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Brisket Wrap/Rest Question

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    Brisket Wrap/Rest Question

    Newbie about to cook my first brisket at 225 degrees. I plan to wrap with pink butcher paper around 165-170, probe through the paper into the thick part of the point, and let it go until internal temp of 203.

    Once it hits 203, I will rest in a cooler with towels. Should I first wrap my butcher paper wrapped brisket with foil or can it go straight from the grill to the cooler as is? I wonder if the juices will leak through the butcher paper and may not stay as warm? Then again, I do not want to ruin the bark.

    Also, do you suggest probing in point or flat?

    Please let me know your thoughts, thanks!
    Last edited by Dia; June 11, 2019, 07:41 PM. Reason: Typo

    #2
    Coot until probe tender, not temp. Start probing around 190. You want it probe tender in the flat. Wrap in foil before putting in cooler. Yes the butcher paper will leak.

    Comment


    • RonB
      RonB commented
      Editing a comment
      ^^ This ^^ And butcher paper will absorb the juices. I like to save them to pour over the flat if dry.

    #3
    I would try to use what you could tell by probing for tenderness rather than an arbitrary finish temperature, then yes to for the faux cambro wrap as tightly as you can in foil or in an aluminum pan wrapped up.

    Comment


      #4
      Good advice, above!
      Best of luck on yer brisky!
      Howdy from Kansas Territory, Welcome to Th Pit!

      Comment


        #5
        And do not toss the au jus, put it in a pot and then in the freezer to freeze the fat.
        Once the fat is gone put it on the stove and reduce the au jus some more.
        It is the most concentrated beef "gravy" you will ever taste.

        Comment


          #6
          Every piece of meat is different don't worry about probe tender, never heard the term till I came over here. First off your sticking a sharp instrument into something that never hurt you and second it is made up of muscles that have worked differently all there life time. So take and check the flat in various places and if the average is around 200 take it off and wrap it tightly in foil and put it in a faux Cambro(cooler with towels and blankets). It will go up 10-15 degrees on ave.rage and the temp will spread evenly through the brisket. I will be honest I don't worry about the faux Cambro, I just wrap it in 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and put it out of the way for an hour or so while I smoke some beans and the wife makes some coleslaw. My friends always rave about it.

          Comment


          • Steve R.
            Steve R. commented
            Editing a comment
            Far be it from me to disagree with your good results and raving friends... but in my opinion (everybody has one, etc.), the fact that every piece of meat is different is exactly why "probe tender" is what really matters. It also makes any target internal temperature merely an indicator of when to start checking for tenderness. Many prime briskets will turn into pot roast if taken above 200, in my experience.

          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            Been around and cooked many a brisket. Here in Texas briskets have reached almost religious status. I’ve had the pleasure to talk with quite a few pitmasters around the state and have always been told to cook to probe tender. It’s not just an AR thing, it’s the right way to do it.

          #7
          Thanks for the great advice. So once the brisket is probe tender, you are suggesting completely removing from the butcher paper and transferring to a fresh layer or two (or three) of heavy duty foil?

          (Rather than wrapping paper with foil on the outside)

          Also, how important is it to inject? I wasn't planning on injecting and just using a 50/50 salt pepper rub.

          Comment


          • mountainsmoker
            mountainsmoker commented
            Editing a comment
            You want the foil up tight against the meat and if your doing a Cambro a couple of layers will work.

            Injection can be done but let's get you through yotur first one before we add that complexity. If you want to try it let me know and I will point you to the injector I use and you will need a good low salt beef broth.

            Your 50/50 salt, pepper rub is called a Dalmatian rub and is pretty standard in TX and other places. A 1/2 tsp per pound.
            Last edited by mountainsmoker; June 11, 2019, 09:21 PM.

          • Steve R.
            Steve R. commented
            Editing a comment
            Dia , it is fine to add the foil wrap to the paper wrap that is already on the brisket. The goal is to prevent any loss of moisture during the hold. The importance of injection depends on the piece of meat. A well marbled brisket doesn't really need it, imho.

          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            I just take and throw the paper wrapped brisket into a foil or restaurant pan, cover with foil and cambro.

          #8
          I never wrap my briskets in foil before putting them in the cooler. I just leave them in the paper and then wrap in towels in the cooler.

          There isn't really a right or wrong, just different ways of doing it. Test different things and find what works for you.

          Comment


            #9
            I keep mine in the butcher paper and wrap that in foil...mostly because butcher paper leaks and I don’t want a mess to clean up.

            As for when I wrap...I wait until have the bark/color I want - not a temp number. It’s done when it feels done - that’s often around that magic 203°F number, but can be lower with Prime grade meat. I never inject.

            Comment


            • Ahumadora
              Ahumadora commented
              Editing a comment
              1

            #10
            If you are cooking a prime brisket they usually are done around 195. I have cooked prime to 203 and they just fall apart. Probing is best but I’m not that good at it so I just pull them at 195. I don’t wrap in foil because I think it can soften the bark. There is a little leakage in the faux cambro but it is easy to clean up and the towels will absorb some of it. I have contradicted some of the good advice above. This has just been my experience.
            Good luck!

            Comment


            • gdsim1
              gdsim1 commented
              Editing a comment
              Not just you sir, I’m a "wrap the towel directly around the butcher paper" guy too. My reasoning is I wrap in butcher paper instead of foil during the cook so I don’t jack up the bark... why would I wrap it in foil during cambro, which would screw up the bark I just fought so hard for? Plus, a little extra cleanup of the cooler and towels is worth it to me for the results I’ve gotten.

            #11
            I almost always inject. The lower the quality of the meat, the more important. My injection is a mixture of home made beef stock, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, msg, and phosphates. I suggest if you decide to inject, start with a pretty made commercially available injection such as Butchers. You can wrap the foil right around the paper then into the Cambrio. For my bigger events, I will sometimes keep one of my pits on the trailer warm at about 145°-150° and just move the crutched briskets into it, with no foil.

            Comment


              #12
              I will restate, dont get hung up on anything in particular. The right way is the way you like, you will only get there by experimenting. Just make sure you take notes so you know what you did previously and dont get to frustrated if it doenst turn out perfect as some just wont.

              Comment


              • mountainsmoker
                mountainsmoker commented
                Editing a comment
                Excellent advice I have been doing this for 40 years and I still take notes, though on my computer now.LOL You will fail from time to time, It may be the piece of meat, it may be the weather, you just won't know but never get discouraged, You can always make stew out of it. LOL

              #13
              Great advice, thank you everyone.

              Comment


                #14
                Let us know how it turned out!

                Comment


                  #15
                  Originally posted by ifican View Post
                  I will restate, dont get hung up on anything in particular. The right way is the way you like, you will only get there by experimenting. Just make sure you take notes so you know what you did previously and dont get to frustrated if it doenst turn out perfect as some just wont.
                  It’s a bit off topic (sorry for hijacking your thread OP, but it’s with a purpose lol), but while this doesn’t answer your question it’s one of the best tips you’ll ever get. Notes, notes, notes, notes, notes, and more NOTES!

                  Not only will it give you clues as to where you might’ve gone off course with things you weren’t completely happy with, but don’t forget forget the flip side of the coin - when you knock something out of the park, you’ll be able to refer to the notes on that cook to replicate the results. :-)

                  Refer to your notes from your last cook on whatever you’re doing (brisket, pork butt, ribs, whatever) before you start your next cook. Tweak ONE thing (temp, rub, etc, etc) on this cook, and see what kind of difference it makes. Keep tweaking that one thing until you’re thrilled with the result in that area, then start tweaking something else ("Rub is perfect... now to work on tenderness...") until that’s where you want it too.

                  Eventually a day will come when you don’t have anything left to tweak with a given meat - congratulations! You’ve just CREATED a perfect recipe, THAT YOU CAN DUPLICATE OVER AND OVER, that amazes your loved ones and guests. All that’s left then is to bask in the glory. :-)

                  Its definitely a long journey, but so worth the enjoyment and results.

                  Enjoy the ride!

                  Comment

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