How big of a brisket?

[Greenenvey]

Thank you Tony...ok everyone I got a 17.25 prime packer from Costco. I'll be following all of you advice. We will be eating it for our 4 the of July meal. Wish me luck with this monster😃

[SconnieQ]

Tony is right about the time estimate. They generally take 1 to 1.25 hours per pound. (I said 1.5 hours per pound, and that was probably overshooting it.) So if you assume 1.25 hours per pound (plus at least 2 hours for rest), and it is done sooner, you can rest longer or keep warm as I had mentioned.

[Greenenvey]

Ok how does this plan sound, it's a 17.25 pound brisket. We want to eat at 1 o'clock  sunday afternoon. So if I put it in at 1 o clock on Saturday,that will be 24 hours . Does this sound ok for the total time including the 2 hour rest?

[SconnieQ]

Ok how does this plan sound, it's a 17.25 pound brisket. We want to eat at 1 o'clock  sunday afternoon. So if I put it in at 1 o clock on Saturday,that will be 24 hours . Does this sound ok for the total time including the 2 hour rest?

You will likely be trimming off about 2 pounds of fat (only the really thick stuff). If you have a scale, you can weigh your trimmings and subtract them. So you might want to calculate based on 15.25 pounds. 15.25 x 1.25 + 2 (hours rest) = approx 21 hours total. Start at 4:00 pm Saturday. Should leave plenty of time. The worst thing is an undercooked, or "rushed" brisket.

[SuperDave]

If Pork Belly's, "until squishy" is vague, I use the toothpick method and the toothpick goes in and out with little to no resistance, no tug to get the toothpick back out.

[Greenenvey]

You guys and girls are awsome,  thanks so much for all the help. I'm not as nervous  now about  screwing  up the meal. I have the confidence  now that I can do this thanks to all of you

[SconnieQ]

Once you get a have a couple brisket successes under your belt, you will know what "squishy" is. For this one, go by temp, and take note of how it feels when you take it out. I always go by temp, but I know I've got a really good one if it is floppy.

[DivotMaker]

You can't go wrong with a 17+ lb Prime brisky, Laura!  I think the last one I did, that big, was right around 21 hours.  Should be great!

[old sarge]

I did a practice run with a flat.  First brisket I had ever cooked (first brisket I had ever purchased!). Stoked with confidence, I did a full packer for Easter. Perfect. It was a lot simpler than I had thought. 

[Pork Belly]

If Pork Belly's, "until squishy" is vague

 
They physical qualities of brisket are:
1 Raw, cold wet and firm. About 35 deg.
2 Not done, tight and firm like an over inflated basketball, typically in the 170-195 range but it can go higher.
3. Squishy, Sags from both ends when held in the middle, you know you could shove a stiff finger through the middle. The meat is firm yet very yielding, shiny greasy bark, typically 195-205.
4. Too damn done, hard brittle edges, dry exterior very firm.

I hope this helps.

[DivotMaker]

Hehe...I thought Brian might clarify the whole "squishy" explanation.  Makes perfect sense, to me, as BBQ is not an exact science, and so much of its goodness depends on our intuition and "feel!"  Nice job, Belly...nice job!  If anyone here knows what a perfect brisket "feels" like, my money's on Brian!

Dave's got a good point, about the "toothpick test," for those that haven't done a few, but following Brian's explanations of the feel, should definitely help.  That's what you're going for!  I have a "target" temp (usually 192-195), but I still feel if it's done or not.
 

[Greenenvey]

Thanks Brian and Tony that makes a lot of since, I'll slap it around  at about  195 and see if it's squishy

[Greenenvey]

Ok I've got it trimmed and in the briner now. I'm hoping  and praying  I didn't over trim it. I got 3 pounds  of fat off. Basically  all I cut of was the thick  hard fat. There was a ton of it.... here is the pics I hope I did this right?

[Greenenvey]

And the other side

[Pork Belly]

That's a bit bigger pile of scraps than I usually have but you should be fine.