Time to try a brisket

[RAF128]

I've decided I want to try a brisket.    Can't ever recall having one.   So I went out last week and bought one.    It's not very big, about 4 1/2 lbs.    It's about the size of a slab of back and about the same thickness.    There's not much fat on it at all.    I took it out of the freezer yesterday and it's been slowly thawing.   The thaw should be done this evening and then I'll rub it.   For a rub I used the one from the recipe section for Pachango brisket.     In the instructions it said to leave it for 24 hours.   That won't quite work for me and I'm reluctant to leave it shorter so I'm thinking it may go for 36 hrs.  Any problems with this?    I plan to start it on Thursday morning, early, like 5am.   I'm thinking it should be done by 5pm.    Or I could start it Wednesday night before bed time.    I then can let it go all night in case it takes a little longer.    If done early I could FTC it.    Any thoughts or suggestions.

[classicrockgriller]

Np with a rub being on a brisket 36 hrs.

Then you can choose the time to smoke it that works best for you.

Wrap it tight and you may want to re-apply a little rub before you smoke it.

[ArnieM]

Hi RAF.  Sounds like a fairly well trimmed flat.  If that's the case I wouldn't trim any fat off.

Other than that, go with CRG - he has ya covered.

[RAF128]

Hi RAF.  Sounds like a fairly well trimmed flat.  If that's the case I wouldn't trim any fat off.

Other than that, go with CRG - he has ya covered.

Actually, there is nothing to trim.    I don't see much in the middle either.   

[FLBentRider]

You might want to put a little bacon on top.

[Caneyscud]

Those trimmed flats frequently dry out before getting tender.  What you have is basically a pot roast of a different cut than a chuck.  It is sold to be cooked with a braising technique, either in a crockpot, a covered pot on the stove, or wrapped up in the oven set at 350 - 400.  So careful techniques are required to smoke that baby.  All the extra fat you can add is desirable.  As FLBR said put some bacon on top.  I love bacon, but don't particularly like it among my brisket, so I don't do that.  Some add fat trimmings to the top and that does a good job, but I seldom have fat trimmings laying around.  So I generally baste or mop with a mop/sop/sauce that has a lot of fat in it - butter/margarine/lard I usually have around.  In fact there have been times I will actually dunk the smaller flats in my mopping sauce - takes far less time than mopping when you have a number to do.  As much as I hate to mention it, but braising techniques can also be carefully used.  Obligatory Warning - You risk getting booted out of Texas, and certainly you don't get award winning Central Texas Brisket Belt brisket that way (it won't be a substitute for what you get at Smitty's, Kreuz's, Luling City Market, Snow's, Poppas, Elgin, Louie Muellers....etc....), but you do get some good eats.  STC has done well recently with a technique developed for a bbq contest I participate in that has short turn in times - max of 6 hours cooking - open boating.  Also a good way to minimize clean up while smoking a meatloaf  I will do a detailed post on some recent variations at a later date. 

As far as rub on 24 or 36 hours - no prob as CRG said.  Not sure it makes any difference to the outcome.  Too many experiments have been done (including my own) that show, flavors - either put on dry or soaking - don't penetrate all that far.  The rub is there to introduce additional flavors into your barbecue certainly, but it doesn't seem to penetrate.  It does however flavors up your bark pretty darn good!  And promotes the formation of the bark.

[RAF128]

The lack of fat bothered me too and the fact it might dry out.    I'm going to replaces the bowl with an aluminum tray which will hold a lot more water and am hoping to keep the moisture up.   I'm thinking of leaving the vent about 1/2 open as well.    I've got the pucks all lined up.   Going to be a combination of Alder, Hickory, Maple, Crown Royal, and a few Mesquite.   I'm only going to smoke for 4 hours.   Temp on the PID will be at 225.

[squirtthecat]

If you want to try a quick braise, throw it in a foil pan after the 4 hour smoke with a 1/2 a bottle of dark beer and a stick of butter...  That'll keep the moisture/fat content up.

I've never done done a heavily trimmed one like that, but I might try to find one just to experiment with.

[RAF128]

I might just try that but think I'll keep the dark beer, Guiness, in my hand ;) and use something like apple juice in the pan :D

[RAF128]

Was up at 5 and started the smoker and pre heat the smoke generator.    Got the brisket out of the fridge.   Brisket temp was 36*.    After 40 minutes the brisket went in (had to get into the shower ;)).  Checked a while later and smoker temp not get up to temp but likely 'cause of the cold chunk of meat.    Smoke is rolling.    I decided that after 4 hrs of smoke, I'll put the brisket in a foil pan and use beef broth instead of apple juice.   This afternoon I'll keep an eye on it and occupy my time with a cigar and a Guiness ;D.

[RAF128]

Ate the brisket, or at least part of it last night.    Thinly sliced, some BBQ sauce and a bun.  The broth that was added was recovered, added some Worcestershire and used it for a dip.   Very good.    However it took all day and I had to move it into the oven in the house to finish on time.   I was surprised since it was only 4 1/2 lbs and started it in the smoker by 5:30 am.    The Bradley never got over 204* although the PID was set at at 225.   Of course the Bradley registered a temp of 256.   I've had the temp up much higher before and suspect it was the meat and liquid that was keeping the temp down.     5 hours in I put it in a tin foil tray, added some beef broth to keep it moist.   Next time I'll start it sooner, and let it go all night first. Also next time I'll be more selective when I get a brisket.   This time I took one they had displayed.   Next time I'll talk to the butcher.   I'm sure they'll have more in the fridge that haven't been trimmed.

[Caneyscud]

Which rack did you have the brisket on?  Sometimes full racks, big pieces of meat, foil trays set on the lower racks will block heat and make the Bradley thermometer register higher than what the temperature is above the Bradley Probe.  Or like my butt from h e double hockey sticks this past weekend.  They were started and on the 2nd shelf down.  For the 1st five hours, there were all alone and they did fine.  But then I slipped the butts to the top spot and put in 4 big chucks on racks below them.  But there was no problem keeping the heat up to 250 - 260.  The roasts were blocking the heat.  Plus there was physics involved that you just can't get around.  Heat is going to the path of least resistance - and that path is to the cold.  The cold meat not only partially blocked the heat, but they also absorbed most of the available heat.  It was hours before I had any movement in the butt's IT.  Plateaus on a 6 pound butt don't last that long if at a reasonable CT.  

[RAF128]

I've got the 6 rack and the meat was on the 2nd from the bottom.   Also according to the recipe I basically followed I put some foil wrap over the back half of V tray.   The temp probe was fed down through a hole I drilled in the top of the Bradley and was hanging a few inches above the meat(that's a far as it would reach).   

[ArnieM]

It'll get better each time RAF.

Personally, I'd use a higher shelf.  I have a 4 rack and usually go with the third or fourth shelf up.  The lower the shelf, the closer to the heat source.

Having a lot of liquid in there can cause some pretty moist air.  That can also tend to hold the temp down.

Lastly, I like untrimmed.  If I have to trim off some of the fat cap, the fat gets bagged and goes into the freezer for later use; sausage or whatever.

[sweetwaterspice]

Those trimmed flats frequently dry out before getting tender.  What you have is basically a pot roast of a different cut than a chuck.  It is sold to be cooked with a braising technique, either in a crockpot, a covered pot on the stove, or wrapped up in the oven set at 350 - 400.  So careful techniques are required to smoke that baby.  All the extra fat you can add is desirable.  As FLBR said put some bacon on top.  I love bacon, but don't particularly like it among my brisket, so I don't do that.  Some add fat trimmings to the top and that does a good job, but I seldom have fat trimmings laying around.  So I generally baste or mop with a mop/sop/sauce that has a lot of fat in it - butter/margarine/lard I usually have around.  In fact there have been times I will actually dunk the smaller flats in my mopping sauce - takes far less time than mopping when you have a number to do.  As much as I hate to mention it, but braising techniques can also be carefully used.  Obligatory Warning - You risk getting booted out of Texas, and certainly you don't get award winning Central Texas Brisket Belt brisket that way (it won't be a substitute for what you get at Smitty's, Kreuz's, Luling City Market, Snow's, Poppas, Elgin, Louie Muellers....etc....), but you do get some good eats.  STC has done well recently with a technique developed for a bbq contest I participate in that has short turn in times - max of 6 hours cooking - open boating.  Also a good way to minimize clean up while smoking a meatloaf  I will do a detailed post on some recent variations at a later date. 

As far as rub on 24 or 36 hours - no prob as CRG said.  Not sure it makes any difference to the outcome.  Too many experiments have been done (including my own) that show, flavors - either put on dry or soaking - don't penetrate all that far.  The rub is there to introduce additional flavors into your barbecue certainly, but it doesn't seem to penetrate.  It does however flavors up your bark pretty darn good!  And promotes the formation of the bark.

This man knows what he's talking about!