First Brisket Attempt

[scottranda]

I bought my first brisket at the butcher's market. I'll need your expertise!

My first question: Did I buy the point? Or something inbetween the point at the flat? See the pictures.

I assume I'll probe it at the thickest part and take it up to about 203.

The weight is 2.9 lbs, so how long do you think it'll take to bring her up to 203 at 225 degrees? Notice the separation of meat in the picture. Do you think I should separate those two pieces of meat?

I'm dry brining it now, and it'll be put on the grill some time tomorrow for it to be ready for dinner. Thanks for your help!

[CurlingDog]

looks like you have a small cut portion of one flat, maybe two or the one on the bottom in the first pic could be a point by my guess. due to the size, i would wrap in foil at 160 or so, and check for doneness at 195.

[scottranda]

Did I get a "bad" part of the brisket?

[Spinaker]

I do not think you got a bad part of the brisket, as I don't believe such a thing exist. However, that being said. It looks to me like you have a small portion of a whole packer. (I might be wrong but that's what it looks like to me) Some may disagree with me here, but I would keep it whole. Being that it is a smaller piece, I would want to keep as much mass together as I could to keep it from drying out. I would take it to about 165 F and wrap it tightly. Then I would finish it inside in the oven or on your cooker. What are you cooking this bad boy on? Plan on about six hours or so at 225 F with the wrap. I have never cooked one this small (mine are mostly 10 to 18 lbs.) but if I were doing it, that is what I would think would be a reasonable cook time. Hope this helps
Good Luck and take some pics..

-John

[scottranda]

Thanks! That's helpful!

I'm cooking it on a Kamado Joe, with some apple wood chunks from my father-in-law's backyard (he told me an apple tree fell, and I spent 3 hours chopping wood extremely happily).

[_John_]

That sir is a packer with the deckle removed and the point pretty much split from the flat. The end is super thick so I will say they cut the last 3" or so off of the flat, and finally for some reason they squared it all up. None of that is really a bad thing, the thin part of the flat is generally a dry issue, and this doesn't appear to have that. The deckle is too much fat to render so you normally cut that out anyway. If I could have a packer butchered any way I wanted so I was getting the most edible meat for my money I would have it cut pretty much just like that.
Since it is pretty much apart already it might cook a little weird, cook them together and have the thinnest part on the top of the overlap.

[smokinsteve]

Go for it Scott! Where did you find that? Only place I've seen brisket here is at Costco. Is that Choice or Prime?

[scottranda]

Butchers market. Off Rea. Choice for $6.99 this week.

[_John_]

Did you get it on already? That is a hard weight to guess, but i'm gonna throw out 8 hours at 225, but it is thick so...cooking from all sides almost evenly because it is square....still saying 8 hours.

[scottranda]

It's on! We're running at 225. It's been on for almost 1.5 hours. Internal Temp is at 141 degrees (and I put it on cold from the fridge).

I'll post a picture in a few minutes.

[Spinaker]

scottranda lets see some picture when you are done cooking!! Good Luck.

[scottranda]

​Spinaker _John_ Here are the photos!

[scottranda]

Well, I only took one photo.

[Spinaker]

Looks good, How much longer did you keep it on after this one was taken? scottranda

[scottranda]

It's still on the grill. And I took that picture just after I posted that after 1.5 hours it is 141 internal temp.

[_John_]

Seems to go real fast, then the stall, then usually fast again. 141 in 1.5 hours seems hot though...especially at 225. I smoke burgers sometimes and those take 2 hours to get that temp, and they are an inch thick!
You using the same device for internal and pit temp? Also if it cooks really fast, I would hold it 2 to 3 hours wrapped and in a cooler afterward.

[scottranda]

4.5 hours in, and we're at 189.7 internal temp. I wrapped it at 160.

I have a ThermaQ so, I have 2 different probes measuring the grill temp and internal temp.

I have conundrum: If I have the probe in the meat, but then I need to wrap it, should I unprobe the meat, wrap it, then put the probe back in? My brisket wasn't that big to begin with and it's an odd cut of meat, so I was worried about taking the probe back out, then getting it back to the middle of the meat. What should I have done?

[Greasy]

I normally leave the probe in and wrap around it. Not sure if there is a right or wrong answer though.