Brisket Question

[Dewesq55]

Thanks to pit member JCBBQ I just scored my first ever prime packer brisket. It's in cryovac, of course. The label says the "pack date" is 8/27/19 and the sell by date is 10/10/19. My question is how long can/should I wet age the brisket before cooking it?

As an aside, the Costco Businesses Center in Hackensack it's pretty awesome. The refrigerated section is an entire large refrigerated room. The next time I come here I'm going to bring a warm coat so I can linger there a bit longer. Also, it's only 5 (not 10) minutes off my route home from court in the Bronx. Thanks for the heads up JCBBQ

[Troutman]

First the "pack" date and the actual "cryovac" date could be off by a couple of weeks. I sometimes ask them if they still have the shipping box to confirm the pack date. Many times stores call the pack date the date they label the product for sale.

Now having said that, I’ve personally gone 8 weeks wet aging cryovaced packers. As long as the seal has not been broken and is kept at or below 38* you should be fine.

In your case I think it’s safe to say you are probably at about 6 weeks. I’d cook the sucker !!

[Bobby Q's]

Aaron Franklin wet ages his Briskets between 14-40 days. He says after that they get a little "funky". I do mine around 20 days from pack date.

[mountainsmoker]

I do mine about 15-30 days after the pack date, I don't like the funkiness they develop after that date also. Normally 15 days is plenty, but it depends on thickness and weight. My vacuum sealer has been my best friend for 20+years.

[Huskee]

I've been told before that the "packed on" date for Sam's can be off by ~14 days. They don't hack up and wrap the meat the day the steer is slaughtered, they age it some already.

It sounds like the "sell by" date is already right in the neighborhood. That said, I like to go a good 60-70 days max in cold fridge. (Make sure your fridge is 33-37 deg, don't trust it at 40.) I've gone 80 days once and the brisket spoiled. I went 69 and 70 on a few and they were the best I've ever made, so 70 has become my limit.

By my math I would most likely keep that brisket in the fridge until about Oct 22 max. Either cook it then or freeze it then. (If you freeze it then, cook immediately upon thawing with only a day or so dry brine time...to be safe).

[JCBBQ]

Yes I think I remember that picture...😮😮😮

[JCBBQ]

Yeah this calculation seems on the money. My pack date was 8/2 and I cooked it 9/22. It was amazingly tender and not funky at all.

[Troutman]

Again, and Huskee mirrors what I said, be careful of the amount of time you "think" you are aging. There is a lag between the time the animal is slaughtered and the point at which some meat cutter slaps a sticker on the packaging. Saying you go 20 days max might really mean 35-40 days. I count the sell date on the package as +14 days then go from there.

[Spinaker]

I go between 30 and 60 days. Its gets a little funky but the results are better, in my experience.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I do between 40-60 but the meat will tell you when it's ready, I go a lot by feel. If it's jiggly and limp then IMO it's ready for the cooker.

[HawkerXP]

Hackensack!. There is/was a good bakery there. Flashback

[jfmorris]

I am with the others - it’s been aged plenty and I would cook it by the sell by date.

[jerrybell]

I don't wet age. I doubt I could taste a difference if I did. I'm usually dry brining within a day of bringing it home. Plus I'm cheap. I'm not willing to risk the thing going off during aging and having to toss it.

[JCBBQ]

Dewesq55 this is soooo exciting! I can’t wait to hear your results. The prime packer I just cooked was hands down the best one I’ve ever made. Here’s to us becoming brisket experts! 💪💪💪

[JCBBQ]

Oh and yeah, it’s freezing in there. I was in shorts and tee shirt. My teeth were chattering by the time I got out of there.