I'm still working on my brisket (which is the apex BBQ). My last brisket came out relatively well, but not exceptional. The point was excellent, the burnt ends were near perfect, but the flat was a bit dry, and a bit chalky by comparison. I can't tell if it's overdone, or if it's underdone.
I had a massive brisket and did an 18 hour cook followed by a 12 hour rest in a faux cambro. The cook was done in a Primo Oval XL (with ceramic deflectors underneath). Temperatures were monitored and regulated using my Fireboard control and a BBQ Guru Pitbull fan. Interestingly enough, I never saw any sign of a stall. Check out my graph:
I wrapped in butcher paper at about 180F (it got there way too quickly, and I didn't feel that the bark was completely set), and I placed the wrapped brisket in an aluminum foil boat. Once it reached almost 200 degrees internal, I began to worry, so I pulled the heat back to about 215F, causing the last 3 or 4 degrees to take a few additional hours. Over the course of the cook, I poked different places in the brisket to try and find colder spots, making them my new reference points. You can see a few little jumps in the graph. When I removed it from the grill, the internal temperature in the coldest part of the brisket was showing about 203.8F, with reasonable overall jiggle.
After scouring some message boards, most people are saying that the thermometer probe should always be positioned in the thickest part of the flat. I'll try to do that next time. At any rate, the flat was pull apart tender, but it just wasn't nearly as pleasant as the point (either texture or flavor). How can I tell the difference between overdone and underdone flat? Should I have left it in the grill longer, or should I have taken it out sooner? Should I have gone even lower with my temps? What do you guys use as your reference point?
--- AS AN ASIDE ---
How are you guys reheating your brisket the next day? I just recently bought the Anova Precision Oven, which has steam and sous vide modes among other things. Would it be better to heat up a hunk of brisket in that on a wet setting, or would it be best to slice my brisket first and then zap it in the microwave for a few seconds with a teaspoon of water covered in plastic wrap?
I will probably try doing a hybrid brisket in that thing (sous vide mode) and compare results next week.
-- edit ---
To address some of the comments, I wanted to clarify:
* The brisket was a USDA Prime packer from Costco. I can't remember exactly how many pounds it was before I trimmed it, but it was an $85 cut, and quite large relatively speaking.
* I salted it quite liberally and added an additional rub made of fresh, coarsely ground coriander, black peppercorns, and garlic powder. I let it sit for 24 hours with this rub before cooking it. I will admit, however, that it could have used even more salt despite the generous amount that I used along the entire outside.
I had a massive brisket and did an 18 hour cook followed by a 12 hour rest in a faux cambro. The cook was done in a Primo Oval XL (with ceramic deflectors underneath). Temperatures were monitored and regulated using my Fireboard control and a BBQ Guru Pitbull fan. Interestingly enough, I never saw any sign of a stall. Check out my graph:
I wrapped in butcher paper at about 180F (it got there way too quickly, and I didn't feel that the bark was completely set), and I placed the wrapped brisket in an aluminum foil boat. Once it reached almost 200 degrees internal, I began to worry, so I pulled the heat back to about 215F, causing the last 3 or 4 degrees to take a few additional hours. Over the course of the cook, I poked different places in the brisket to try and find colder spots, making them my new reference points. You can see a few little jumps in the graph. When I removed it from the grill, the internal temperature in the coldest part of the brisket was showing about 203.8F, with reasonable overall jiggle.
After scouring some message boards, most people are saying that the thermometer probe should always be positioned in the thickest part of the flat. I'll try to do that next time. At any rate, the flat was pull apart tender, but it just wasn't nearly as pleasant as the point (either texture or flavor). How can I tell the difference between overdone and underdone flat? Should I have left it in the grill longer, or should I have taken it out sooner? Should I have gone even lower with my temps? What do you guys use as your reference point?
--- AS AN ASIDE ---
How are you guys reheating your brisket the next day? I just recently bought the Anova Precision Oven, which has steam and sous vide modes among other things. Would it be better to heat up a hunk of brisket in that on a wet setting, or would it be best to slice my brisket first and then zap it in the microwave for a few seconds with a teaspoon of water covered in plastic wrap?
I will probably try doing a hybrid brisket in that thing (sous vide mode) and compare results next week.
-- edit ---
To address some of the comments, I wanted to clarify:
* The brisket was a USDA Prime packer from Costco. I can't remember exactly how many pounds it was before I trimmed it, but it was an $85 cut, and quite large relatively speaking.
* I salted it quite liberally and added an additional rub made of fresh, coarsely ground coriander, black peppercorns, and garlic powder. I let it sit for 24 hours with this rub before cooking it. I will admit, however, that it could have used even more salt despite the generous amount that I used along the entire outside.
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