Brisket: smoke 2, freeze1? Anyone??

[jjdbike]

Hello Pitmasters,

I like many, I love smoking and eating brisket. While a labor of love, it is a big investment in time and wood. Both of these are a valuable commodity.

I am considering smoking 2 this time and freezing 1. I’d divide it into 2 flat portions and 2 point portions unsliced. I’d double vaccine seal them and place in my deep chest freezer to thaw and sous vide to reheat.

Does anyone here do that? Do you think it’s a good idea? Any cautions or additional considerations?

I have a KBQ stick burner and the trays stack vertically on top of each other like a home oven. Ot has two fans to circulate the hot smoke. It cooks faster than a traditional smoker like a convection oven. One concern I have is drippings from the top cut messing up the bark and over seasoning the bottom cut. I know I can place a try between the two, though that will significantly hamper smoke flow.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences and suggestions please.

Thanks in advance,
JD

[Skip]

I've had good luck freezing brisket. As far as drippings onto the bottom brisket...I wouldn't worry about it. Go for it.

[Jerod Broussard]

I only allow drippings to fall on fat caps. Freeze with some juice.

[captainlee]

As above! We always freeze brisket leftovers because it's way more than we can use.

[jjdbike]

I only allow drippings to fall on fat caps. Freeze with some juice.

#Jerod Broussard;1691649

Interesting,
would you suggest putting the brisket on the bottom fat cap up?

The heat in this cooker comes up from the bottom so generally I like fat down to protect the flat from drying out too much.

Thoughts?
Respectfully,
JD

[Jerod Broussard]

If you are a stickler for bark, I'd run fat cap up until I get my pellicle on the flat.

[CandySueQ]

I do this frequently. I have found that for me, it makes more sense to freeze in portion size packets rather than big hunks. Do de-fat the juice and pour it in before vacuum sealing.

[J-Melt]

I usually run a pan under mine in my Backwoods Party 2 to keep the smoker clean as I can.. I collect the juices there. Would you recommend using those juices to keep everything moist after defatting?

[FCDank]

+1 for the portion size.
Vac seal and freeze in pound plus for brisket chili.

[jjdbike]

#Jerod Broussard;1691649

Interesting,
would you suggest putting the brisket on the bottom fat cap up?

The heat in this cooker comes up from the bottom so generally I like fat down to protect the flat from drying out too much.

Thoughts?
Respectfully,
JD

#Jerod Broussard;n1691649
Thanks Jerod,

I had never heard about this. I’d only heard fat cap towards the heat to protect it.
I’ve never flipped a brisket because a was afraid of messing up the bark.

So yes, I’m a stickler for bark, especially because one will be vacuum sealed, frozen, and sous vide.

I’ve only heard the term Pellicle on anything other than dry brining fish for smoking.

How can I tell when the pellicle is formed on the flat fat cap up?
Thanks again! Always something to learn!
JD

[Jerod Broussard]

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/what-is-bark/

https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/bark.html

[RolfTaylor]

Definitely makes sense to run the smoker on the fuller side for the reasons you state. As far as freezing, it will still be a special smoked thing even after freezing. And you will enjoy it more after a break versus eating both over the course of a few days to a week.

That said, I make up to 3 pastramis at a time and sometimes they disappear in a hurry. But next time I do that I think I will freeze one. It will be a nice surprise to use a month later. Incidentally, something I learned here. Pastrami hash is heaven. After you run out of Rye bread use the rest for hash. I bet brisket hash would be awesome too!

[J-Melt]

I did 3 briskets at once in my Backwoods Party 2 smoker a couple weeks ago with them all stacked vertically. I feel like they came out great, though I thought I lost some bark in the rest. Could also be because mine is an insanely moist smoker. I do fat up because my heat comes from the top. I seal in individual sized portions for either my full family or just my wife making a pack into brisket ramen.

[jjdbike]

#Jerod Broussard

Thanks for those links. Good detailed info there. I love learning how things work.

Thanks everyone for your input.

My next cook isn’t going to be for a couple months. I’ve got some tasty beef ribs in the deep freezer and need to age the packers for a couple months. But I will post a report.

Best regards,
JD

[Jerod Broussard]

Good luck. I've cooked plenty fat cap up on my pellet (lotta heat coming from below) and once that barks develops I can flip and not give a flip.