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Tell me what I did wrong with my brisket

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    Tell me what I did wrong with my brisket

    So yesterday I cooked a brisket in the PBC using Kosmos Q Texas Beef and Cow Cover rub. I decided that I wasn't going to wrap since I've never not wrapped a brisket before. Everything was just fine until I hit the stall. I got a little more than I bargained for when I hit the stall and it lasted somewhere between 5:00 and 6 hours. Some of that may have to do with the fact that I was running out of coals. After a while I took the hangers out and put the brisket on the grate since it tightened up a bit and now could fit. I rotated the brisket 90 degrees about every 45 minutes and I also flipped fat side up for 1.5 hours (2 rotations) it to get a more even cook since it was right over the coals.

    I had to pay attention to my kids after about 5:00 p.m. and it was still at 163 so I decided to put the brisket in the oven at 275 since that is about the same temperature that my PBC cooks and I wanted to eat at some point. I start checking the flat for tenderness at 195. Some areas were already buttery smooth and I could tell that the end of the flat was dry already. but in the center of the flat there was still some resistance. The middle of the flat was finally butter smooth at about 205 to 207 degrees. I'm sure that the other areas around that portion of the flat were well over that temp.

    I rested it for 1 hour in a cooler with foil wrapped over it covered in towels. When I tried to cut it an hour later I could tell that it was very dry in the end portion but the bark was very firm and as you can see because of that I end up mangling the flat portion. I separated the point and it cut better with a little effort.

    So this was the first time I've cooked a brisket and let tenderness be my end point when I decide it's done instead going to 203 and letting it rest. On occasion it's come out perfect and on occasion it's come out with the flat being a little tough. Maybe I shouldn't expect the flat and point to probe with the same feel. I don't know, you guys give me some feedback.

    I'm thinking that putting the brisket in the oven at 275 was probably my mistake and should have been more patient and placed it at 225 or 250. Or I waited until the flat felt like the point and in doing so I way overdid it.

    What do you guys think?

    ​ ​ ​ ​

    #2
    What was your PBC temperature during the cook, HJS ?

    When I smoke brisket in my PBC at 275°F, I only let a stall go for 2 to 3 hours. After that, I raise the PBC temp to about 290°-300° to power through the stall, then let the PBC settle back in the 275° range to finish off the cook, with or without using the Texas Crutch method.

    If I crutch, I do it when the meat reaches 175-180° when the bark is nicely set. I wrap the meat tightly and nekkid--without added liquid, since I don't want a pot roasty taste at the end of its cook.

    I doubt that putting it in the oven did much harm, since heat is heat and most of the smoke flavor is well in the meat, especially after the 6 to 8 hours you had it in the PBC.

    Also, you'd be surprised how much tenderness evens out over the flat as it sits in the faux cambro--the longer the better, 3 or 4 hours is usually what I shoot for. So if my flat still has some tough spots, but is mostly butter-tender, into the faux cambro it goes.

    Kathryn

    P.S. I can't see your photos.
    Last edited by fzxdoc; June 11, 2019, 03:07 PM.

    Comment


    • HJS
      HJS commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks for your reply. It likes to cook at 265-290 with it staying at 270-275 on average. I think you're right in that if it's mostly good with some tough spots the longer rest will allow the carryover to take it to where it needs to go. Pull it earlier and longer rest it is.

    #3
    I always cook my brisket at 275 and power through the stall at 300. No use wasting time when it is just getting rid of water moisture, which is what the stall is. Now you have pay attention and lower the heat as soon as the meat starts going back up. I never wrap don't want roast beef, if you do wrap use butchers paper not foil and no liquid.

    I also cannot see your pictures.

    Comment


      #4
      Was it choice or prime? If it was prime, my initial diagnosis would primarily be the flipping. You need that fat cap between the meat and the fire. It would be exacerbated if it was choice. And definitely wrap next time.

      Comment


        #5
        I realize you get a much better bark going nekkid, but I would have wrapped it in butcher paper after the thing stalled for more than an hour. That, in my opinion is what may have contributed to the dryness. Either that, as others have said, crank up the heat. Oven or smoker, either way, the meat doesn't know the heat source.

        Comment


          #6
          Concur with above. Also I agree with above: was it Prime or Choice. I've found that Prime Brisket seems to remain more juicy.

          Comment


            #7
            Thanks guys. It was a prime from Costco. Had a lot of success with them before but I usually wrap. This time I didn't.

            Comment


              #8
              Yes you have to do things differently if you don't wrap from if you wrap. The main key I have found is to increase the temp to power through the stall.

              Comment


                #9
                It doesn’t happen often but sometimes I light a full chimney of charcoal and add to pbc if the coals start dying. It is a little tricky but just go slow and you can get it done with just a little finesse. This how we learn.

                Comment


                  #10
                  Last Saturday I had the same problem sorta.... here is what happened. I saw my fuel needed refueling and needed to add water to my pan and add 6 racks of ribs. Well I wasn’t fast enough doing both. I took the brisket off to remove the beans and my temps dropped in my wsm. I noticed before that if ya don’t do it fast enough then it cools the meat and drops in temperature.
                  Click image for larger version

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ID:	693871 as ya can see when I opened it up both the brisket and pork dropped in temps. Normally it takes me 9 hours to cook and be done. Here it took extra 2 hours to recover. So I just started to probe it around 185 knowing it was getting done. I always probe the flat not the point. Knowing that it was gonna be faux Cambro I knew it was gonna ta be fine. Didn’t need to take it to 203. Also 205 imo is to high and drys the flat.

                  Comment


                    #11
                    Originally posted by jecucolo View Post
                    It doesn’t happen often but sometimes I light a full chimney of charcoal and add to pbc if the coals start dying. It is a little tricky but just go slow and you can get it done with just a little finesse. This how we learn.
                    Only rarely have I had to add coals to the PBC for a cook, jecucolo and HJS . When I do I make sure to remove the meat first so that it does not become coated with the stirred-up ash. And, like jecucolo, I only add hot coals from a chimney. I don't want to risk that petroleum-like flavor that comes from charcoal just heating up.

                    Then I re-hang the meat and get on with the show.

                    Kathryn

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