What is the optimal internal temperature for a prime brisket?
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Check for probe tenderness at around 180F. Never cooked one beyond about 190F. -
I start checking probe tenderness at 190° but still seem to go to about 203°
Huskee just did a Prime brisket cook not sure what his finished at? Maybe he will chime in.Last edited by Powersmoke_80; July 2, 2016, 06:25 AM.Comment
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I have wrapped at the stall cooking low and slow taken up to 203 and have a severely overdone Prime brisket, as far as the flat goes.
Even prime briskets are not widgets.
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I check mine at 190 degF, as Powersmoke_80 does, watching closely. I've taken them off anywhere from 194 to 199, based on probe tenderness. I learned early on that 203 can be too much for a prime brisket. It only takes one brisket to learn the lesson, though (or Jerod Broussard 's cautionary tale, whichever comes first
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FWIW, the one I took to 203 was not bad, just not as good as it could have been.
Kathryn
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Thanks for the replies. I am thinking 195 and will cambro for at least an hour. It's at 126 right now so I have plenty of time. :-)Comment
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Probably best to pull it when it probes tender and feels "soft & loose", then temp it to double check. "It's done when it's done..." Good luck & enjoy!Comment
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Last Prime brisket I did I wanna say the flat was 205? 207? But not intentionally. I didn't separate and was wanting the point to get to 195-200, so the flat went above my target as a simple casualty of war. It's not ideal, but it was still VERY edible and delicious. Flat are inherently drier, we all know this, but Prime is inherently better so a Prime flat will be better than a Choice flat. If you've separated the two, I'd say take your flat to 190-195 (or possibly less) and check for the slip & slide probe tenderness. Jerod tells the absolute truth, no briskets are always the same, it's somewhat of a crap shoot each time.Last edited by Huskee; July 2, 2016, 07:29 AM.Comment
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It's a 17 pounder and I'm up north. My only portable rig is the 14.5 WSM. I had to separate in order to get it to fit. I have probes in both hunks of meat so I won't necessarily pull them at the same time.Comment
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JeffJ - I tend to use temp as only a suggestion. Rather, I begin probing at something like 190F and pull when it probes like warm butter. Brisket doesn't know how to read temps on any kind of thermometer.
For probes I will use either a metal or bamboo skewer. Note that each has a different feel, so either standardize or get to know what each feels like.
Here's to great cooks and even better memories with family and friends!Comment
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Agreed. That's exactly what I do. As I probe, I check the temp. There can be as much as a 4-5 degF variation throughout the flat, so I go by the average. That temp evens out in its trip to the cambro spa. That said, probe tenderness is the gold standard.Originally posted by CeramicChef View Post
Kathryn
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Good advice. I'll let tenderness feel be the ultimate guide.Comment
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I definitely have to try to smoke a prime brisket, it's hard to rationalize spending 3x the money when the results of a choice are so amazing. But I just gotta know...Comment
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14# prime brisket... $49 @ costco via DeanComment
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Not 3X the money here. When the local Sam's has prime brisket, it's frequently just under $3/# while choice is usually in the $2.50/# ballpark.Comment
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