I received a new Pro34 for an early Father's Day present and decided to try a brisket. I usually do pork in the smoker and beef on the grill, so this was practically a first effort for me.
I used a 10lb prime brisket from Costco. The cook took much longer than expected – 14 hours. I did two hours of heavy smoke at 200° and then bumped the temp up to 235° until the meat hit 175°, at which point I wrapped it. I then cooked it wrapped at 250° and then pulled it at 205° for an hour rest. It stalled 3 or 4 times during the whole process.
The flavor and bark are great but the brisket itself is still really tight. It barely wobbles at all and has the consistency of a slightly under cooked filet.
What did I screw up here? My guess is that I either wrapped it too early or didn't cook it hot enough, but this is only my second brisket attempt ever.
by Mister_Sassafras
5 Comments
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*What seasoning did you use?
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Water pan underneath with beef broth helps.
Wrapping in tallow helps.
Making sure you Re-Wrap it in new paper and foil for the rest helps.
But the key is probing tender. Did you probe the flat and get that buttery tender feel? Sometimes you have to bring it to 210°F to get that in some cases.
It’s always about the probe. Temp and time are just the stats afterwards.
Did you trim all the fat off? Basic rules i live by for brisket:
1. Do not trim. Most places have already trimmed as it is, and it’s better to cut the fat off after rather than before.
2. Season 12 hours before planned cooking, wrap and let sit in fridge. Bring out and unwrap early enough to allow meat to get to room temp before going on the smoker.
3. Start as low as you can, preferably 180° if you can. It will most likely stall at around 135° – 140°.
4. At this point, you can do one of two things: pull, wrap, and bump to next temp up (for me it’s 225°). Or, don’t wrap, and just bump to 225°.
5. Most importantly, make sure your thermometer is in the thin part of the brisket, not the thick part. Pull at 204° and let rest at least 30 min.
Great advice below. Remember you’re cooking to temp and not time. I made the same mistake the first time I did one. You’ll get it!
Temperature with brisket are indicative but not the law. Feeling the brisket is more important.
The cool down part of the cooking is very important. You have to eat it around 145F.