Getting ready to try my hand at brisket

[Uncle Pigfat]

So I'm about ready to do my first brisket.  With the weather forecast for this weekend, it looks like I'll be starting it friday night so I can hopefully avoid rain on saturday.  I've had my eye on Pachanga's brisket since joining the forum, but since I'm only doing one I have some concerns.  I don't want to foil.  I imagine I can't avoid mopping as I probably won't have the excess fat on the top rack for self basting. Or can I?  The thought of throwing some bacon on the top rack crossed my mind but I doubt that would be a great idea.  Basically, I plan on following Pachanga's guide as closely as I can, but does anyone have any advice for a single brisket that I may be missing?  I really don't want to make leather.

[EZ Smoker]

I've cooked single briskets lots of times, and I have a pretty Pachanga-like style.   I never foil nuthin'.   (Yep, I'm from Texas too).    All I do is rub a brisket and let it sit in the fridge a while, then put it in with plenty of smoke at 225 until it hits an IT of 185, then FTC for 2 hours or so.   

Smoking with that simple formula, I've never made one that wasn't better than anything I can buy at a Q-joint here in town.   I don't baste or spritz any more, but I used to.   I've had some that were dry in parts and moist in other parts, and I've had some that were perfect.   Maybe basting would help a little.   Something I should think about.   

[StickyDan]

A lot of recipes call for an IT of 190. I've only done a few briskets and brought them to 190.  I find they're a little dry at that temp.  180-185 sounds about right and that's what I'm gonna aim for next time.  good luck

[Uncle Pigfat]

the problem I have is no real basis for comparison, seeing as how all the barbecue places around here are chain restaurants and are more about a gimmick than barbecue so I've never really had a brisket to hold a standard which is making me all sorts of apprehensive.  Thanks fellas.  This makes me feel better.

[FLBentRider]

I don't foil or mop.

I would agree on the 180-185F vs 190F

Fat side up or down is a classic polarization topic around here.

[beefmann]

smoke and cook in the bradley at a box temp of 210 to 225 and an it of  190 to 195

[TestRocket]

Good luck Uncle and don't forget the PICS, Please  ;D

[Caneyscud]

Uncle

Single brisket is a piece of cake - Unless you get one of those ultra-trimmed brazilian waxed jobbers that you find that are geared to the oven-braising market.   Then it can be a little tougher.  Whole packers are the easy way.  Trim some fat if you want, but leave 1/4" (preferably more) of fat on.  Then slow smoke 225 to 250 until the 180-185 IT mark (if for some reason you want pulled brisket, you can take it higher).  Take out, let rest, then slice.  No need for foil.  And really not a real need to mop.  I do because I think it adds a little bit of flavor and builds up the bark - not because of adding or preserving moistness.  If you have the trimmings as Pachanga does, by all means use them as he does - but again not a necessity.  Leaving fat on the brisket takes care of that.  One thing with a whole packer - is that you have thinner and thicker parts to the brisket.  I usually smoke the thicker to 185 in the middle.  The thinner part will generally be higher than that.  It sometimes has to made into chopped brisket sandwiches.  Fat side up or fat side down - take your pick.  You'll get a good brisket either way.  I'm not a fan of bacon flavored brisket - so I wouldn't drape bacon on one unless it was a dire emergency - whatever that would be!

Recipe for leather - small ultra-trimmed brisket flat, cooked too high, too fast for too long. 

Good luck Uncle -   

[Uncle Pigfat]

don't forget the PICS, Please  ;D

You know I'd know better than to leave you hanging..

And thanks, Caney, for demystifying that for me  ;D ;D ;D :o

I couldn't get a packer so I ended up with a flat somewhere between 8 and 9 lbs with a very nice amount of fat.  I have some trimmings along with an ugly lump of fat and meat that was thrown into the bag with my brisket so it'll self baste and I won't have to worry.  I have it in the smoker now (10:00 pm est) for 6 hrs of hickory and apple (more hickory than apple - I reversed my pork ratio) up on the second rack from the top, fat side up.  The BDS is set to 220 and fingers are crossed.

Straight out of the fridge after 24 hours of dry marinading with Wild Willie's - this smells incredible


Added some mustard


More to follow as the adventure continues..

[classicrockgriller]

That WW has a nice color.

I can't wait to try it out myself.

[squirtthecat]

Nice!!

[Uncle Pigfat]

So it's 1:30 am and my dog woke me up on the couch...  I set the alarm on my phone to get me up at 2 so I could check my brisket and rotate it in the box.  Checking it early (3.5 hrs into the smoke) and my IT is already around 140*....  I either have super brisket or something isn't right in my smoker.  I was more or less out of water in my cake pan - it was mostly grease and a dry smoldering puck pyramid so I dumped some water in there to hold me over until I dump the pan at the 6 hour mark when the smoke is done.  I decided to try foiling the back half of the v-pan this time so I yanked that to see if it may be giving the thermometer in the bds a false reading and running a lot hotter than it should...  I'm hoping this isn't the first step towards exactly what I didn't want by cooking this bad boy too fast.  I only have 1 probe right now after breaking my other one last weekend so I'm just trusting the bds for my cabinet temp.  I'm half asleep and rambling now so I'm going to try to get some more sleep and hope that a hell of a stall is around the corner.

[classicrockgriller]

UPF, you can always turn down the temp if you think it is cooking too fast.

GL and will see you in the morning.

[DTAggie]

The temp always rises fast in the beginning, don't worry.  I do use a lose foil over the back half of v-tray.  I usually only do flats.  Alwya on top rack.  Tonight I have a 9 lbd. butt and 12.5 pound full brisket in my OBS for neighborhood/back to school party tomorrow.  Will also be doing ABTs and Holmes sausage along with CRG's cilantro potato salad. 

Got side tracked by neighbors who kept me too long with Blue Moon and REAL Cuban cigars.  Have pics of meat marinating and ready to go in, will have to post them tomorrow.  Butt has been in since 6:15 PM and brisket since 10:15.  Having a little Titos on the rocks to try and wash the Cuban off my tongue, then change water/empty pucks and go to bed a while before I get everything ready tomorrow.

Did I ever tell you all my hero is a smoking monkey?

[Uncle Pigfat]

around the 10 hour mark, hovering around 154* IT:



If this tastes as good as it smells then I'm really looking forward to this.  Sorry about my little half awake freak out above.  I don't remember much of what was going on then, other than panic  :-\

From the looks of things, I think this is a little more than just the flat.  I'm not sure I understand Sam's Club's labeling procedure.