Brisket/Weber Kettle Questions

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Yet another brisket newbie here. I started a brisket at 12 midnight last night on my 26" weber kettle. I am using the "fuse" or "snake" technique, with the briquettes arranged 2x2 for about 3/4 of the circumference of the grill. I have used this general technique successfully for 6-hour rib cooks so I figured it should work for the first 8 hours of a brisket cook (at which point I am going to be wrapping in foil anyway). I woke up twice in the middle of the night and the grill temp seemed to be holding at around 235F, which I figure is about right.

So I wake up for good at 7:30 and the brisket is at 178 IT. I wrap in foil and put the brisket in the oven at 225F to finish. It is now 10AM and IT is 190F. It appears this sucker is going to be done before noon but our guests don't arrive until 5PM. What do you recommend to keep the brisket moist and tender for 5-6 hours? I have the faux cambro ready to go but I suppose I could also fire up my propane smoker (it's one of those vault-style upright box looking things) and keep the brisket on the top shelf with the flame low? I can't use the oven this afternoon because my wife is making sides and two pies.

Also, I love brisket. For best results, do you recommend (A) the 26" weber kettle with fuse technique (or some other technique), (B) the upright propane smoker, or (C) invest in some other bbq apparatus? I am too lazy to cook with actual wood. I do prefer charcoal to propane but I hate tending coals (thus the fuse technique).

[phoccer]

Welcome to the Pit! Nothing wrong with the fuse method. You could incorporate some chunks of wood along the way to add a wood smoke if you want. To hold it for 5-6 hours, I'd be inclined to keep it wrapped in foil and let it sit in the oven as low as you can go, mine goes down to 170. You could hold it in a faux cambro for a few hours then place it wrapped back in the oven for the last hour or so and pull the IT back up to around 170-175. I left some pulled pork wrapped at 170 for 3 extra hours one time and it just fell apart. I've held a brisket in a faux cambro for 2-3 but never that long. I'm sure others will chime in with options for you.

[Jerod Broussard]

What phoccer said. I would hold and after about 4 hours check the internal temperature and if it's below 140 just go ahead and pop it in a 170 oven to bring it up a little bit.

Best to slice around 145-150.

[xaugievike]

Faux Cambro -

If you're not up on the terminology yet....get a cooler, put a towel in the bottom (one that won't get you yelled at later), brisket in, then stuff the remaining air space with more towels. She'll still be screaming hot when you revisit her at 5.

Welcome to the pit - seems you've already contracted MCS...

[RonB]

First, welcome to The Pit. You can hold as mentioned above. Just keep it above 140* for safety. If you have a leave in thermometer, leave it in the wrapped meat so you won't have to open your cambro to check the temp. And remember, brisket dries out quickly when sliced, so don't slice it until everyone is ready to eat, and only slice a serving for each person. If someone wants more, just slice it at that time.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the advice!

Yes, I used chunks of apple for smoke.

By 10:30 this AM the IT had reached 195F and my wife and I agreed the brisket was pretty darned soft to the thermometer probe. We've never done brisket before so we don't know whether that is how it is supposed to feel but I made the executive decision to pull it out of the oven. Nothing worse than dry, overcooked beef. Anyway, the total cook time was 10.5 hours for a 13+ pound packer. The first 7.5 hours was in the kettle at 235F-ish and the last 3 hours was in the oven at 225F.

The oven has now been ceded to the wife for her sides and desserts. Does anyone think my brisket will fall apart after 6 hours in the faux cambro? Why would limiting the time in the faux cambro to 3-4 hours and putting it in a 170F oven for the last couple of hours help hold the brisket together? It's not clear to me how the low oven would help in that regard.

[djl]

Biggest concern is food safety. Like others mentioned just keep it above 140F. Better done early than having everyone wait a few more hours. However, it is still basically cooking a little the whole time. Hence the concern with holding it for so long. But like others again mentioned slice it as close to serving time as possible for the best results.

[DWCowles]

Welcome Fuzzywuzzy

[Fuzzywuzzy]

RonB, djl and DWC, thank you. I think I posted again before seeing RonB's advice. I will continue to hold in the faux cambro, and checking one time after 4 hours to be sure I am not getting close to falling below 140 and reheat in a 170 oven if needed.

I forgot to leave the thermometer probe in the brisket! So I'll re-insert it when I check the temp.

Thanks again everyone!

[jfmorris]

I know it’s a little late, but I’ve pulled a brisket off at 200+ IT at 8AM, and wrapped it in towels in a 32 quart cooler for almost 5 hours recently, and the meat was still over 160F when I got home from church and pulled it out to carve.

[phoccer]

Wow. That's amazing. Good to know.

[jfmorris]

It was an Igloo cooler with really thick walls, but nothing special. I was worrying about it the entire 3 hours I was gone to church though, and breathed a sigh of relief when I walked through the door and saw the Dot sitting on top of the cooler still showing the thickest part of the flat up over 160F.