2nd Brisket for Super Bowl

[Rjbachtold]

hey guys, I realize this question has been asked at least 100 times on here but I’d like it specific to my situation. So I’ve been tasked to do the brisket for our Super Bowl party on Sunday and this will be my 2nd brisket of my life. We’re planning on eating around 5. Was wondering when you guys would put the brisket on. I’m cooking on a BGE and planning on using the PartyQ at 225* because I won’t be there to babysit it all day. I’ll be at church from 9-12 and didn’t want to miss time to wrap. I’ve been thinking about not wrapping but also don’t want to miss the deadline. Obviously I can be flexible if I need to hurry by wrapping or increasing the temp or both but if you guys were me when would you put it on the grill. I was thinking around 4-5am. It’s a 10lb full packer brisket.

[DWCowles]

If you’re going to wrap figure 10-12 hrs also tack on another hour or two in the cambro.

[Troutman]

If you up the temp in your egg to 275* I’ll bet you cut at least 3 hours off the total....

[Spinaker]

I would throw it on late, the night before. Maybe midnight. And set the Party Q for 225 F. I have had a pork butt take 16 hours in the Egg at 225 F. Also, you have your holding time, so you want to make sure you budget time for that. It is better to be done early. If you get done early, you can concentrate on other things at the party. Like your guests. All while that Briz stays all warm and delicious in the Cambro. Don't worry about holding it too long. I have gone 6 hrs in the cambro, and the results were amazing.

Don't wrap unless you want to. Then, I would start it at 4:30 and throw it on at 5 or 6 AM.

[RonB]

And don't forget that brisket loses moisture rapidly once sliced. I would not slice until everyone is ready to eat, and I'd slice as each person comes to your "carving station" for maximum juiciness. Then slice your own and eat. If someones more, go slice it for them.

[Troutman]

That's a excellent point RonB that often gets over looked. Meat oxidizes the minute in touches the air. I see time and time again guys cutting their briskets into neat, fanned out slices for nice photo ops, I just wonder if all that's being eaten or turned into dry cardboard.

[HorseDoctor]

"Deadline" for wrapping? Ain't no deadline that I know of. If your gonna wrap, do so anytime after you have good bark. Some do it earlier but those "in the know" wrap after good bark. Typically sometime after the stall. A 10# brisket isn't all that big but thickness will dictate time more than overall weight. I would probably start a few hours earlier (and cook @ 250-275), just in case. Better to hold in faux cambro for 4-6 hours than making hungry guests wait. Good luck & enjoy!

[Rjbachtold]

I meant the deadline of 5 oclock of time to eat

[Frozen Smoke]

I'd bump the temp to 250 and start about 5am. As other have said that will leave you holding time and time to tend to other party chores and guests. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

[6th Borough BBQ]

I'd say start right now, make a brisket, eat and enjoy. Then do it again a few times this week and tune in your cook times. Lot's of days between now and Sunday and you can never have too much Brisket.

[EdF]

Practice makes perfect!

[scottranda]

For me, a 10# goes on around 7am, and I’ll still have a hold period. Might be a bit later than others, but I do smoke at 250-275.

[Rjbachtold]

8 hour cook with a 2 hour hold will be suffice you think? I’m still rolling this around in my head. What scares me is how fast my first one cooked but I think it’s partly because I wrapped in foil right at 160 degrees. I’m planning on not wrapping.

[scottranda]

Not wrapping will take longer. But, you can always start earlier and get done earlier. I just like my sleep. At 250-275 starting at 7am, I bet it would be done by 4. But, start earlier if you want! No harm.

[Polarbear777]

My standard brisket cook is at 225. I start the night before around 9 or 10. Then after about 12 hours when bark is established I wrap. Usually take a couple hours more to be done around noon or 1pm then I cambro it for 3-6 hours. The attached pic is a temp right from a 4+ hour rest in the faux Cambro. As long as it’s wrapped well so it can’t dry out you can hold it for a long time or even warm it up in a low oven so I always plan to have it finish early.

[Kennymac]

I had pretty much the same question, seems like a lot of good advice here. My brisket for the weekend is weighing in at 15lbs, and I plan to wrap it in butchers paper at about the 150° mark. That said I think I am going on at 9pm Saturday night at about 225° grill temp, expecting to wrap it around 9am Sunday morning. Should be good with the cabrio timing for pre-kick off eats, sound about right?

[HorseDoctor]

I like your timing. I usually cook brisket at 250-275 and wrap with paper after the stall (170 or more) but you should be good with your plan. Enjoy!

[Kennymac]

Thanks HorseDoc. Think I'm going to bump up the start to 6pm, just in case I find this stalls a bit longer than expected. Thanks, GO EAGLES!

[Rjbachtold]

Rubbed up the brisket with 1/2 salt and 1/2 pepper. Trying Texas style. Planning on at putting it on at 2am at 240 with the help of the PartyQ. Hopefully gonna get some sleep.

[Rjbachtold]

Ended up putting it on around 2am at 225. Woke up at 7:30am and the internal was 173. I moved the prove to make sure it was in the middle and it dropped a few. I then decreased the temp around 9:30 to 210 because I didn’t want it to get to hot while I was at church. Left for church it was 188 and came back at noon and it was at 193. Upped temp to 250 to get better bark and to make sure I had time to keep it in the cambro. Got to 205 at 1:30 and it was probe tender and much crispier bark than the previous one I did that I wrapped. I never had to wrap this one. Here it is after 12 hours. Now waiting for 5 o’clock for slicing.

[DWCowles]

It looks great but I have never had a brisket get done in 11.5 hrs without wrapping.

[Rjbachtold]

Less than a 10lb full packer. Maybe that had something to do with it?