1st time brisket

[Ddecker]

I'm hoping for a quick sanity check before I begin this brisket cook. Just received a Memphis Pro last Saturday and have only done stuffed chicken breasts, steaks and corn on the cob so far. I have always had gas grills before this and have never done a long cook.

We bought a Prime Brisket yesterday which I will trim and salt tonight. It has a non trimmed weight of 17 lbs.

should i I do the pepper and rest of rub tonight as well or wait until morning right before putting it on the Memphis?

From what I've been reading I think I want to cook at 225. I'll put pan of water in with it and go to 150 internal temp or whenever it hits the stall, then wrap in foil and go to 205 internal temp. If the bark isn't firm at that point, I'm thinking I can crank up some heat out of the foil to get it, correct? Even throw it on a preheated gas grill at 450 or so for a few minutes?

1. What do you estimate trimmed weight should be?
2. What would you estimate cook time at? I want to serve around 6pm.
3. Instead of doing cooler and all, can I leave it in the Memphis at 180 if it is done before 6?

i appreciate any and all help!

[Mudkat]

Can't help with you the brisket question but I'm sure someone will help you shortly. Maybe Jerod Broussard can offer tips if he's not busy chasing mosquitos! Welcome to the Pit! Ddecker

[DeusDingo]

brisket is one of those things you really don't want to just leave up to temperature. you really want to go to probe tender, which might happen closer to 195 than 205. i would start poking with a probe around 195 to see how easily it goes in the FLAT of the brisket. the point is fatty enough it will be fine. if you go to 205 you may end up with a few different outcomes: a dry brisket, a brisket that falls apart like pulled beef (but also could be dry), or one that is just right. i used to go to 203 but after 2 dry flats in a row i stopped basing it entirely on temps.

i assume you aren't separating.

1. you might end up trimming A LOT off the brisket. don't be surprised if it is measured in pounds and not ounces.
2. every cooker is a little different. some people get brisket done in 12 hours, but for me it takes around 16. if you aren't separating the point and flat i would lean closer to 16 hours.
3. a lot of people will cambro in the house oven so i would think it would be fine in your cooker at that temp

[HawkerXP]

I trimmed almost two pounds off my last two 15 lb briskets, prime.

[kmhfive]

If your doing it at 225F, start about 16-18 hours before you need it done. If it rests for 2-4 hours, it's great. I've rested for 6-hours and it was still great.

I dont wrap normally. If you do, I'd wait until you get the bark you want, rather than try to get bark after. You'll probably have a good bark at 170-180F.

You can rest in the cooker at 180F. Keep it tightly wrapped! I have tried one in my GMG at 150F and it worked well.

Start te probing the meat for tenderness at about 190F. The prime may get probe tender earlier than you expect. Stop cooking it at probe tender NOT temperature!

An alternate idea if you are worried is to separate the point and the flat. Then, when the point gets to about 190F, you can cut it up for burnt ends and add it back to the cooker -- makes an interesting appetizer.

[JonnyB]

Ddecker, you have a solid plan. I'll give you my opinion, and maybe others will give theirs also, so you can have reasonable expectations for your first brisket. First off, your questions:

1. Without seeing a picture, I would estimate that you will trim off around 2 - 3 pounds of fat and waste meat. This really depends on the cut of meat and the cow. It could be more, depending on how aggressive you are with the knife, and how well it was trimmed at the butcher.
2. For cook time at 225*, I would allow for a minimum of 12 hrs cook, but again, that could be more or less, depending on the stall. You should add in a buffer time that will allow you to cook a little longer and/or hold it for at least an hour to allow it to rest and drop down to eating temp. A long hold has pretty much shown to improve tenderness, but most people don't want to wait 4 hrs to eat. Plan accordingly. There's a reason Franklin BBQ pulls their briskets at 2 AM, but doesn't serve them until 11 am. Of course, he has expensive holding cabinets too.
3. I've never left mine on at 180, but that could be a sure fire method for tenderness. I would still pull it out about an hour before slicing just to let the temp drop a little more. Maybe use that 180 time to firm up the bark. Just don't let it dry out.

These are just my opinions, not the Gospel of St. Brisket. Honestly, just give yourself plenty of time for the cook. Once it hits that magic number, around 195 to 203, check for tenderness, pull it and let it rest. Better to be done early than late. You'll do just fine!

[Ddecker]

Mudkat thank you for the welcome!

DeusDingo, kmhfive, and JohnnyB, thank you much for the input. Will definitely probe vs depend on temp and will plan on about 17hrs to play it safe based on above info.

Really do appreciate the input.

[HorseDoctor]

Don't feel locked into the 225 cook. A whole lot of really good pitmasters cook brisket in the 275 ballpark (or higher) and turn out an awesome product. It's a bit quicker cook also. Enjoy!

[DeusDingo]

i completely agree. it depends on a lot of things, cooker especially. i usually shoot for around 260

[Steve R.]

Totally agree. Cooking at 275 gets it done faster, which leaves less time for drying out and more time for holding in the cooler.

[JonnyB]

Agreed. My stick burner usually varies between 225 - 250 or 250 - 275 depending on what I'm cooking.

[Ddecker]

Ahhhh, good to know. Thank you.

[Ddecker]

Ok, well.. Last night I trimmed it, terribly I'm sure, and put it on the smoker set to 250 at 5:30 this morning. It is 9:15 now and internal temp is 146. I backed it down to 225 as it seems to be heating up quickly. I still have 9 hrs before we are going to eat it. Sure is smelling good!

[Ddecker]

Here it is after just over 2lbs removed so just under 15 lbs now

[HorseDoctor]

Don't be afraid to bump your temp back up when you hit the stall. I would rather get done early and hold a few hours than be pressed for time when folks are hungry. Good luck!

[Mr. Bones]

++++1 re:bump up @ stall^^^

[kmhfive]

Looks perfect! Don't forget to leave at least two-hours resting time!

[Ddecker]

Ok thanks for the advice. It has been in the stall at 156 internal for just over an hour so I bumped it back up while getting corn on the cob at the store. Gotta love wifi!

[Ddecker]

At 161 internal. Do you think the bark looks ok or is it not solid enough? As always, appreciate any advise. You all have been great.

[Mr. Bones]

Beautimous bark!!!
Me? I'd wait, see what 180° bark looks like...
YBMV

[droopie69]

That's a nice slab of meat you got there! I wouldn't worry about it getting so hot so quick. It will hit the stall and then you'll wonder what the heck is going on. As folks more expert them me have said, the resting time is critical. I've only cooked one flat and one point, but wrapping it and putting it in the cooler for at least 2 hours was time well spent.

BTW, I moved some furniture from my sisters in Corpus Christi back to Memphis a few years ago and bought 10 moving blankets from Harbor Freight. I have one of the smaller ones now dedicated to the smoker. I wrap whatever in the moving blanket and throw it in the cooler. I have a little Igloo...not sure the capacity. I think being small inside really helps keep the temp stable for a longer period. Less air space the meat has to heat.