Need Brisket Advice

[zueth]

I did up a Brisket this weekend and the meat had good flavor but seemed a little dry.  The pieces on the flat below the point definitely had better flavor and were a little more moist than the other pieces on the flat.  Here is what I did.

Just over 8lb Choice Brisket from Costco
- Rub down with Zach's brisket rub and CYM
-Let sit overnight
-Heat up smoker at 220
-put in Brisket in second to top rack with fat cap up
-rolled a mixture of mesquite, hickory, and cherry for 4 hours
-I rotated the Brisket every 2 hours, to promote even cooking
-i pulled it when the flat reached a IT of 189 and Point was 195, when i did the fork test the point had little if any resistance, flat still had resistance.  This ended up taking about 12 1/2 hours
-FTC for about 2 /12 hours, by that time the IT was 160
-pulled and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against grain
-once i came to the point I sliced that off and chopped it up, then continued to slice the rest of the flat against the grain

Thoughts?

One thing i noticed is depending on where i positioned the probe in the flat I would get a different reading.

[zueth]

Nobody has any pointers or advice for me ???

[beefmann]

i noticed the  same dryness, im thinking we would have to ho to a higher temp .,,, maybe 200... im sure others will chime in on this as well

[zueth]

i noticed the  same dryness, im thinking we would have to ho to a higher temp .,,, maybe 200... im sure others will chime in on this as well

Well glad I am not the only one  :)

[classicrockgriller]

I try to get my final IT measurement close to the spot where

the flat meets the point. I go to 185*

Everything else you posted sounds dead on.

Sometimes if the flat end is thin, it does get dry.

I try to buy a Brisket that is short and wide around 12 to 13 lbs. (packer)

[zueth]

I try to get my final IT measurement close to the spot where

the flat meets the point. I go to 185*

Everything else you posted sounds dead on.

Sometimes if the flat end is thin, it does get dry.

I try to buy a Brisket that is short and wide around 12 to 13 lbs. (packer)

So my problem could of just been the cut of meat that i got. interesting.....thanks for the advice on where to get the IT from.

Do you think that if I would of used the Texas Crutch that would of helped?

[classicrockgriller]

It took me a couple of tries of cooking Brisket till I got it dialed in

the way I like it.I don't use the Texas Crunch, but I do use a LONGER FTC.

FTC is your Friend!

At 183* to 185* I remove the Brisket to an area already with foil

waiting. Move Fast! Three layers of foil, two or three towels and a

room temp cooler. You can even pack newspaper to fill in the voids

in the cooler. Actually, after a wrap in a towel or two, my Briskets

goes into a Pizza Delivery wrap and then in a cooler. If you do it fast

the temp on the Brisket will rise 8 to 10 degrees and I can hold it in

FTC for 5 to 6 hours before it drops to 150*.

[zueth]

It took me a couple of tries of cooking Brisket till I got it dialed in

the way I like it.I don't use the Texas Crunch, but I do use a LONGER FTC.

FTC is your Friend!

At 183* to 185* I remove the Brisket to an area already with foil

waiting. Move Fast! Three layers of foil, two or three towels and a

room temp cooler. You can even pack newspaper to fill in the voids

in the cooler. Actually, after a wrap in a towel or two, my Briskets

goes into a Pizza Delivery wrap and then in a cooler. If you do it fast

the temp on the Brisket will rise 8 to 10 degrees and I can hold it in

FTC for 5 to 6 hours before it drops to 150*.

Do you always pull at IT of 183-185 or do you also test for tenderness with fork test of probe test?

[classicrockgriller]

I use that temp to pull but like I stated I FTC a LONG time.

[zueth]

Any other thoughts from any of the Brisket experts on here.  Right now I am thinking I need to start with a better cut of meat and FTC for longer.

[rcger]

I'm not a expert, but I like to go with a larger brisket.  Also, like Classic told you, FTC is your friend.  Here's a question...Are you trimming the brisket too much?  You might want to leave some extra fat cap on it.

[zueth]

I'm not a expert, but I like to go with a larger brisket.  Also, like Classic told you, FTC is your friend.  Here's a question...Are you trimming the brisket too much?  You might want to leave some extra fat cap on it.

I barely trimmed the fat cap, it was 1/4 inch or greater.