problem either...I'd just start poking 19 hours after I put the briskets in the CS.
Much lore about brisket has been offered over the years. Using a fork is still the only way to guarantee you a great brisket every time out.
Double Lazy
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