In the middle of ruining another brisket - please help if you are up

[cjdavia@gmail.com]

Hey gang -- here is a strange one.   I bought a 19lb choice brisket.  Trimmed maybe 2 lbs off of it.  Brined in OJ/salt for 24 hrs.  7 hours of smoking at 225 and it is probing around 200.   Never stalled, just a steady climb.  I expected at least an hour a pound - this is more like 1/2 hr per pound.
 
Should I let it continue cooking or take it out?

I hate cooking briskets.  Wish I didn't love eating them... I should stick with the butts.

Place your votes! 

...seriously, I need some advice here :-)

Chris

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[mike1910]

Do you have a instant read thermometer? 1. I’d make sure my therm is reading accurate. Do a quick test in boiling water.  2. If reading accurate I’d probe multiple spots to make sure. . Otherwise I say if it’s done it’s done.

[mike1910]

Also, does it feel done? By that I mean is it jiggly like jello and when you probe does it probe like butter.

[swthorpe]

I would try moving the temp probe to another location on the brisket.  It does seem odd that a brisket that size would be at 200F so quickly and not experience a stall.

[cjdavia@gmail.com]

Thanks for the help, everyone!  This is so frustrating, brisket is my nemesis!

I  checked the accuracy of the thermometers before my prior smoke 2 weeks ago, and did probe it in numerous places... all readings were  close.  The temp was constant, but it never jiggled nor felt like buttah... not that I'd know what buttah feels like because I haven't cooked a good brisket yet.  :-) 

Since every brisket I've done has been dry and rubbery and therefore undercooked, I decided to do something different than I have and the past and went back to bed.  Now, at 10AM the point is 196 at the flat is holding at 202.  I think we hit a late stall?  Perhaps I probe it once it starts climbing again?

Thanks for the advice!  I hate the thought of ruining such a large hunk of yumminess, especially in these times..

[barelfly]

Do what the others mention, probe for temp in other spots and make sure the therm is working correctly.

What kind of brisket is it? Prime? Yes 1/2 hour per lb is quick. But higher quality cuts will usually cook quicker, more like 1 hour a lb. A Wagyu brisket I purchased once did the same thing, cooked in half the time I expected.

so, that’s the other question. But, I don’t think you ruined it, just double, triple check. You could have it probed in a pocket of fat. I usually use 2-3 probes in a brisket so I can check multiple temps without having to open the door.

You will be fine!

[mike1910]

Sounds like things are starting to even out. Hang in there! Let us know how it turns out.

[cjdavia@gmail.com]

I'm sure you're all dying to know what's going on.

Although it appeared done after 6 hours with all 5 thermometers reading in the mid 190s, I kept cookin' because it never stalled and I figured it should take at least 15-20 hours to finish... and it didn't probe like buttah.

The flat was hanging around at about 202 degrees forever and the point was hovering at 198 for a long long long time.    Every 60-90 minutes I'd probe.  I was concerned about opening the door too much but perhaps I should have probed more frequently... in any case it still didn't feel like anything special so I figured I probably ruined it... but we came this far, so might as well keep going. 

Eventually after around 8hrs of feeling like I overcooked it, the point started climbing.  They both hit about 203 degrees at the same time.  I felt like perhaps this would be a good time to probe, and ya know what?  I think I felt buttah!  I pulled it out but had to be careful because it felt like it would break apart.  Probably be overcooked but we'll see.  About an hour per pound.  It will be resting for another half hour or so before we try it.   fingers crossed

[mike1910]

Thanks for the update. I’m sure it all worked out 👍

[barelfly]

Hahah! Great to hear! And I know you took a nibble when you took it out!

You are probably in brisket food coma now!

[Walt]

I find it better to program for 14 hours @ 225. Then, for the 2nd 225 @ IT 200 shift to 140 temp. I sleep all night, and then some, with no worries. The fat pockets in these briskets can cause problems. Haven't had a full packer brisjet over cook in 14 hours yet. Ignore the final IT and focus on that buttah feel or jiggle and you wont ever eat a dry brisket again.

[Pork Belly]

Throw your thermometers away, or at least keep them in the drawer until your cooking chicken.

Brisket will tell you when it is done by how it feels. Use your hands, poke it with a finger. Is it yielding or firm? If you pick it up in the middle do both ends hang down or is it still rigid?

You can get the answer to "Is it done?" without poking holes for juice to leak out.

Although I can tell a 160's, 170's or 180's piece of chicken by feel. I temp everyone that comes out of the smoker.

[cjdavia@gmail.com]

Thanks for all the advice.  It came out great.  The flat was just a little overcooked but very tasty.

Lessons learned for me are to check it more frequently, perhaps every 30 minutes after it hits 190.   Also, the next time I feel like it might be a bit overcooked, we'll skip using towels and a long rest.

I do want to find a better rub.. maybe one that is more simple.  My wife hates pepper so it has been a challenge.  To top things off, last weekend my wife decided to use the leftover vacuum sealed burnt ends in her chili instead of the drier flat. ...anyone know a good divorce attorney?

I'm addicted and doing another one tonight..

Thanks again,
Chris

[tostitobandito]

I've been cooking my briskets a bit hotter to cut down on the excessive time and stall and issues like you describe.  I also feel like it helps render the fat in the point a little better.  I've done my last couple at around 235 and both turned out great and were done in 12 hours or less (15-18lb briskets - untrimmed weight).  The other thing I've sort of learned for both briskets and beef ribs is to not bother with the temp probe until several hours into the cook.  I've had problems with some briskets and especially beef ribs cause the meat moves/shrinks a fair amount as it cooks which can move the temp probe substantially.  If the probe isn't in there perfectly level and straight it can get moved into a bad location, like into a fat seam or too close to the outside.  For briskets I open it up quickly at about 5 or 6 hours and stick the probe in.  Also a good time to wrap if you want to do that.

Also, every piece of meat is different so really once you get to 190-195 somewhere you really want to be checking and probing it and pull it when it feels right.  One brisket might be best at 197 and another might be best at 203.  It also depends on the thickness of the flat since if you're doing a really long cook and you don't have a nice thick flat you're gonna end up having the thinner part of the flat be dry-ish by the time you get the point where it needs to be.  The way some briskets are shaped you're just gonna end up sacrificing a chunk of the flat, either in the trim or after it's smoked.

[cjdavia@gmail.com]

Great advice, thank you so much.  My current attempt is an 18lb choice.  Trimmed maybe 2-3lbs off of it.  Put her in around midnight

So strange:  Another high-stall at 200 while clearly not done.

It's been in cooking at 225 for about 12.5 hours and even though my probes are telling me its over cooked, the flat is extremely firm -- not jiggly... Although the point is perfect.

I am thinking to keep it in at least a few more hours, right?

Next time I'll try a higher temp.  great advice.

Chris