First time user and cooking a brisket

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of info already out here for new brisket cooks.

Are you using a Cookshack? Check this link.
http://forum.cookshack.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4091028883/m/5541046064

For basic Brisket info, read my Brisket 101:
http://www.cookshack.com/brisket-101

For more Brisket details, check the Brisket archive:
http://forum.cookshack.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/2491028883

Based on the weight, I'm guessing you have a brisket flat. These are frequently trimmed of excess fat which is desirable for smoking briskets. If it is a flat, I would smoke to 170-175 to avoid drying out. This should allow you to slice it without the meat being too dry.

I personally like a 50/50 mixture of mesquite and white oak for briskets. I put my rub on the day before smoking.

quote:

Originally posted by estesbubba:
These are frequently trimmed of excess fat which is desirable for smoking briskets.

For me, on flats, I prefer a fair bit of fat to keep them moist, and I don't do small flats, they tend to try out.

I like a minimum of 6 or 8 in a flat.

If it's trimmed REAL close, just watch it close.

My wording was a little confusing. I meant that fat is desirable.

Thanks guys for your great advice. Currently smoking on our SM55 at 200 degrees, 6.2 pound trimmed brisket on the top rack. Due to the small size, I lowered the temp to 200 degrees or should I stay at 225. Started at 8am, west coast time.

I'm shooting for a meat temp of 170-175 degrees mentioned by estesbubba.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

I'm no expert on small flats,but I'd still cook at 225*.

Unless you have a commercial slicer,flats at 170* can be pretty tough to slice,even across the grain.

The quality of the flat,can have a lot to do with the finished product.

We tend to cook large choice flats,like Smokin'Okie and start sticking a temp probe,or a long tined meat fork,through them about 192*- 195*.

It may have to cook longer.

When it slides through like butter,you can slice easily into pencil thick slices,across the grain, that you can gently pull apart.

Let set a couple hrs in foil in a warm cooler,and it will help.

If it too tough on the first slice,slice it thinner.

If it trys to fall apart,slice it thicker.

Hopes this helps a little.

LOL! Tom "IS" an expert on brisket. Follow his advice and you will more than likely have success.

Thanks again guys! I've upped the heat to 225 from about 210ish. Can't wait to see what happens!!!

Think about this: we do jerky at 200* to dry it out. You can dry out a trimmed flat like you have there the same way: leaving it in too long on low heat. You want it up full blast and your temp probe in the thickest portion of the meat. It will need to be at least 185* to come tender. Next time you hanker for a brisket, get you a big old untrimmed packer. You can cook them on 200* until the cows come home, or until it is done, whichever comes first. Lower and slower is for big fatty hunks of meat.

Thanks GLH. It's 5:21pm and I've got 5 bucks riding on the temp rising from 154* to 159* in the next hour! I keep telling my honored guest that "It's done when it's done" but so far she is not impressed with me. Temp has gone down from 156 to 154, I'm a little nervous about my 5 bucks. Cookshack temp still set to 225*, just waiting for the temp to RISE.

Well now,when she reads Smokin's suggested readin',she'll see that there is a process of consumin'heat ,to create the desired process,which gives up some heat to get there.

Lots of tech explanations,but most good bbq cooks will say to go with Smokin's logic, that "it's done when it's done"

Lost my 5 bucks, but no problem, I know tomorrow nights dinner with be "smokin'". I'm now at 155* on the internal temp and I know it "will be done when it's done." As for now, I will fire up the BBQ for chicken tonight and take comfort in the fact that my wife is still hotter than my smokin' brisket.

Yep, that's called the plateau it was in at the time. Process of breaking down fat and collagen and such to make it tender. Some, including me at times, will turn it up all the way and push through the plateau. Then there are some round these parts that just put a big old untrimmed packer in on 200* and let it go 24 hours before even thinking about checking the temp. It works for them.

Good advice to you would be to take good notes, map out how your smoker heats at different thermostat settings, experiment alot.

Every time I do a brisket, I put it on before going to bed. I absolutely love getting up in the morning and being in the homes stretch. I use Cookshacks brisket rub...good stuff. I pull the brisket at about 190. I then mix some of the morning coffee, a tad more rub and some sauce together, pour it over the brisket and double wrap in foil. Into the cooler they go. They probably rise another five degrees or so.
Excellent results.

At this point, I am really bummed I did not do one last night....

I love going to bed at night with something in the smoker. I find the faint smell of hickory smoke to be just as soothing as rain. But you can't eat rain the next morning.

Finally finished about 11:30p. Took it out at 187*, poured the homemade BBQ sauce and double foiled it. Then, I turned it down to 200* and put it in for another 40min. Just before bed, I rapped in a towel and put it in the cooler overnight.

RESULTS: Looks beautiful and I can pull it apart with my fingers. May be a bit more dry than it should be but it taste fantastic. Dinner tonight will be the test.

You guys helped make this an informative and fun first smoke and I greatly appreciate your input.

Happy Smokin'

Dinner was great! Turned out pretty darn good considering. Was slightly dry, but not bad at all for a NEWBIE like me.

Attached is a photo of the final product.

Dinner was great! Turned out pretty darn good considering. Was slightly dry, but not bad at all for a NEWBIE like me.

Attached are some action photos.

Looks good, but dry. Next time, choose an untrimmed and when it starts coming out of the plateau and the temps start rising fast again, usually around 170*, foil with about a cup of strong black coffee and beef broth mixture. Seal tightly with HD or XHD foil and let it go to at least 195*.

Thanks for the Q-porn !

Hi Tom,

In your first response to this post you said, "we tend to cook large choice flats". I am wondering if you prefer large choice flats overall (including packers) or just compared to smaller flats? Thanks.

Brett

We prefer to never cook a flat!

Guys that vend/cater will do it to save people/labor time.

Yield can be as high as 65%,time is shorter,labor is less.

A GREAT quality flat cooks fine,if you have some experience.

The point is what cooks want to eat.

Like GLH says,or paint it with about 2/3 cup Cookshack mild sauce and a little CS brisket rub.

Be sure of what the temp at your RACK is.

Start it at 225*,after foiling kick it up to 250*.

I have had maybe a dozen flats come done as low as 187*,and lots of folks don't cook as many burgers as we cooked briskets.

Take it until it probes like soft butter and let it set in a hot box for two-three hrs.

I'm not advocating foil,for anything except speeding up the timeline-or sometimes lower quality meats,or SEVERAL failures you can't eat .

Smokin' will say to learn the cooker thru experience and take good notes.

Then,you can adjust for anything.