SV Brisket

[Britt]

I'm doing my first Brisket SV and then want to smoke it on the kettle. I picked up a small flat that was $20 so a good practice run...
Question 1: What temp should I set the SV to? I have it at 154* for 24 hrs... does that seem right? ( I have 14 hrs left). I'm looking for tender and moist.

Question 2: Once done in SV, should I ice bath it, put in fridge, and then reheat on grill? To what temp?

sorry for the basic questions- I've read so many things that I'm getting mixed up.

[kmhfive]

The ones I did went 48-hrs at 155F. I think that was too long, but I had smoked them to about 140F before SV. If you’re not smoking first, you might try 36-hrs.

FlaBouy did some great experiments this summer with SVQ brisket. He seemed to like the 36-54 hour range.

Once you finish the the hot tub, there’s no reason to heat the Brisket over about 140F. So, if you want smoke flavor, chill the meat all the way to fridge temps before putting on the cooker. If all you want is a crust, you can just shock it for a half-hour in ice water.

[SMOG MAN]

I followed Kenji’s recipe from SeriousEats at 155 for 24 hours for traditional brisket, 3 hours in the smoker and it came out great. I think your fine. I did chill in between.

[Potkettleblack]

154x24h should be fine.

You should definitely shock and chill that flat until it is 70*F or lower before smoking.

And you should smoke to a temp that is no higher than the SV processing temp. So 154 is as hot as it should go on the grill.

[EdF]

It's cooked right. You're just finishing and warming it.

[RonB]

If ya sv that meat to medium and then smoke it to ~ 200*, ya wind up with well done...

[Potkettleblack]

You can do that, but the collagen is already rendered, so you’re just drying it out. If it’s already probe tender, why expel more moisture to get it more than probe tender?

[Britt]

I needed to feed the fam (and I got impatient) so I pulled out of SV after 20 hrs. Ice bath until temp down to 70F. Then threw on Grill at 300ish indirect with Oak for about 1.5 hrs until back up to 154F.
Pic after SV and then two after smoke

while the flavor was awesome, id like to have the meat a little more moist- which I was expecting a little firmer since I ran a little impatient.
the liquid from the SV made an awesome gravy!

[DWCowles]

Looks good

[Potkettleblack]

So, Temp is doneness, time is tenderness.
I do my brisket lower and slower, like 135x72. It’s not like traditional brisket, because it’s not well done, but has all the collagen breakdown of the traditional cook. And more juice in the brisket. I’ll write my my process next year when I have a bit more confidence in it, but it’s smoke first to 130it, bag, soak at 135x48-72 (pinch test for tenderness), shock, smoke again to 130-135.

I smoke on my gass grill, so it’s not a hassle to fire it up twice.

[shify]

I orginally did SV-smoke method but have recently started doing smoke-SV-smoke. First with a brisket point and more recently with a pork butt. Theres a more pronounced smoke flavor with the smoke-SV-smoke compared to SV-smoke. Plus by smoking first you also get a smoke ring if that matters to you. Have done both ways with a pork butt and brisket and will prob stick with the smoke-SV-smoke approach

[Troutman]

So you SVd at 135x72 but in the Lipavi article they did 129x24 before/after smoke/smoke. One I just did based on a Kenji recipe was smoke/SV/smoke with the SV at 129x50 hrs. I noticed they smoked for 6 hrs after, which I did not do (only about 2 hrs). I found the collagen had not all rendered in mine. Would you attribute that to less smoke or to the bath?

[Potkettleblack]

Time and temp. Did you use the pinch test?

I did mine before Norm did his.

[Potkettleblack]

Spinaker

you generally don’t want to cook things beyond the Sous vide temp because you spent all that time cooking it to the perfect temp.

That said, you can’t really undo the tenderness. But there’s no need to take a Sous Vide brisket to 203. It’s probe tender at 135 or 155 or wherever you have cooked it. You really only want to set the bark.

I do mine at 135. Lower temp is less damage. I’m working on a smoke-Sous-sear/smoke process, but I need a few more briskets and that’s not gonna happen until next year. Only me and the wife and it’s about to get cold here.

[Spinaker]

Makes sense. Thanks 

It's getting cold here too 11 F outside right now. -8 Windchill :/

[Dr ROK]

Potkettleblack , what type of bags do you use for brisket? My 11" vacuum seal bags aren't big enough for most briskets I've purchased.

[Potkettleblack]

I cut the brisket in two and use two gallon ziplocks. Works better for me as there’s just me and the wife to eat it.

[jecucolo]

Potkettleblack
Do you cut it long way so you have a flat and a fat on both brisket? I have the same issue.

[Potkettleblack]

When I cut the brisket in two, I cut it right in front of the point. So there’s one piece that’s all flat (which is Mrs. PKB’s domain) and one that makes nice point/flat slices (PKB land).

Considering Meathead’s Brisket slicing instructions, and general bag dimensions, this feel about right.

Ziploc 2 gallon bags are a wee bit amazing for SV, largely due to capacity. Whole roasts.

that brisket was kind of a lazy version of the smoke-Sous-smoke approach. Also the tip of the flat was sooooo skinny. I should have trimmed that back, and if I was feeling ambitious, meat glue it back on and crammed it in one bag maybe. Probably not.

[Potkettleblack]

Yeah. Made a turkey roulade out of thighs. Also adhered bacon to filet a bit better.

[JimLinebarger]

PKB, which version of TG did you use? RM (milk proteins), TI (more TG), or GS (gelatin)? I've been thinking about doing this with some of the boneless pork shoulder I have.

[Potkettleblack]

MooGlue.

[jimwheeler]

Has anyone injected their Brisket before SV'ing? I am going to try Kenji’s recipe from SeriousEats this weekend and was wondering about adding injection into the mix........ Thoughts

[Polarbear777]

I cut my last brisket in half and ran the point/flat half as a normal smoke to done and smoked the flat side to 130, bagged and ran SV 135x72. Came out tender with good flavor and of course dissolved bark, and I didn’t bother smoking or heating at the end.

Point side was awesome but this saved me from being disappointed in the flat side yet again.
Got the idea from PKB.

[Potkettleblack]

I think any time you process the brisket sv, you’re gonna want to finish it with some low and slow or some hot and fast. Else you get sad bark.

[Polarbear777]

Yep, I sliced and pan fried for breakfast. Maybe next time I’ll re-fire the fire for it, but I get lazy when it’s just a small piece of flat.
The traditional point was far and away the star.

[Potkettleblack]

Not a fair comp, really.

Easier for me on the gasser. If I were running charcoal, I’d want to go once. So I’d Sous then BQ. Use the sv to stall proof the brisket. Or just 133x72, rub and hot smoke back to temp.

[dirtman]

I am planning on following Kenji’s method for a whole packer Prime Grade from Costco @ 155 for 24-36 hours. Would you recommend seasoning prior to SV or after or both? Next an Ice bath to the fridge until Sunday, pat dry and smoke to Internal of 140-150 degrees. Also anyone try injecting? Any other tips?

[Spinaker]

I would season the Brisket before I went Sous Vide. Potkettleblack will probably be able to help you as well.