Diagnosis Murder (a beefy tale)

[dillywe]

Did anyone else watch Dick Van Dyke's Diagnosis Murder back in 90s? That was good stuff...

Anyway, I smoked a 10.5lb USDA choice brisket from Costco yesterday for a few friends. I was really pleased with the flavor, I kept it simple with salt & pepper and I had some hickory chunks from a friend. Best tasting brisket I've smoked (this is only #3 or #4). The point was mouth-watering good, but the flat failed the pull test and the grain was pretty tight (see pic).

I'm trying to figure out what factor(s) played a role so I can correct:

- First time using a frozen brisket; decent amount of purge but still juicy
- Temp hit 380 in the PBC after lighting and steadily dropped to 340, which is when I put the meat on with a few hickory sticks
- Pit temp was 290-300 45 min into cook so used some foil
- Smooth cook thereafter w/ average pit temp 255-260
- Wrapped in foil after 8 hours after enough bark; at this point, parts of the flat were clearly not probe tender and were 165ish; point and corners of brisket were 180-195 degrees and were nearly probe tender
- Cook went another hour wrapped in foil, so 9 hrs total cook time; flat was 200 degrees but not probe tender, point was 203-209 and was like buttah
- Rested two hours in faux cambro

Also after leaving for 2 hours, I came back and there was a grease fire in the PBC, smoke was dirty (but thankfully I didn't taste it in the finished product) and pit temp was 280 and had been there for about 30 min. (edit: if it matters, this occurred right before I wrapped the meat in foil).

Is there anything that may have really affected the flat's tenderness? Temp spikes? Should've keep on smoker until flat was probe tender even if point pushed beyond ~205-210 degrees? I'm taking guesses, I really don't know where I went sideways.

Thanks for your advice and two cents!!!

[Steve B]

Maybe looks can be deceiving cause those pics are beautiful. Nice smoke ring too

[Huskee]

I agree!

[FireMan]

Anyway, no cliff hanger here. Great looking cook!

[PaulstheRibList]

Oh, that fine line between not done (not yet tender)...and dry & crumbly! In my opinion, the art of Brisket is in discerning when to pull? When is it done? I have a choice brisket, not of the usual brand we cook, in the oven, 203 in the flat, and NOT TENDER at all. I left it in for a bit more. (It's in the oven because a torrential rain came down while I had 3 briskets and 2 butts on the Jambo in my driveway!)

If it's not tender, then it needed a little longer on the cook. I haven't been able to discern that a temp spike like you mentioned would cause the issue you had, but my feeling it that it did not. Level temps are best, but I've cooked great temps with a 50 degree swing on the pit.

I'll let you know how mine come out.

[RonB]

I was also concerned on my first packer brisket cook because the point was ready before the flat. I was told here that was normal, and to let it continue to cook 'till the flat was tender. That worked for me as well as all the guests.

[DWCowles]

Beautiful!!!

[fzxdoc]

I agree that the photos look great, but I take your word for it that the flat was not tender. For sure it could have cooked until the flat was probe tender. You'd be surprised what even another couple of degrees internal can do.

No loss, though. Just chop that flat and serve it in sammies! It will still taste delicious.

Briskets can handle that temp spike with no probs, at least for the ones I've done. Plus I wouldn't call 280° a temp spike. PBCs love running that hot. I do almost all of my briskies at the 260-290° range.

Just to clarify: did you put the brisket in frozen or did you thaw it first? Doc Blonder says smoking frozen meat is the bee's knees.

Kathryn

[Butchman]

Good info here, I've run into the same issues. So is the answer then to place the thermometer in the flat and not worry about the point?
lat one I cooked the point was great but the flat failed pull test.

[Huskee]

I agree those sliced pictures are wonderful! And I LOVED that show! That and Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, Paradise, and MacGyver.

[Jerod Broussard]

Dr. Quin, floozy in disguise always looking to hack on somebody, with a Michael Bolton hubby to boot

[dillywe]

Awesome, thanks for the pointers, sounds like I may let that flat go a little longer and float up to ~200. I'm going to put the advice to work tomorrow, I'm picking up another brisket tonight, hopefully prime

And I appreciate the commentary re: pit temp spikes, that will help me relax and not be my usual OCD self