probing brisket

I would recommend brisket in the 180 range for slicing. It is easier to slice once chilled. I have found that 190-95 is very nice for brisket but it tends to fall apart and melt in your mouth. Many people prefer texture somewhat of roast beef. I would try another one at 180 and see if this is too firm.

I have had the distinct pleasure of cooking with, who I consider to be, two of the better brisket cooks on the competition circuit. The first being my first mentor, Dr. BBQ. The second being our own, Tom. Both have taught me the process of probing each flat to determine the doneness or tenderness of each. And on top of that, the importance of letting the briskets rest after reaching this point. And I am not talking about resting for 30 minutes. I am speaking of 3-4 hours in a preheated cooler or insulated food carrier.

Finding the proper tenderness to slice for comps is a very small window but one well worth the practice to understand.

This is why I always test briskets starting around 190-193 and continuing until it pokes correctly. That may be 195, 200, or all the way up to 210. Each brisket is different and should be dealt with as an invidual.

This is what I have learned. And another excellent brisket cook here is SmokinOkie. Unfortunately, I have never been fortuante enough to cook with him.

Since you've had five that didn't suit you,try one like Ribdog suggested.

Worse case,it will be fall apart tender,and then you will know.It should still be fine eating.

Best case,you will come out with good brisket,and you will then be on track to hone your favorite product.

Remember,what Ribdog suggested is a several step process,not a single snapshot in time.

Typically, brisket will be sliced about the width of a number two pencil.


If it tries to fall apart,slice a little thicker.

If too tough,slice more thinly.

In my experience,a 180* brisket,fresh off the cooker,sliced 1/4 inch thick,would take a couple of stout men to pull the slice in two.

But,that's just my experience.

Try again and take good notes.

Sometimes, it will still come down to the quality of the hunk of meat.

thanks for the advice guys!!! i need to pay more attention to how the probe goes in than what the thermometer is saying. i also need to rest the brisket properly as ribdog mentioned.

The probe should go right through the other side,in several places.

I haven't ever come up with a good description to to you what it will feel like. Practice will tell you.

Get a sense of how easy it goes through and when you slice it, take note of your sense. Was the final result what you want? Then remember. If not, next time does it need to go in easier.

not to beat a dead horse but should i probe top to bottom of the brisket or go into the side of the brisket or does it make a difference. i've been going into the side of the flat(parallel with the brisket as it lays on the rack) and that is when i catch resistance the further i push it in. the probe might go through top to bottom with more ease if i were to do it that way. just want to learn the right way from the experts.

In inserting the probe for a remote therm that watches the internal temp, I put it in at an angle in the middle of the flat. Of course, trying to approximate that the thermistor in the probe is in the middle of the brisket on both an up and down & a side to side aproximation.

In testing for tenderness, I use the probe on a Thermopen going top to bottom.

Does this answer your question?

yes this helps. i was thinking the probe should pass easy as you were discussing for monitor temp to check for tenderness which i think will probably never happen while still being able to slice it. i bet at 190-195 my probe would pass easy top to bottom. i'll try it next time.

Because of the "mass" of the brisket, going where John said is a good Average. If you probe too close to the edge, the middle won't be tender. Go for center of the middle of the flat.

The therm probe is not a highly required piece of technical equipment .

A cook doing 50 packers,may go down the row with his two tined meat fork.

If he pokes it and it falls easily off the fork,he probably is satisfied.

If it hangs on the fork ,and won't release,come back in an hour and poke it again.

Like Smokin' repeats endlessly,take good notes that are useful to you.

This allows us to repeat our successes,or adjust our next try.

Smokin' also stresses the personal experience of cooking several,to know what it feels like,the next time.

We all would like to know the perfect feel,touch,temp,pull,resistance,etc., for the first time we cook something, that we might feel is costly,or time consuming.

It ain't going to happen,but it gives us the pleasure of cooking several,and eating still usually good meals.

Hope this helps a little.