SO i made brisket for the first time over the weekend. it was a 16.6lb prime packer and i trimmed it down to 10.2lbs. i separated the point and the flat and i had to cut the flat into 2 pieces to fit it in the smoker (i have a small vertical). so when i got through the stall (which was at 160) at 165 i wrapped the point and one of the flats. i wanted to see what happens when i don't wrap a flat. i wrapped in foil and i added back in some of the juices that dripped out during the cook. when the wrapped point reached 205 i put it in the faux cambro after opening to let the steam out. when the wrapped flat reaches 203 i put it in the faux cambro with the point. the other flat piece took another 2 hours to reach 198 and i did a probe test and i thought it was tender enough so i took it off, wrapped it, put it in the faux cambro when i was taking the other pieces out to cut up. i left the unwrapped in the cambro for only 1.5 hours.
the brisket i didn't wrap had an amazing bark and was surprisingly moist. i was very pleased. the brisket i did wrap came out dry, but fairly tender in the meat. the unwrapped brisket held together under its own weight but took very little effort to break apart. the wrapped brisket was somewhat difficult to pull apart.
so if i overcooked the wrapped brisket i would have expected it to fall apart but be dry but that certainly wasn't the case. i don't know how i can end up with a wrapped brisket that ends up being tender in the meat, tough to pull apart with hands, and fairly dry? the main difference i can think of is that i made the mistake of pulling the wrapped flat based on temp and i didn't do a probe for tenderness test before i cambro'd it, whereas the unwrapped brisket i did the probe test before i cambro'd it. does a brisket go from tough and dry to moist and tender or does dryness just happen and once it's dry it's dry?
the brisket i didn't wrap had an amazing bark and was surprisingly moist. i was very pleased. the brisket i did wrap came out dry, but fairly tender in the meat. the unwrapped brisket held together under its own weight but took very little effort to break apart. the wrapped brisket was somewhat difficult to pull apart.
so if i overcooked the wrapped brisket i would have expected it to fall apart but be dry but that certainly wasn't the case. i don't know how i can end up with a wrapped brisket that ends up being tender in the meat, tough to pull apart with hands, and fairly dry? the main difference i can think of is that i made the mistake of pulling the wrapped flat based on temp and i didn't do a probe for tenderness test before i cambro'd it, whereas the unwrapped brisket i did the probe test before i cambro'd it. does a brisket go from tough and dry to moist and tender or does dryness just happen and once it's dry it's dry?
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