Smokin-It User Forum!
Recipes => Beef => Topic started by: jagdad on June 16, 2018, 09:20:44 AM
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Have a #2 and have tried 2 briskets and neither turned out well. I have had great success with salmon, pork shoulder, ribs, and turkey. Last brisket came out chewy, the one prior to that dry. Have cooked a whole brisket (point and flat) and have also cut the brisket before smoking. I cook to an internal temp of 190, smoker temp at 225, wrapped in foil and towels a place in a cooler for 2-3 hours. I want to try another one but spending 40-50 bucks and having it turn out like crap is frustrating at best. Smelling the smoke for hours and then finally sitting down to eat less than stellar brisket does not make for a great day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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So, I’m not the brisket pro. Others here have a ton more experience with brisket but if you had a chewy brisket, I don’t believe it was done rendering down. You said you cooked to 190* but it could have needed 10* more depending on the piece of meat. The first brisket you mentioned was dry, it could have been over cooked. Each is different, so the advice given most is to pull when you can probe the brisket and it’s like butter. If you had a chewy brisket, I’m guessing it would not have probed this way, but I could be wrong.
Also, what size of brisket and grade are you smoking? That can also play in how it will turn out.
Don’t give up. I know it’s frustrating. I’m the same way when I don’t get the results I’m expecting. But journal your process each time so you can see how things go and when you nail it, you have it written down exactly how you went about it.
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Thanks. I will give not pulling the brisket until the probe comes out like butter a shot. I like the idea of a journal show when I do get it spot on, I will have captured how I did it for future reference. The brisket was prime and 12 ish pounds both times.
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jagdad - I have had really great briskets (prime) and a few that were just shy of great (choice). I trim off some of the fat and save to use during the smoke. I will jacquard the meat on occasion depending upon how it looks and feels. I do use beef broth and inject. A simple rub. then fat side down in the smoker and the fat trimmings from earlier I place on top. I make doubly sure that my meat probe is in the meat and NOT penetrating the center fat layer. 225 to 195 -200. Sometimes 230/235 to same temp. When it hits the desired internal temp, it should be jiggly. Then wrap and into the cooker till serving time. Also, I never, ever open the door until the internal temp is reached. And I will use an instant read thermometer just to check the internal temp when it is finished, to be sure.
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jagdad - I have had really great briskets (prime) and a few that were just shy of great (choice). I trim off some of the fat and save to use during the smoke. I will jacquard the meat on occasion depending upon how it looks and feels. I do use beef broth and inject. A simple rub. then fat side down in the smoker and the fat trimmings from earlier I place on top. I make doubly sure that my meat probe is in the meat and NOT penetrating the center fat layer. 225 to 195 -200. Sometimes 230/235 to same temp. When it hits the desired internal temp, it should be jiggly. Then wrap and into the cooker till serving time. Also, I never, ever open the door until the internal temp is reached. And I will use an instant read thermometer just to check the internal temp when it is finished, to be sure.
Everything Old Sarge said. 190 is too low for brisket in my opinion. I go 195 in the flat, and 200-205 in the point. Sometimes that extra 5 degrees can amount to an extra 1-2 hours of cooking. Undercooking is bad when it comes to brisket. It will be chewy. And...sometimes an undercooked brisket will "seem" dry, because the collagen hasn't fully converted to gelatin yet, and gelatin is what gives brisket (and other meats) that sticky moist fatty mouth feel. And also the jiggle. I buy the whole Prime Packers from Costco, and I don't brine or inject (just rub), and they come out good every time so far. Occasionally, you can get a drier piece of meat though. Animals vary. But I've had good luck with Costco. I've also had good luck with their Choice briskets, but I've only bought those when there was a shortage and no Primes available. So stick with Primes if you can.
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190 is too low for brisket in my opinion. I go 195 in the flat, and 200-205
Keep cooking until it gets squishy. A whole brisket properly cooked should droop on the ends when supported in the middle.
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Thanks everyone for the help. Sounds like I am not smoking it long enough. In my infinite wisdom, I just googled smoking brisket and have now learned my lesson and will come here for any future questions and advise. Thinking of giving it another shot next weekend, I have to get it right, I love brisket and can't wait to get it right. Thanks again
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great advise on not piercing the fat layer with the probe, I am fairly sure I did that. I will also try the broth and possibly inject. I have not tried Costco for my meat, seems to be the place to go based on many posts on this site. It also seems I was a good 10-15 degrees short of what I need to cook them to, hence them not reaching the gelatin state. Thanks eveyone
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I was really intimated trying my first brisket but relied heavily on this forum for good advise.. Started with getting
a quality cut of meat.. The only reason why I got a Costco membership was for their Prime grade brisket.. I am still a rookie
compared to most folks on this forum but I have had three great briskets smokes and am planning another over the 4th of July. My main mistake on my first brisket was removing too much fat.. I still brine overnight but understand that a Costco/Prime probably does not need this step. I also smoked cap/fat side down on my last two smokes and I definitely got the "jiggly" feel the experts on this forum have mentioned..Follow the temperature and other advise from the pro's on this site and you will have a better experience on your next smoke
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My main mistake on my first brisket was removing too much fat..
Good advice on trimming the fat...don't. Just trim down the really thick parts if it's a whole brisket. I leave 3/8 to 1/2 inch of fat, and in some places, a little more. The advice out there is usually to leave 1/4 inch of fat, which is way over-trimmed in my opinion. Remember, guests can choose not to eat the fat, but you can't put it back. (It's delicious by the way.)
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All good points ...
A "packer" consist of two different muscle groups going in generally opposite directions ... think N/S vs E/W. One group, "the point" has double the fat content vs. "the flat" which is very lean in comparison. Smoked as one, then the flat will be a bit dry compared to the point if that is your target. If you smoke for the best flat then the point will not have rendered and will be tough and chewy. It's really hard to get both close too each other and a finished temp 195/205 will get you there ... After pulling and double wrapping I personally like to wait a minimum of 3/4 hours before serving. Time allows the opposite muscle mass point/flat to slowly relax and redistribute moisture through out which helps even out the "chew" between the two groups. I actually consider the 4 hour hold to be the hidden secret of a great brisket.
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The one thing I learned about brisket that works for me is not to trim off any fat until after it is smoked.
Sarge, why do you smoke yours fat side down?
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It looks like you have gotten some great advice... my experience totally aligns with what you've been told regarding the temperature and how to tell when it's done.
I personally always brine my briskets regardless of the grade of meat. My experience is that this helps ensure more consistency, greater moisture, and can dramatically reduce the cook time. As such, I've never had a need to do any kind of injecting.
Hang in there... brisket is one of my absolute favorites and I think you're getting close to something you'll enjoy.