10 degree difference between point and flat normal?
Just finishing a brisket in the cambro (pictures to come). I had a 10 degree difference between the flat and the point. The point was up around 205 and was nice and jiggly. The flat was around 195 and not probe tender. I pulled because the point seemed perfect.
LOVE the 2 hour hold. That seems to be the right time for juice redistribution on big cuts. the improvement seems to be linear for the first two hours then stall out for no or little change after that, juice-wise.
I just went thru this this morning. I had a 20 degree difference in them at one point late in the cook. My point was probe tender almost 2 hours before the flat, but I let it ride. Flat was eventually probe tender at 198F (prime cut). Point was still delicious and juicy, not at all over cooked. Always learning...
You could always separate point from flat if you were worried about the point. However, the point is good and fatty so never really concerned about it drying out. I always wait for flat to be probe tender.
Took me a long time too, and agree with Jerod's comments above. However, the best advice I have is to use temperature only as a guideline and go by feel to know when it's done.
So this weekend I cooked my first wagyu brisket. I have always had few degree variations from point to flat but never any issue with the finished product. At hour 11 of 225 deg, the point was about 178 when the flat was 204. I didn’t want to dry out the flat and didn’t really have time to sepetate them and keep cooking so I pulled it and let it rest for an hour and a half. The flat was ok, it seemed a little thin to begin with, but the point couldn’t even be pulled apart. The only part that was edible on the point was the thinner section above the
flat. I had the temp probe as high up on the flat as I could get it without being in the fat.
In the end, I’m bummed my 125$ brisket didn’t pan out as my 50$ prime briskets do.
any thoughts?
How accurate do you think your temp of the flat was and was probe tenderness checked? The reason I ask is my point is typically waaay ahead of the flat. It's not even close, the point is "overcooking" to the untrained cook. I would think a Waguy flat that made it to 204 would literally fall apart and almost be mushy. I've seen some guys overcook a Wagyu on BBQ Pitmasters.
I have 3 thoughts- when that happens 1) wrap that baby and let them both come up to temp, 2) be sure to leave a generous fat cap on the flat in case the flat gets overdone it still has some delectable fat to make the slices rich & palatable, and 3) Don't waste money on style over substance Wagyu briskets. A flat is a flat is a flat when it comes to Wagyu vs Prime briskets IMO.
Thanks for the prompt replies. I always strive to make sure my temp probe is at the right depth and height in the flat. I use a ThermoWorks smoke gateway to measure the cook and check a few times in the cook with the thermopen MK4 to verify.
I wrap in paper a little after the stall when I get the monogany color. I’ve cooked 3 briskets on this Traeger and all have been perfect.
I ave never "over cooked the flat" as I’m alaways afraid of drying it out. In this case if I kept cooking for a target temp for the point, I assume I would have ruined the flat.
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