Why does a wagyu brisket cook faster than a choice brisket?

[NGS]

Yep! Aaron Franklin's briskets are typically off of the pits around midnight with his restaurant opening for to-go orders at 10:30. They are rested and held a long time before serving but it is the best brisket I have ever eaten at a restaurant. Taking the briskets off that far ahead also allows Aaron to have time to cook the ribs before opening.
Mueller's (located in Taylor, TX) holds their briskets in Cambro's - wonderful brisket as well. Many of great central TX places holds the briskets for hours before serving for two reasons - Huskee hit on one of the reasons, a time cushion to make sure they are ready before serving. The other being that a smoked brisket is just a better product after resting.

[Huskee]

I've had a Choice brisket take 12 hrs until cambro-ready and the next one I did (Choice also) was ready for the cambro at 4.5 hrs in, aka 10:00 a.m! It's sickening the variations you can get. Especially when your time table doesn't allow for such leeway. I had to cambro my last brisket for almost 8 hrs until dinner. Still great but c'mon!

Moral of the story- Candy is right on. Don't go by a clock or a pre-set recipe, and with brisket even a thermometer wont tell the full story. It's a feel thing, it's a pay very close attention to ALL factors thing.

[Huskee]

Like a well-known national BBQ site's rib recipe, to paraphrase: 'Cook ribs over medium-high heat for 3-5 hrs.'

Define medium high heat? And cook right over the heat like you're grilling? 3-5 hrs? How do I know if it's 3, 4, or 5?

These types of recipes are everywhere! Aren't we thankful Meathead et al have invested the time and research into correct information!

[NGS]

As Aaron Franklin said once, bbq can get really geeky

[NGS]

Typo correction above - post slaughter not past slaughter in second sentence

[NGS]

I completely agree that every brisket is unique in the way it cooks. Which is due to there being so many variables spanning from the cow (genetics), stress levels at slaughter, and what the cow ate to all the other past slaughter events and brisket attributes that are discussed in the forums. But I do believe that each variable can be broken down as to its effect and ballpark magnitude of that effect on how any particular brisket cook turns out. I believe that the final result of any particular brisket cook is dependent on the sum parts of all the variables - many we have control over and some we don't.

[CandySueQ]

Do we want to add the left or right side brisket to this discussion? I don't consider this a myth...

[Jerod Broussard]

But I don't think you can put "concrete" rules in place for any brisket!

BINGO!

Brisket is the most inconsistent hunk of meat on a cow, or at least the leader of the pack of inconsistent hunks of meat.

I think it also has to do with collagen/connective tissue, or lack thereof. I once had a Prime flat you could almost seem to pull apart. Plenty fat or not, that dude had no choice but to get tender quick.

[NGS]

Lots of good knowledge on this site! There is so much misleading bbq information on the net that is quoted as fact. A huge "Kudos" goes to Meathead for providing a forum for science based information and not hearsay.

[Spinaker]

Wow, that was an all out BBQ knowledge Bomb on that one!!! Thats why we are here.

[NGS]

I do enjoy cooking on my Egg - will be making cheeseburgers tonight on it using the reverse sear as I always do these days after learning about it on this website.
I also have a Jambo J-3 which was delivered by Jamie last May. I love it but am going through a learning curve as to fire maintenance over a long cook.
CandySueQ, I very much appreciate the brisket advice!

Huskee, Aaron is a really great guy who is very passionate about BBQ. He loves it and it shows when in a conversation with him. I really learned a lot from Aaron that morning. My wife set it up without my knowledge for my 60th birthday - great birthday present that I will never forget.

And Dr. Blonder to the rescue - Dr. Blonder says there are several reasons why a wagyu has a tendency to cook faster. I'll paraphrase his response.
1) After 6 hours smoking a brisket, the thermal conductivity of fat is not that much different than meat.
2) The rich internal matrix of fat in a wagyu brisket acts in a way like an internal Texas Crutch which traps moisture internally yielding a faster cook.
3) Wagyu also has less tough connective tissue than a Choice cut so it take less time and heat to convert the small amount of collagen to gelatin.

My mind is at ease now - thanks everyone -
Nolan

[CandySueQ]

That's still a significant time investment! Don't you love your BGE! I probably cook more on mine than my competition cookers.

My timetable on brisket is to start it cooking between 9-11 pm the night before. The range there has to do with ambient humidity and wind. I've found that stuff cooks faster when it's humid or raining. Generally, that means that brisket is to waba-waba at around 7 am. I'll take it off, put it in the cambro and within 30-45 minutes, I'll separate the point and flat, make burnt ends and put them and the point back in the cooker. Check out the bark on the flat, if it's dry it'll got top down in the de-fatted juice and back in the cambro. After rib turn in (which is 1 hour before brisket), I'll slice the flat. Pick my 6-9 slices for the box, evaluate texture. If necessary, I can make a foil packet with those slices and juice and put back in the cooker to soften up further. If texture is spot on, back into the cambro brisket goes. Juice is critical, without it slices will dry up quickly. The tighten up thing happens with pork too. Especially with ribs. Don't know why but I'd like to know!

[NGS]

Funny- My post came across like I study up on bbq every single day - more like 4-5 hours per week.

[NGS]

When I purchased my Large BGE 14 years ago I mistakenly believed that this BBQ thing wasn't that complicated I have spent the last several years studying nearly every aspect of smoking meat - I am a scientist by degree and profession so I love the why's and how's of things. I was not prepared for just how how many variables are involved with just smoking a brisket - really is mind boggling. CandySue, I havent experienced a brisket "tightening up" on me after it probed tender in the thickest part of the flat - fascinating! I've cooked far fewer briskets than you have - congrats on your many successes. I've never done a comp but plan to eventually, hopefully this year - seems like a great group of individuals at the comps. Thanks much for your input. Now I have something else to look into - how cooked brisket (jiggly) with unraveled meat proteins can tighten back up after being probe tender before.

[CandySueQ]

I guess I'm the exception to the rule. But I don't think you can put "concrete" rules in place for any brisket! Some take less time, some take more. Many cooks that cook wagyu cook hot and fast so of course it's going to be done faster. Every time I take a SRF brisket off right when it hits the no-pressure-poke and release point, it fools me. During the rest phase, it tightens back up. So, I generally take any kind of brisket up to about 205 before pulling it. That's 205 where I plan on getting samples for judges. I prefer Snake River Farms because the taste is just extraordinary. I don't think there's a huge difference between SRF regular versus Gold, but there's usually a huge difference between a choice Angus and a SRF. Did alright last year in KCBS team of the year, finished 135/2826 in brisket. Mostly cooking SRF, did cook a couple of Strube and a couple of choice.