Bottom of my brisket got burned, any suggestions?

[FlipprDolphin]

Hi.

I have a Camp Chef 24SG (the one that slides to open up the firebox for direct heating) and I decided to make a brisket on it. I have done 3 other cooks before and turned out great (2 chickens and 1 meatballs), but this one the first brisket on it. I did it 225 fat cap down. It turned out OK i think, but the fat cap got burned and hard as a rock. Also this brisket was a very large one and it was my first trim; an 18 lb Choice (it was on sale for $1.77 and went for the one that looked the best).

I did not wrap it and started it around 10PM. The following day it seemed like it was taking forever and going from 194 to 195 took at least an hour or 2. It was getting late (around 7PM), so I just pulled it. Maybe my probe was in the wrong spot; i don't know. The point was very tender and the flat was not buttery insertion. But when I pulled it i could tell that the bottom was like cardboard and VERY hard. There was not a large temp shifts during it; the left side was 225 +- 10 and the right side was around 30 degrees higher apparently. It started off even but then went to this shift. So I rotated the beef after 6 hours and another time 6 hours after that (or around there). A suggestion from reddit was to put the brisket on the top shelf of the smoker and a water pan underneath for next time, but I didn't think that would be something I would have to do.


Here is the brisket: https://imgur.com/gallery/PlR9GjO

Before this I contacted Camp Chef because it seemed my heat deflector was warped and the slide part barely slid unless I used a lot of force.

https://imgur.com/a/dota0Tw

Here was their response about the deflector: the heat deflector it is made from steel. It is a cold rolled steel that can rust and warp due to environment, high heat and drippings from fat and sauces, and is a normal process for steel. This will not affect the performance of the grill.


So then I took a video of the sliding part https://youtu.be/1ak6eE6SkWo and they agreed to send me a new deflector (will be here soon i hope).

[Jerod Broussard]

Do you run a digital thermometer near the meat you are cooking? I find the lowest grate in my pellet runs substantially higher than what the pellet says the temperature is. Lotta radiant heat coming off that dude.

[FlipprDolphin]

Yes. Thermoworks Smoke.

[jfmorris]

I've wrapped every brisket I've done so far, usually around 160F or so, after it has plenty of bark. Mine have been on the offset or kettle, cooked fat cap up, to deal with the fact that it is hotter higher above the grate in those cookers. I think I would be afraid to dry the brisket out if I didn't wrap in foil or butcher paper. I think cooking for over 20 hours without wrapping probably dried out your brisket. Probe placement is also key - on the same grate level as the meat, but not too close to it for the pit temperature. And in the thickest part of the FLAT (not the point) for the meat probe on your Smoke. Stay out of the fat layer between the flat and point.

[Dr ROK]

When cook multiple butts on my Yoder, I have to rotate the bottom shelf butts to the top and visa versa after 4 or 5 hours due to the bottom shelf being about 20 - 30 degrees hotter than the top shelf. I'd recommend cooking on top shelf next time.

[Troutman]

Yea I'm with jfmorris on this one, 20 hours? OMG it's lucky the whole thing wasn't a burnt meteorite. I always cook on the lower rack (maybe I need to try the upper rack who knows?), fat cap down like you did, and do wrap at the stall (butcher paper). I cook at 275* and am ready for the cambro in no more than 8-9 hours. With 2-3 hours in the cambro I total out at 10-12 hours max. Sounds like you simply left it on too long. Also sounds like you need to start crutching and try the upper rack as they mentioned above.

But hey, what's most important? Don't give up my friend. Keep trying, you'll get it !!!

[Ahumadora]

Good advice above. I worry about it being Tender than super thick bark so nearly always wrap in foil. Not sure why your brisket needs 20 hours. I cooked a 14lb one the other day in 5 hours at 325f. Came out perfect.

[Ahumadora]

Here it is 325F for 5 hours and 6 beers

[panteracfh3]

Where was the probe when you were testing the meat's temperature? I usually probe from the middle of the side of the flat & point.

To shorten the time, 250-275 cooking temp works and don't be opposed to crutching to maintain some moisture (I prefer butcher paper but that's just personal preference). Both of those will allow you to plow through the stall and significantly decrease the cook time as well as retain moisture.

This cook may not have turned out the way you want but keep trying. Maybe even dial it down to just a flat so you don't have to go through a whole packer? Let us know when you try it again!

[JGo37]

I guess I'd have to create an account and sign in to see your stuff?

If you put anything in 235F for 12 hours, I think it would reach 235F. I cut the fat cap off and lift the flat away from the point and cut out the suet that sits in there too. If the brisket seems 'dry' to me - you get impressions after handling a few - I inject with low sodium beef broth. (I should use my own stock, but that now goes to Meathead 's Pho broth). I baste at the stall with squirts of an Irish butter-based concoction of my own using a Blackstone squirt bottle.

I set probes in the dead center of the point and the middle of the flat. I pretty much give up on the thin end of the flat - sometimes it's great, sometimes it's dry and I cube it for things like omelets or chili.

Don't try to get anything you do to look like Ahumadora 's work - he's been gifted by the gods and isn't quite like the rest of us.

[Ahumadora]

Thanks JGo37 You just need to use some good Argentine grass fed beef and increase your beer consumption to do a brisket like that. I didn't actually pay much attention to it and only use a thermopen when it is getting close to 203F

[Ahumadora]

https://goo.gl/bpgsgQ here's that brisket doing it's floppy thing. 5 hours !!! I may havve to drop the temp to allow more beer time.

[jacmac422]

I agree with everyone that it was probably cooked too long. My advise would be to put it in the top shelf with a water pan on the lower shelf.