My Plan for First Brisket Cook!

[ecowper]

A few things to add, although all the above commentary is great.

- The only reason I can see for separating point and flat is that you want to and/or to make it easier to make burnt ends. I never separate them. That size will fit just fine on your WSM.

- I don't ever wrap, unless I see that I need to hurry the cook.

- I like to hold a brisket in faux cambro or warm in the oven for 2-3 hours, seems to come out much better that way.

[klflowers]

BFlynn, thanks for making me jealous. The trim on the last brisket I did was so severe that I may have well have separated the two, but since it wasn't for me I just left it attached. I have to get busy on the pastrami front; I haven't made any in months.

[BFlynn]

x3 on that mop sauce. It's clutch!

I started separating the flat and point when removing that fat between the two layers almost separated it anyway.
Also, since I tried doing the pastrami, every brisket flat I have turns into pastrami and I just smoke the points.


Which is what I'm doing this evening.

[klflowers]

Sounds like a plan. I have a 18.5 WSM too, and I do all of my briskets overnight. I generally don't wrap unless my coals run out and I have to move it to the oven to finish. That has only happened a couple of times. And I don't separate the point from the flat. I keep saying I am going to do that, but I am lazy. The guys that have commented are right about the timing - probe tender instead of just temps. I had a small brisket a couple of years ago that went 16 hours all on the WSM (I didn't have access to an oven, so I had to add coals about 12 hours in). I don't remember the exact temps when I took it off, but I think it was around 210 or so.

I almost always make this as well:

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...barbecue-juice

I keep some simmering on the stove and baste it once an hour for the first 4 or 5 hours. I usually use butter instead of rendered fat. Again, because I am too lazy to render the fat down. One of these days...

I do pretty long cambro holds - I am usually delivering some to my Mom and she lives a few hours away, so my holds run to the 4 hour range.

[smokin fool]

RickyBobby hit the nail on the head, The brisket decides when its done....
You can time these cooks till your blue in the face but its inside temps that dictates when the meat is done.
And there will be a stall, its how long that stall lasts is the wild card in all this.
If its a long stall you may want to up your cook temp.
I would heed BFlynn and plan for a longer hold, I hold my briskets for 3-4 hours minimum.
You gotta start someplace so give your plan a go but be prepared for curve balls.
Good luck

[RickyBobby]

Looks like you’ve done your homework. I don’t have a WSM and I don’t separate the point from the flat on my packers, so I can’t comment specifically on those parts. A couple of things to keep in mind, in addition to your target internal temps, also keep checking the meat for probe tenderness. I’ve had briskets be probe tender and have that jiggle you want at 195 and others that I’ve had to take up to 210.

Sounds like you’re leaving yourself plenty of time, which is good. Assuming that it will only take X number of hours has burned me more than once! In fact, I picked up a trick here in the Pit a few years ago where I prep a rack or two of ribs to throw on the smoker ~1100 or noon to serve in case my brisket decides it’s not ready yet. That’s the other lesson I learned. The brisket decides when it’s done, not the pitmaster. Lol.

Good luck!!! Looking forward to seeing pictures of and hearing how it turns out! I’m sure it will be good!

[BFlynn]

I can't really speak to the timing. I've not tried to smoke a brisket overnight.
There are folks here that have forgotten more about brisket than I know, but I'd say two things.

First, wrap when the bark is how you want it, not at a certain temp. I like to wrap my briskets in butcher paper instead of foil. But that's a whole other can of worms.

Second, take the flat off the smoker, and put into the cooler when it's "probe tender", not at a certain temp. 203 is a good idea, but it might be tender before that.

Third, (bc I'm good at counting) - it doesn't hurt to hold longer than an hour. I think holding longer, helps.

Just my 2 cents.

Be sure to post pics!

[NotTheGolfer]

This weekend, I plan on cooking my first brisket on my 18.5 inch WSM! Based on the "homework" I’ve done, here’s the plan I’ve put together for the cook. I am curious if what I’ve got is a good plan, if there are any roadblocks I’ll run into, anything I’m leaving out, etc. Thanks in advance for any feedback you can provide!

Smoked Brisket


12 pound USDA Choice Angus Brisket.


Cooking Plan:

• Thursday night
  • Trim the brisket
  • Separate the point and flat.
  • Dry brine w/salt
  • Optional: go ahead and do a layer of seasoning
• Friday Night
  • Earlier in the evening: Get the smoker all set up for use, foil laid out, etc.
  • 10:00pm - fire up the Smoker
  • 11:00pm - put on Brisket @ 225-250 degrees
    • Point/flat can be on the same grate, if possible. If not, put point on top/flat on bottom
    • Put probe in the flat
  • Set pit temperature alarms for 215 low and 275 high
  • Set meat alarm for 160
• Saturday
  • Whenever temp hits 150-160ish (maybe 8:00am or so?)
    • Wrap in foil
    • Put back on smoker for as long as the it will maintain the necessary heat
    • When/if necessary: move inside to oven at 230-240ish
  • When flat hits 203
    • Take flat off smoker/out of oven.
    • Place in cooler, wrapped in numerous towels with probe still in. Let rest until temp drops to 140-150 degrees
    • Start making the burnt ends with the point. Make sure the temp
    • On the point is around 195ish before cutting to make burnt ends
  • When the point hits 195ish (while flat is resting in the cooler): Making the burnt ends:
    • Let the point rest for about 30 minutes-1 hour (depending on how soon we need to eat) wrapped, in the cooler with the flat.
    • After 30 minutes to an hour in the cooler, Take the point out and cut into half inch cubes
    • Put the cubes in a disposable aluminum pan
    • Add a layer of big bad beef rub and about 1 cup of bbq sauce
    • Mix it up, and put another light layer of rub on top.
    • Put the whole pan back on the heat for another 1-2 hours (perhaps until flat is done resting?)
  • 5:00ish: Slice/serve Brisket/burnt ends