Brisket: Done When It’s Done

[snowswamp]

I smoked my third 14 lbs prime full packer brisket from Costco on Friday. I trimmed and dry brined it for a few hours. I started it at midnight for a pull time of 3 pm and an hour rest in the cooler. The temp jumped around from 225-250 degrees F in the Smoke Vault 24 but it did great. At 3:00 pm I probed the brisket and it was getting real tender but the meat temp was only 183 degrees F. I left if figuring it would continue to climb. I proved it at 3:30 pm and it felt done, but the temp was only 188 degrees F. I pulled it off, double wrapped it in foil, wrapped it in towels, and put in a cooler where it sat for about an hour. It turned out really well; best one yet. I have never had a brisket go to 203 degrees F. It only goes to around 190-195 degrees F. I don’t know if it’s the elevation in Colorado (5300 ft amsl) or what. What I have learned from everyone here (among many other things) is to relax, it’s done when it’s done. I would have gotten impatient with the stall. I would have cranked the heat. I would have forced 203 every time I cooked and would have ruined several briskets finally giving up. Thanks everyone! No, I don’t have pictures but it still happened. 😀

[Troutman]

I’ve had plenty of primes probe tender at 195ish And I’m at sea level. As you say, it’s done when it’s done, throw away the thermo at the end.

[texastweeter]

primes seem to probe tender sooner than select or choice.

[Jerod Broussard]

The Selects and Choice I get at wolly world are as consistent as the availability of dessert drinks at the local Taco Bell. Each trip is a, "so what's going to happen this time???"

[Troutman]

So what kind of dessert drinks to you order at Taco Bell?

[Santamarina]

Brisket is absolutely done when it’s done. I forced a couple early ones and they just fell apart (tasted delicious, but couldn’t slice).

[mountainsmoker]

LOL cooking in Denver has to be a challenge. The lack of oxygen at that altitude makes even boiling water a challenge. It takes a longer period of time. Start your fire sooner earlier to get a hot burn and then use you controls to adjust the temp.

[MBMorgan]

LOL cooking in Denver has to be a challenge. The lack of oxygen at that altitude makes even boiling water a challenge. It takes a longer period of time

Not really. It doesn’t take longer to reach a boil ... it just boils at a lower temperature. Here at 6300 ft. southeast of Denver it boils at roughly 200 deg. F.

[texastweeter]

the hold is your friend. Start early.

[Steve R.]

Just what I was scrolling down to say. The great thing about brisket is that a long hold is just a step in the process, so you can get it done way ahead of time with no time crunch to deal with.

[Huskee]

Quite often I call 190-195 good. I find the "hold" (the faux cambro time) matters far more than actual stop-cook temp. 203 is simply a target that enough people agreed on as being a good target, it's not a magical waypoint on the brisket map.

[Nuke em]

Plus 1

[FireMan]

Yup! With ya ss. 👍

[HawkerXP]

Those prime briskets from Costco probe out in the 190s for me as well.