Hanging a brisket 'til it's done?

[alecksjaycubs]

Anybody ever let a brisket stay hanging until it's completely done? Or does it get too tender and fall off the hook?

[Jerod Broussard]

It might could make it if it was short enough (so the end does not over cook) and you put at least two hooks in it. I have put three in some really long ones.

I let some hang close to 8 hours (almost done), and the ends were way too dark and overcooked. Typically the second hook is in the thickest part of the flat, and could probably almost hold longer than you would ever need.

I have had the brisket come off the first hook, not a problem since I always put two hooks, unless I am dealing with just part of a point. They (parts of a point) do fine since they are not holding a whole lot of weight. I cut the top of the point off if the briskets are over 18-19" to get them a little farther from the charcoal basket.

This past weekend was my best brisket cook ever. I let them hang for about 5.5 hours, had the fat caps facing in to get them dark enough by that point, then put them all fat cap up on the grate, had two make it to 203-ish without wrapping, the 2 others, which were thicker, got wrapped once barked enough and were just a tad longer. I had to do some rotating in order to get them on the bottom grate and in some heat to get the flats barked up enough. I also kept an average middle of the pit temp of 247.