BBQ Failures hit a little harder

[DeusDingo]

there's something about working on something all day, even getting up extra early for it, planning the entire day around you being able to tend to it, and still being disappointed that really brings you down a peg.

i had a smaller smoker a few years ago. it was not big enough to make a whole packer, whole rack of ribs, whole pork belly, whole anything that wasn't ball shaped. i upgraded but also had a kid and didn't really get around to smoking much

i always wanted to at least try a whole packer. i always separated it because of the different cooking times and size restraints, but at least once, now that i had the space, i wanted to make a whole packer. so i tried that this last weekend.

trimming went well. as expected, it takes a lot less time to trim than to separate. seasoning went well. everything started well.

the cook seemed to be going well, if not a little fast. the far end of the flat was cruising, the big ball end of the point was not. it got to about 7ish hours in and the flat was ~200, the point was ~185. i did a probe test and they both seemed probe tender (they were wrapped in foil not long before this). i was hoping the probe test was enough and put it into a cooler to hold. the cooler, as it turns out, is crud. the cooler temp got up to maybe 119 and both sides of the brisket dropped to close to 165 in a couple of hours. i put it in the over @175 for the next couple of hours until it was dinner time. i was hoping that any differences in temp would be enough to correct the temp differences.

it was not.

it was juicy, it was tasty, it was not tender. granted, it wasn't tough, but not well made brisket tender. it was like a brisket version of prime rib. if you like your brisket with a bit of chew, i nailed it. the flat did not pull apart, the fat didn't entirely render like i wanted. granted, the far end that was the flat was spot on. it's good to know that the numbers don't lie, and i can use that as a more literal guide in the future. i can't believe the probe test failed me...

regardless my 4 year old liked it because he didn't know any better, my wife like the flavor and juiciness but agreed it wasn't tender like a brisket should be.

i'm trying again, though. the plan for next time: when the flat hits ~190, drop the temp to ~220 and let them get closer to 195 together rather than letting one be 15 degrees behind and think magic will happen without getting past the point of collagen melting.

thanks for my rant. had to get it out. here's some pictures!

[mrteddyprincess]

The appearance is spot on! Sorry about the tenderness. But really, the only way to make good brisket is to make a lot of briskets! And tough brisket can be chopped and sauced for sandwiches!

[JLR]

Every time I smoke something, I always learn and think of ways to improve next time. One of the biggest takeaways I got from Meathead's books was to keep a journal. I couldn't believe I never did.
For what it's worth, I trim a lot more of the flat off that you do because it cooks so fast. (I don't like to because its my favorite part. I save the cut offs for sausage or burgers later.) I would also trim the fat down to about 1/8 to 1/4". There's so much fat in the point I don't think it needs all the outside fat. That makes it a little thinner so it cooks a little fast to keep up with the flat.
I bet it still tasted great and you did get a really nice bark.

[bbqLuv]

Ditto on the journal.

[UncleSpike]

Don't be too hard on yourself. You could trim and cook the next one exactly the same, and have a different result. Sometimes it's actually the piece of meat that's the issue...

[Donw]

Yep, sometimes you just get an ornery piece of meat.

[Greygoose]

Yup,,,they all cook the same but different,,,

[Hulagn1971]

One thing that helped me tremendously before cooking my first brisket was learning how to trim one. I watched Aaron Franklin's brisket trimming videos over and over again and they were spot on. I first watched this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaMgt1Altys and then found this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU
Trimming is one of the most challenging aspects when getting started but once you get it down, it really is pretty easy. The part that concerned me was the amount of meat/fat that would be trimmed off to get the brisket where it needed to be before cooking. When I'm done trimming a 16-18lb prime brisket from Costco there are 3-4lbs of trimmings that have been removed. Some of it I save for burger grind mix and the hard fat goes in the trash.
One other thing that he talks about is picking out a brisket with the thickest flat. That way there isn't a thin and floppy flat leading up to a big thick point.
Cooking technique is entirely different and there are so many out there that you just find the one that works for you and roll with it. I do mine hot and fast, running the cooker in the temp range of 300-325 degrees, sometimes it runs a notch higher before settling down.
I did want to mention, yours looks spot on. That color and bark look perfect.
Hopefully the vids help along with any other helpful info pit members care to share. Best of luck!

[Rob whatever]

Save the fat for tallow! Don’t throw it out.

[DaveD]

You clearly learned a thing or two, which doesn't suck, but I sure do feel that pain of having something not turn out. Happened to me with a chuckie on the cook before last. Probed perfectly tender before the rest, but came out dry, chewy, and tough. But, you'll get it next time!

[Richard Chrz]

Lessons, not failures.

It could have just been the particular brisket. It may just be a tweak in setting up your cooker, (temp, humidity). That stuff can change from smoker to smoker. I also vote for Aaron Franklin’s trimming video’s.I also believe consistent good results comes in understanding sourcing, and trying to stick with the meat supplier you have the best results out of, and then slowly build your practice around more consistent variables.

[jfmorris]

I can't say why it went this way, as in my experience, the flat usually trails the point. That said, I monitor the thickest part of the flat, where it overlaps the point, and don't monitor anything else. Something you don't mention is if you wrapped/crutched. I wrap in foil once the brisket hits about 170 (in the flat), and it then finishes in a couple more hours, then into cambro it goes. If you didn't wrap, maybe next time you should?

[Jerod Broussard]

How much fat was trimmed between the 2 muscles?

[STEbbq]

There is always a good time for Franklin’s trimming video.

[RiverJeff]

That was great thanks IFZBC!

[bbqLuv]

2:11 into video
7 steps to trim a brisket. 2-5 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFPKN2nkwuc&t=585s

[Draznnl]

So, your first packer wasn’t perfect. You had nice bark, nice color, nice taste you said, just not tender enough. Was it something you did/didn’t do or was it the piece of meat? You didn’t mention what grade your brisket was. I only use prime or wagyu briskets and even then, I recently had a debacle with a packer (I’d link to the thread, but I’m not that technically proficient). It still made some of the best chili I’ve ever had after I chopped it up.

Keep trying. You’ve gotten some good practical advice above. Your next one will probably be a home run.

[Mosca]

I agree completely. The money is the smallest investment, compared to the time and the anticipation. And especially something like brisket. Ribs and chicken are only a few hours, and pork butts almost always come out good so there’s very little risk. But briskets take forever and are finicky. You can always get more money, but that lost time, and the accompanying disappointment, are forever.

[KimO]

I also agree about the grade and journal of your cooks. I have recently been buying prime briskets at Costco for around $4/lb, which makes them a lot more affordable than my meat market and grocery stores I had been buying them at.

About tracking your cooks in writing. Here is a sample of my notes from my most recent cook and shows the kinds of things I track. As you can see, I am new to cooking roasts, so seems simple knowledge to others, is still foreign to me! hah.

Description
Picanha 3.26 lb. Wild Fork

Sunny, 60*, low to no wind

Meat to 115* at 225* 2 hours
Meat to 128 at 260* 20 min

Three things to do differently
Trim fatcap to 1/4"
Rub into scores
Slice against the grain

Meat cooked perfectly medium rare
The taste of the meat was great. Love Picanha!

Probably more than you wanted! Hope this helps. Happy smoking!

[Spinaker]

Yep there are. Think of the time and work you put in getting it right. I mean, it never feels good when you fail, but with BBQ, I feel like it is worse. Especially if you are passionate about it.

Just remember, we all fail in BBQ at some point in time. That is how you get better and learn lessons. You should have seen the first brisket I ever cooked. Cooked it to 135 F. LOL. I thought it should be medium rare so it would not dry out. Did not ever think about the fact that is needed to render down.

[mrichie1229]

+1. I've failed several times on different cuts of meat. Learned a lot by eating not very tender pork ribs.

[mrichie1229]

Sorry to hear this happened to you DeusDingo. My first brisket looked/tasted nothing like yours. It was closer to shoe leather. You were very close on your first try. Your next round will get better!