First Brisket

[bushman]

I just finished my first brisket
Flat 5lbs approx 1"-2" thick
4 hours smoke 200 degrees
then another 15.5 hrs in the convection oven 200 degrees
Pulled at 188 IT
FTC 4 hrs
good fat cap
mopped about 6 times

And it came out a bit dry. What do you think could of caused it .I have had posts from people that a convection oven uncovered is fine?

By the way Iceman`s sauce KICKS ASS

[Smoking Duck]

Bushman,

First off, welcome to the site.  I am by no means an expert, and I'm quite sure that there will be someone who is that will be along shortly.  What I've learned about briskets is that it's pretty much a crapshoot.  A lot really depends on whether or not you get a decent piece of meat and that is more luck than anything else.  You can smoke 20 briskets doing everything exactly the same and get 10 that turn out great and ten that turn out dry.  I can't really speak about the convection oven as I don't have one.  However, it probably has a lot to do with the meat.


I can tell that as a newbie, you are a quick learn..........Iceman's sauce rocks.

SD

[Lefty_Smoker]

I'm thinking that 20+/- hrs for 5 lbs of brisket is probably why it came out dry.  Thats about 4 hrs per lb. 

Seems a bit long for 5 lbs of meat, especially just the flat.  The briskets that I smoke are usually around 7 to 8 lbs on the small side and 11-12 lbs on the larger side, all packer cuts.  They usually take 15-16 hours in my Bradley.

I usually start my briskets around 8pm at night, smoke about 4-5 hours, then just heat after that.  They are almost always done by 11am or noon or so.  Seems to take about 2 to 2.5 hours per pound.  But then again I do my briskets at 210-220, not 200F.     

I too have a convection oven that I thought would be perfect to finish off the brisket after smoking in the Bradley, but the two times that I did it that way, took much longer also.  Not sure if I just take too much time wrapping it up before transferring to the oven, but it always seemed to take longer with this method.  I've since just started doing the brisket from start to finish in the bradley and it seems to cook faster that way.     

Bubba pucks really work well in the Bradley for overnight smokes like briskets or butts.   

[Ontrack]

I know a lot of people will disagree, but if I start it in the Bradley, I finish it it in the Bradley, except for jerky. Of course, if a big storm were to come up in the middle of a smoke, I'd be changing my tune. :-\

[Smoking Duck]

I like to keep it in the Bradley myself, OT.  Not for any particular reason, just do.

Another thing I do just to help keep it from getting too dry is to put bacon over top of the brisket.  Unless I have a 2" fat cap, I'd rather use the bacon to help.  Not really sure if it'll keep it from being dry or not, but it's a psychological thing for me and how in the world can a feller go wrong with bacon????

[Wildcat]

I rarely have a dry brisket.  I do it all in the BS at 200 to 205 F.  I also make sure that the brisket has a good fat cap with as much marble as I can find.  I rub with olive oil and season.  Always works for me.

[Gizmo]

Bushman,
You mentioned a flat and 5 1/2 lbs which sounds right.  Not sure what you mean by a good fat cap but I will assume this is a symantic kind of thing and you are referring to the layer of fat over the top of the flat.  The folks have already given you some good advice on their techniques.  I use a foil pan and a convection oven.  The foil pans are quick to use and don't tear on the bottom as easily so less likely to leak.  I always cover as well.  I suspect that may have been one difference and if you try the oven again, I would suggest some apple juice or beef broth in the bottom of the pan and then put a foil lid on it.  The others mentioned the cut of meat and the marbling which I believe are factors as well.  I always get the whole packers in the 12 lb range as they will have a lot of good fat in them.  If you get a brisket that is on the lean side, you can use some of the fat you trim off to lard the brisket.   I would agree with the others that your time is on the long side for a flat.  Hopefully your next go will be a juicy one.

[West Coast Kansan]

Just did a small one at 4.78 lbs. 17 hours to 188 F. Very little fat here with just a small band through the middle and MAYBE a 1/4 inch on one side.  Went in at 10:00 last night and out at 3:00 this afternoon.

BDS set at 210 overnight and turned up to 220 at about 10:00 this morning.  Put a pound of sliced store bought bacon on the second rack down and had the brisket on the second rack up. The bacon was added in the morning when the temp was turned up.  It is fully cooked and used for BLT's etc.

Pretty sure the bacon helped.

Brisket was great, but as Gizmo says it seems easier to do a whole brisket with the point located on the shelf above.  A thin flat just does not have the natural moisture available IMHO

[bushman]

It seemed a long time to me ,being that it is so thin . but I have read all over that the IT is the guage. Should I be pulling it at around 175. When I said it had a fat cap ,I ment it had a thick layer of fat and I had to trim to 1/4 ".

Thanks for all your help

[Wildcat]

I like to stop cooking at an IT of around 190.  I mis-calculated the time on my last brisket so I stoped at 175 (if I remember correctly), wraped in cling wrap, placed in fridge overnight, then the next evening I put enough apple juice in a pan to cover the bottom, placed brisket in it, covered with foil and baked at 210 I believe until internal temp of 190 or 195.  I had a little more smoke flavor throughout the meat this way.  Turned out tender and juicy.

[Habanero Smoker]

I have pulled brisket out at an internal temperature of 175°F, when it was smoked/cooked at a temperature of 200°F, and I was satisfied with the results. It was moist, and had a texture of steak (not falling apart, but not tough either). You just need to cut it thin across the grain.