First Brisket - Need advice

[TonyL222]

Okay, so I tackled my first Brisket over the weekend (pics to follow).  I learned quite a bit, but need some advice.  I HAD planned for a good Brisket for Sunday dinner.  Brisket was 7.6lbs.  In order to ensure I'd have it ready for a 6-7pm dinner, to include 2-3 hours of FTC, I started the smoker warm up at 4am Sunday morning and had the Brisket in at 5am.  Cooker temp was 220 and I was going for an IT of 185.  Used 5 hrs of Jim Beam Bisquettes, as I read that oak was good for beef briskets and my whole dinner had a bourbon theme (had some bourbon baked beans and a bourbon BBQ sauce planned as well).  Well, around 6pm, the temp IT was still hovering around 147 and not moving.  Instead of cutting the process short, I decided to let the Bradley brisket run its course.  Needless to say, I had to go to plan B for Sunday dinner.  Thawed out some chicken thighs and roasted in the oven.  The Brisket FINALLY hit 185 at MIDNIGTH - 19 hrs total cook time!!!  I immediately FTC'd it and that is where it is right now (9am Monday Morning). 

So my question is what is the best way to preserve it until dinner this evening?  It's still wrapped and in the cooler now.  Will it keep like that?  Should I take it out, slice and re-fridgerate?  I also thought I read about putting it in a slow cooker with a little apple juice/cider.  I'm gratefull for any advice. 

[crestman]

Hey TonyL222, See my post on "Fast Butts" and do the same thing I did. I'm sure it will work exactly the same for you. Just note the safe temp zone and stick to that. Just have an Au jus to rehydrate and it will be fine.

[classicrockgriller]

You need to get that that in the fridge. QUICK!

9 hrs is a tad long for a single brisket in FTC.

you really don't want to let it get below 140* IT before you fridge it.

Warm it back up to nite with a splash of juice and slice it then.

[TonyL222]

Thanks for the advice.  Just put it in the fridge, but I'm sure the IT was below 140.  Will I be putting my family in danger tonight?   >:(

[KyNola]

I'm going to yield to the others but my guess is you will be fine.

[FLBentRider]

I wouldn't throw it out, but I wouldn't feed it to someone with a compromised immune system either.

I'd eat it.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Most likely you'll be fine.  When you reheat it do get it back over 165 °F throughout and hold it there for a few minutes.

Any idea at all how low the temp got before you went to the refrigerator ?

[TonyL222]

Naw.  I saw the warning and just got it into the fridge.  I guess I'm just gonna have to take the warming advice, and a few hours before dinner, slice myself off enough for a sandwitch.  A man has to be ready to sacrifice for his family. ;)

Another lesson learned.

[TonyL222]

Okay, so Monday I pulled the brisket out of the fridge, put it in a dish with a little apple cider, and put it into the oven at 350 until the IT hit 165.  Let it stay there for close to 10 minutes.  Took it out and sliced it for dinner.  Bottom line is that it was FABULOUS!!  Got rave reviews from the fam.  My wife made a couple of sandwitches and took them to friends who say I should go into business.  THANKS for all the expert advice on pulling this one out of the crapper.

So here's the story.  Again, this was a 7lb 6oz brisket with a full cap.  I decided not to trim any of the cap.  I went back and forth on whether to brine or not, but decided to give it a 24 hr brine - 1/2 cup kosher salt and 1/2 brown sugar in a gallon of water:



I was able to fit the whole cooler into a fridge in the basement to keep it cool.

Saturday afternoon I removed it from the brine, rinsed, and god ready to rub it down:



Instead of CYM, I slatered the meat with Carolina Treet which was in a local grocery store.  Then I applied Steven Raichlen's BBQ University Rub:





I wrapped in in plastic wrap and then back in the fridge for about 14hrs.  Got up Sunday morning around 3:30am and set up the smoker outside.  It was cold out, around 32 degrees and I worried about hitting the desired cooking temp.  Set up the Bradley with my Auber Dual PID and started a warm up cycle to 250.  I was surprised that I got to 250 in about 30 minutes.  I had the cycle set for 1hr and I wanted the brisket to sit a room temp for a while longer, so I waited 'till 5am to put the brisket in.  I then fast cycled to #2 where my cook temp was set to 220 and an IT of 185.  Even with it being 32 degrees outside, the cook temp recovered back to 220 in about 20 minutes.  I then loaded 5 hrs of Jim Beam pucks and went back to bed.  It's about 5:30 am now.

At 10:30, I emptied the spent pucks from the drip pan and loaded in a 13x9x2 tin pan of hot water.  Every few hours after that I'd applied a baste of apple cider, apple vinegar, and a half table spoon of salt.  This went on for several hours, and the brisket didn't hit 185IT until midnight.  That's when my OP story began.

After that saga, I too it out for slicing and serving:





Served with some bourbon baked beans, and bourbon BBQ sauce, and some tangy German potato salad.  Simply FABULOUS!!!

Things I would have done differently:

1.  Start earlier Saturday evening in order to make the Sunday dinner time.
2.  More smoke. Maybe 10hrs next time.
3.  I probably would not brine - or maybe use regular sugar instead of brown sugar, and more of it.  Meat was just a tad salty for me, though everyone else loved it (not a salt fan).
4.  Maybe cook at 250 instead of 220.  would probably cut a few hours off the total cook time.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

That looks really good !  Very nice for a first.

You clearly did your homework.

My guess is that the higher than desired saltiness you mentioned was primarily from that added with the mop.  The brine you used is not that strong, and in that time I wouldn't expect the brisket to take up a lot of it.  But the mop is laying on more salt every time.  Maybe cut that in half next time and see how it goes.

Great work.

[squirtthecat]

Fantastic!

You can get CT at the local grocery store?   Jealous.........................

[TonyL222]

You can get CT at the local grocery store?   Jealous.........................

Yeah after reading about CT here, I was shocked to see it on the shelf at Harris Teeter.

[Caneyscud]

I just found it at Harris Teeters this Sunday also.