PBC brisket emergency!!!!

[ILikePigButts]

I'm doing my first PBC brisket cook and I was trying to keep the temperature as close to 275 as possible. I kept running a bit low and getting around 220 so in an effort to bring the temperature back up I cracked the lid about a half inch. It seemed to be taking a while for the temp to rise so I came inside and started looking at burnt ends recipes. When I looked at my temp it read 430!! I panicked and tried to drop the temp as fast as possible so I poured some water over the coals but I'm still at 340. Also, the internal temp on the point in the brisket has been 136 for over and hour and has only raised to 138 after all this. What should I do to try to save this thing or is there no chance? I'm really disappointed with myself right now

[BBQ_Bill]

JL Smokehouse here in Phoenix starts his briskets at 475°F for the 1st 3 hours so no worries.
Don't give up, just focus and make it happen.

[xaugievike]

let her ride, it'll come back down. You can squeeze the inlet a bit shut if you want. just keep the lid opening to a minimum for now.

[ecowper]

I don’t have a PBC, so take this for what it’s worth.

First, don’t worry too much about that soaring temp. Stay calm and keep on smoking. Without making anymore drastic adjustments, let’s bring that temp down under 300F. Then keep it steady, no big changes to the PBC, let it cook steady.

Second, your brisket is going to be fine. Lots of competition folks start cooking hot, then bring it down and finish off low and slow. Staying steady and not yo-yo’ing all over the place is going to be better than anything else you can do.

Have a beer, or a whiskey, chill out in your favorite chair in the yard, smell the smoke, take 20 deep breaths, enjoy the day :-)

[ILikePigButts]

I think the beer may be the best advice lol. I comfortably got the temp down to 250 even so my confidence has been restored. The patio smells amazing and it's a beautifully crisp fall day meaning all windows are wide open and I can smell the brisket in the living room. I think I'll be okay after all

[EdF]

You'll be good, and so will it!

[ecowper]

ILikePigButts There you go brother, you’re gonna be okay. Enjoy the day!

[ILikePigButts]

I am a little confused about the internal temp though. It seems like it has been in the stall since it hit 136. It's at only 147 now and it's been about 2.5 hours. Starting to develop a good bark and blacken up a little so I may wrap it even before 160 depending on how I'm liking the look of it.

[FireMan]

Yeah chill it. I lost control due to a Celsius vs. Fahrenheit thing for about an hour before I realized what I had duhn. Everybody thought the bark was fantastic & it was edible. You are nowhere near that. You be OK. Enjoy the moment and learn.

[JeffJ]

If temps soar too much in the PBC you can jam some tin foil into a couple of the rebar holes. Trust me, that will gradually bring temps back down. Just be patient. These big, fatty cuts of meat are awfully forgiving when it comes to low/slow. I've cooked at 310 with great results. Just let the PBC do its thing.

[jecucolo]

How did the brisket turn out?

[Mr. Bones]

[ILikePigButts]

Well the brisket turned out pretty alright. Other than the flat being on the drier side it was fantastic. Still passed the pull test. Great flavor and great bark. I ended up wrapping at 151 and putting it in the oven at 325 for about an hour or so before dropping temperature down to 275 to finish it out due to time constraints. 207 was the magic IT when it was probe tender so I let it rest in my cabela cooler wrapped in its blankie for nap time lol. Wife and I really enjoyed it. I took the leftovers today and made some smoked brisket Mac and cheese to use up the drier flat and then made burnt ends out of much of the point. Results for those were nothing short of heavenly. I can't wait to take some to the guys at work for some bragging rights. I couldn't be more satisfied with the outcome of the Mac and burnt ends. Thanks to all you guys for giving me the confidence and advice to keep it going! Pics to follow may be out of order. Also had to throw in the shot of my awesome beer mug which contents gave me the inspiration all along the way lol.
​

[jecucolo]

Now we’re learning from you!

[ecowper]

That looks like some good eating!

[Mr. Bones]

Great Pics, an Fine Job, bringin it home, an to th table!!!!

Where'd ya pick up th Skellington mug? I collect such things, as one might well imagine

[ILikePigButts]

I got it at an art gallery in Akron, Ohio called Don Drumm. They have a lot of glass and metal sculptures and things like that. The mug is truly one of a kind

[Fire Art]

Looks Delicious and Nutritious

[Santamarina]

Looks like things turned out well. If anything I’m guessing that temp spike helped push through the stall. There’s a lot of talk about brisket being finicky, but I’ve actually found it very forgiving. Worst I’ve had happen was it fell apart instead of being able to slice. But it made a hulluva great brisket sandwich!

[ILikePigButts]

I agree. The articles on are make brisket seem much more challenging but after the two I've made in seeing that it is quite forgiving.

[BBQ_Bill]

Your packer brisket responds to temperature fluctuations probably 1000 times slower than your high-dollar digital thermometer. The trick to a moist flat for me is starting with quality meat, and pulling from the heat at the right time. And... practice being the best teacher. (I'm averaging around 100 smoked packers/year) So at 100/day, one can see why Aaron Franklin's are SO good!

[Santamarina]

BBQ_Bill, you’re absolutely right that quality meat makes a big difference. I’ve never cooked brisket that wasn’t USDA Prime. Costco always has great whole Prime packers for $3.79/lb. it’s probably a lot easier to screw up a Select cut.