Just finished my first brisket cook and overall it turned out pretty great. The flavor was spot on and the bark had a nice taste to it. The only thing I’d change is the fat – it didn’t quite render/meld as much as I was hoping for. I cooked fat side down since the heat source is underneath, but I’m not sure that worked out the way I expected.
Setup:
• Raised the brisket with an extra rack and two stones for indirect heat
• Kept it moist with a water pan/drip tray
• Ran steady at ~110 °C (230 °F)
Timeline:
• On at 20:30, ran unwrapped until 3:00
• Wrapped in butcher paper, I back on at 120 °C until 8:30
• Pulled, wrapped in foil + towel, and rested in the Yeti until serving
For a first attempt, I’m really happy with how it came out, but open to tips on getting better fat rendering and balancing the bark.
by PutComprehensive65
10 Comments
There is only one metric for whether or not a brisket is good: did the people who ate it like it?
Looks and presentation are for BBQ competitions. If there were no leftovers you did it right.
Visually you are in the ballpark. Only taste will tell if you hit the mark.
I’d say you need a much more aggressive trim next time as far as the fat rendering goes.
I agree with clutch. The true measurement is if there are any leftovers.
I use a BGE as well. Here are a few things I have learned over the years . . .
I always cook fat up to allow the juices to run into the meat.
I too use a drip pan, but I typically put apple juice in it. I don’t know if it does anything, but I do it.
Never underestimate the “rest”. I now rest mine upwards of 6 hours. Juicy and tender every time
The bark looks good. There’s a more solid looking layer of fat than I’m accustomed to seeing, but it’s the hardest smoke to hit just right. By far. So if it tastes good, that’s great
I’d def trim that fat cap more next time. Also, once it’s wrapped in butcher paper, really no need to wrap in foil too. It just streams the bark at that point.
Are you cooking in the kramer’s room when Kenny rogers roaster moves next store? Lol
Congrats on your brisket. That is one of the hardest things to get right. I have never smoked a good tasting flat in the over 15 years with an Egg. The only brisket that was good was when I got a point from a butcher to make Burnt Ends. Those tasted outstanding.
Congrats on your first brisket.
Picture number 2, did you crack open the lid or do you have a huge leak?
It looks like Hot Cheeto flavor smoke in the first picture.
Looks amazing. What was the uncooked weight of that brisket? I’d like to try it again but I think the animals and therefore the brisket we get here in Europe tends to be smaller and I have to pull it after a few hours. I find that a 12hr cook is way too much even at 110-120c. I’m guessing by your use of Celsius that you’re in Europe too, so I must be getting something wrong.