smoked this 6.5lb brisket at 225 for about 9 hours, the temp was reading great pulled it out at 158, wrapped it and let it get to 178. When checking for tenderness, it was pulling decent where I figured I could take it off and let it rest for 2 hours. Did that and my brisket still had juice when cutting it, but then went dry. I’m assuming I didn’t let it rest for long enough or when checking for tenderness I should’ve let it sit longer. Can someone help me out?
by Commercial_Map6025
36 Comments
Seems like you wrapped too early and pulled too early as well. I’ve always let them pass the stall (165-175) then wrap. Then I’ll typically pull at 201-203, all depends when the probe just slides in. Also how’d you rest it? I’ve let it sit on a counter for a few hours and have also placed in a cooler for longer rests if needed.
178 is way too low, most of the fat diddnt render. You want to be looking around 190-203 for tenderness. It should literally feel like stabbing room temp butter with the probe. Then toss it in a cooler for a few hrs or look up how to hot hold in your oven for pretty much as long as you want. Im partial to the hot hold myself.
You pulled it too early. You want to take a brisket off when you stick a probe in it and it feels about the same as probing peanut butter. Once it gets through the bark it should be nice and soft. That usually happens in the 200-205F range.
It’s counterintuitive, but the collagen breaks down at higher temps and makes the brisket moist.
I’d add more s&p
And dont be slicing when its still steaming. Let that shit rest down to a lower temp.
Needed way more time to hit the mark. It’s like Tupac said “you got to keep your head up.” Don’t worry you’ll get there.
I cook mine at 225 till 160 and then wrap and finish at 203-205. After cooking, I’ll wrap in a thick towel and store in a cooler for 2-6 hours. Cooking stalls at 160 and 190-200 due to all that connective tissue liquifying so just try to be patient and trust the process.
Texas crutch to 200F, wrap it in shitty beach towels and stick it in a cooler for 2-3 hours. Also, get yourself a Victorinix carving knife. Reasonable price and keep a nice sharp edge with a little honing.
You shouldn’t need to saw
No way it was probe tender at 178°. I let mine go to about 203°
Not long enough. Not stable temp.
Eww, no gloves.🤮
I need that
Knife wasn’t sharp enough
The temprature you pulled it out at was way too low, your wrapping temprature was correct should be around 165-170 but it’s important to pull out your protein at an internal temp of 210 and make it rest till the next day to be super tender
Maybe let it rest
178 is too low. Definitely needed to cook longer. if you get to that 190ish and it stalls again (has happened to me before) i just finished it in the oven.
Here’s the way to think about moisture and brisket: From a water perspective, it will dry out – There’s just no way around it.
But if you let it get up to 205, lots of its internal fat and connective tissue that makes it tough will melt and basically rehydrate the meat. It will be tough and dry right up to the point where the tough parts melt into itself. Make sure you let it get to that point, then allow a solid rest period to let the moisture distribute throughout and let any parts that are lagging behind catch up. Most steaks I will not rest, but brisket is one that truly does benefit from a long rest.
get a better knife
Way too undercooked my friend
Go to 203 internal temp. Hope you & family didn’t get sick.
What in tarnation?!
Looks like you were on a roll! Do what you did but take it hotter as others have said. It’s gonna be fire next time!
Looks like it’s undercooked. Gotta get it up to around 203 internal. I only wrap when the bark gets nice and crispy. Don’t worry about times and temps when it comes to wrapping. I usually pull at 200, and rest for as long as I can. I’ll put it in the oven at 160 for hours if I have the opportunity.
First…get some gloves bro….
Looks Juicy. But next time get it to 205°F. And rest it at 140°F for 2-16 hours.
The issue is time and temperature. BBQ is cooking to tenderness, not doneness. Technically safe doneness is 130 held for around 2 hours. You need to cook to tenderness by allowing the meat to cook to at least 160 and hold it there long enough to break down the collagen into gelatin. The down side is that it takes a significantly long time to break down at those temperatures. Steadily bringing the temperature up closer to or above 200 will allow the time to break down the collagen into gelatin and that creates the tenderness you are looking for in a shorter time. You are sacrificing moisture retention (water) for collagen conversion to gelatin to tenderize the meat. Hopefully that helps.
How do none of you have a sharp knife?!
Is that a giant butter knife?
I let mine wrapped and rest over night in a cooler
Let it rest at least 4 hrs. Also forget about everyone telling you to cook to 200 degrees. Once it reaches 185 start probing it, if it’s soft like butter there no reason to cook it any longer. I pulled my last brisket when the flat was 192 and the point was 185, it was probing like butter. I rested mine for 7 hrs in the oven at 170 wrapped in foil and tallow.
205 til I die
More important than the temp is the feel. When probing it should feel like butter. And this can happen at any temp from 200 to 210. The best part of BBQ is you can always grill again.
Wear plastic
Holy crap thats juicy!!!!
Needed four more hours and about 20 more degrees. Otherwise, looks great and on the right track. You can still wrap it tight and put it back on.