What Happened To My Briskets?

Tell us more... how big are you accustomed to cooking when you said a single brisket?

How much did the smaller ones weigh?

Are these all flats or packers?

Cal had good questions, and I'll go one further and ask if you stacked them? I don't see how you could fit two to a shelf in a Smokette.

In any case I'm guessing some type of "enhanced" meat. That would account for all the juice and rapid temp rise.

As an occassional user, you're probably comparing two complete different cooks.

Was the one you cooked the same size, shape and cooked at the same temp?

Also, putting more in doesn't me it will take longer. The smoker doesn't know how many you have so all it will do is try to hold the temp you set.

NEVER cook on time. BBQ isn't a recipe. Time will get you close, but unless you've cooked hundreds of briskets, I would never suggest time. There are just too many variables, the main one being no two briskets are the same.

More details and we'll try to help.

Thanks for the prompt replies! I'll have to research the answers to your questions as I'm not very well versed in some of the terms.

When I cook a single brisket I usually buy it from Costco and it probably weighs about 8 pounds. It's a choice meat cut and I use a brisket rub receipe that I found in one of the forums.

The problem is the meat for last weekend's fiasco was purchased by my neighbor from Smart & Final and my neighbor made his owm rub from bottles he bought at Smart & Final. I'll have to ask him how much they all weighed but I know we fit 2 briskets to a shelf so I'm guessing they were in the 4-5 pound range each.

Chuck

If they were 4 to 5 pounds each, they were probably cut from the flat, with the point and most of the external fat removed.

I'm not familiar with Smart & Final as we don't have that chain in my vicinity. I get my briskets, whole packers, from Costco or Sams, and they range from 12 to 18 pounds. I always by choice grade. You might ask your neighbor if the meat was choice or select.

quote:

Originally posted by chkwagon:
... purchased by my neighbor from Smart & Final and my neighbor made his owm rub from bottles he bought at Smart & Final.
Chuck

There's your problem

Don't worry, read up on Brisket 101 and we'll teach you the basics.

It's critical for success with Brisket to know the terms, know what to buy and NOT to buy and if you get a flat, how to do that.

Brisket 101 (on the main entry page has the links to all the 101's) will give you the overview.

Tons of brisket info in this brisket forum so read away and ask us for any help.

I think the problem must be that one of your probes is way off, either the one you tested the meat with or the one you used to measure the temperature of your smoker. If your smoker is actually at 225* it cannot raise the temperature of the meat inside to 245*. If the meat is correctly measured at 245* then the smoker must be cooking at a temperature equal to or greater than 245*.

Thumper

Thanks to all! Looks like I need to do my homework and repeat "Brisket 101."

AFTER I do some reading I'm going to get back in the saddle and try another Costco brisket to demonstrate to my neighbor how great a correctly prepared & smoked brisket looks and tastes.

Chuck

chkwagon -- there are Smart & Finals here in So Cal as well. You have to look at the packaging before you or your friend buys. The cryovac packaging will be stamped select or choice. Sometimes you'll find both in the bin. The first brisket I cooked came from Smart & Final and it was a choice whole packer, ~16-17 lbs, in cryovac. It turned out great. The Costco in my area of So Cal doesn't sell whole briskets, only trimmed 1/2 flats and sometimes untrimmed whole flats. At ~8 lbs, it sounds like your Costco has the whole flats in cyrovac that I've seen down here. An exception is a Costco Business Center nearby where I've seen whole choice packers in the 16-18 lb range.