Brisket gone wrong

[Brian L]

I too smoked my first brisket today and the results were very disappointing.  So all you brisket heads tell me what I did wrong.  I started with a market trimmed brisket and then trimmed most of the fat off.  I now know that I should have left most of that fat on the brisket and cook it with the fat side up.  I followed the brisket recipe on the Bradley web site.  The taste was pretty good but after 10 hours of smoking at 190 degrees it was very chewy and it was raw.  Looking to you veterans for some guidance.  Thanks.

[KyNola]

Brian,
See this thread.  Should answer your questions.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=22639.0

[DTAggie]

I too smoked my first brisket today and the results were very disappointing.  So all you brisket heads tell me what I did wrong.  I started with a market trimmed brisket and then trimmed most of the fat off.  I now know that I should have left most of that fat on the brisket and cook it with the fat side up.  I followed the brisket recipe on the Bradley web site.  The taste was pretty good but after 10 hours of smoking at 190 degrees it was very chewy and it was raw.  Looking to you veterans for some guidance.  Thanks.

I never trim fat off my brisket and always cook fat side up.  You have to cook at around 225* or a bit higher.  Were you measuring the IT* with a thermometer?  You cannot just go by a certain amount of time and expect the meat to be done.  I take a brisket to about an IT temp of 205*.  Give us more info and we can help you.

[Habanero Smoker]

As mentioned, more information will help. If cooked properly the 190°F IT should have made the brisket tender, I rarely go over 185°F.

The internal temperature is a good starting point, but I always use the fork test to ensure tenderness and to take the brisket out at the lowest IT and still be tender.

The fork test is to insert a fork into the brisket. If you can insert and remove it easily, it is tender and slicable. If you can insert, twist, and remove it easily it is pullable, and often can still be sliced.

One other thing; you should slice across the grain.

[Tenpoint5]

I am reading that he smoked the brisket for 10 hours at 190º. The temp should be closer to 225º. The briskets I have cooked have all taken somewhere in the 14-16 hour range. But cooking by time is not a very accurate way, too many variables. Cook by IT (Internal Temp) and that should be some where between 185-205º

[Habanero Smoker]

Oh Yeah!  I took the "at 190°F if was very chewy....", as the IT.

[Brian L]

Thanks for all the comments and help.  Working on that learning curve.

KyNola - does that Nola stand for New Orleans Louisiana?  Just wondering?