Brisket is not as moist as first?

[Papa Rick]

This is my first ever Brisket done in model #2. When I pulled it out at and carved 1/2 to eat, man was it so juicy, but waited about 3 hours later and started cutting the rest of it up and noticed it was kinda dry, not real bad, but nothing like it was after I first cut it? 

I waited 2 1/2 hours after I pulled it to do the initial carving and wrapped It back up in the double tin foil, blanket and in the cooler for later, but when I opened it back up it just did not have the moistness it had before.

Any suggestions and advice appreciated.  This was a 10Lb packer brisket.

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[SuperDave]

When we start jousting around here about foiling to finish or no foiling to finish, getting a pan of au jus is always one of my keys to why I foil.  When there is no guarantee how a particular piece of brisket will turn out, having the beef juice to warm the meat in is great for one that might have ended a little dry.  And having one that has part of the cut that is dry is by no means the cooks fault.  There can be all kinds of speculation as to why it was dry but it would be all guessing on our part. 

[DivotMaker]

Was there a lot more liquid in the foil when you unwrapped the second half later?  Bet there was.  I don't believe it's guessing at all.  The rest period, on a whole piece of meat that's wrapped immediately, has the surface intact, and the moisture is re-absorbed by the meat.  Once you cut into the meat, you create an avenue for the juice to flow back out of the meat (an "open wound," I suppose).  Even though you wrapped the second piece, it had an open end, and I bet a lot of juice flowed into the foil.

[Walt]

I have NEVER had a dry brisket (brineing & injecting) & I only foil for the rest.

[DivotMaker]

I have NEVER had a dry brisket (brineing & injecting) & I only foil for the rest.

Totally agree, Walt, but I think he's saying he cut a whole one in half, after smoking, ate the first half (moist), and the second half (later) was drier after re-wrapping.  Sounds like he's just asking why the second half wasn't as moist as the first.  But, i could be wrong...

[Papa Rick]

This is correct DivotMaker!  I did no prep on this brisket (first one I have ever done), just wanting to see how it would turn out with injecting it and no brining either.  I did trim a lot of the excess fat off of it, leaving 1/4 inch.  It happened as you said after cutting the first part the juices flowed out of it.  Cut the rest of it and poured the juice over the top of it and put some BBQ Sauce on it and it was great.  I'm telling you this Smokin It Smokers are not good, there GREAT!!!

[Walt]

It would have been better to have cut it in half prior to smokin it or wait for a complete rest before sliceing.

[es1025]

I dont brine or inject and have not had a dry brisket using aaron franklins method. Smoke at 250 until 165, (spritz with worcestershire and water mixture) then wrap in butcher paper, then continue to 195. It comes out perfect. Its recommended to use dalmatian rub (equal parts kosher salt and course black pepper).

I have been using parchment paper instead of butcher paper.

I can only get flats where i live.

[SuperDave]

Was there a lot more liquid in the foil when you unwrapped the second half later?  Bet there was.  I don't believe it's guessing at all.  The rest period, on a whole piece of meat that's wrapped immediately, has the surface intact, and the moisture is re-absorbed by the meat.  Once you cut into the meat, you create an avenue for the juice to flow back out of the meat (an "open wound," I suppose).  Even though you wrapped the second piece, it had an open end, and I bet a lot of juice flowed into the foil.

The way I read the initial post, he allowed it to rest for 2 1/2 hours before cutting.  It shouldn't need more than that and bleeding shouldn't have been a problem. 

[DivotMaker]

When I pulled it out at and carved 1/2 to eat, man was it so juicy, but waited about 3 hours later and started cutting the rest of it up and noticed it was kinda dry, not real bad, but nothing like it was after I first cut it?

I was going off this, Dave, and didn't read (right) about the initial rest!  Shame on me!

[Sweet Baby Ray]

I noticed that my flat part was dryer than the fatty part, is that what you are referring to?  Was your fatty part more tender and moist?

[DivotMaker]

Ray, there are two muscles that make up the "packer" brisket: the point and the flat.  The point (what you call the "fatty end") is just that.  It has more fat in it than the flat, which is pretty lean.  The point will pretty much always be more moist, due to the fat.  Flats are hard to keep moist, and that's why many of us brine and/or inject the flats.

Do a little search on the anatomy of a brisket, and read up in the beef section, and you'll learn a ton about how to make a great brisket!

[SuperDave]

Conventional wisdom says that the meat probe goes in the point end.  That seems like an automatic sacrifice of the flat.  I cut my packers in half right at the flat / point transition.  Flat comes out when it is ready and the point comes out when it is ready. 

[DivotMaker]

Conventional wisdom says that the meat probe goes in the point end.  That seems like an automatic sacrifice of the flat.  I cut my packers in half right at the flat / point transition.  Flat comes out when it is ready and the point comes out when it is ready.

Every one I smoked in the #1 were halved the same way, Dave.  I put the probe in the half with the flat & point, on the lower shelf, and the other half of the flat on the top shelf.  Never had a problem with either being done properly.  I like to put the thickest piece on the bottom - cooks faster, and shields the thinner cut on top!

[TmanEater]

If you look at the packer brisket I just cooked with my HeaterMeter I had a probe in the point and a probe in the flat. They were just a couple degrees apart when I was finished. If they weren't attached I wonder if they wouldn't have been so close together temperature wise.