Brisket Smoke

[JohnM70]

This will be my first brisket. I have read and re-read 'Brisket Pachanga'. I have an 11lbs brisket and after the rub, I will paint with yellow mustard.  Since I have one brisket and it looks like it may be done in 12 hrs. I am going to start it at 20:00 hrs today.
This will be a great test for my PID and 900Watt element. I will start the event at 200 degrees and when I get up on Friday I will raise to 225.  I just want to be sure it is not ready before I am.
A couple of questions or more: Pechanga's smokes the meat twice once in the beginning and then when he raises the temp to 225. Should I use the same bisquettes for both smokes (hickory and Oak) or on the second smoke use something lighter like pecan? Or just do one smoke? I am not sure if I will over smoke the brisket since I only have one.
I have smoked 6 butts and FTC them when they reach 190/195. They pull very nice. Pechanga takes the brisket out at the same temp. Since I want to slice the brisket, rather than have pulled brisket, should I pull at lower IT? :-\ I am thinking that there must be a difference in composition between pork and beef and at 190/195 the beef will slice without falling apart.
I plan to freeze some of the brisket so only some will be sliced.
I will let you all know how things progress.

The Beginning. More pictures to follow.

[beefmann]

if you  want to  slice it,, im thinking 185 or  so,,, brisket is a bit of a tough cut of  meat,, ,so to have it more  tender a  long slow  cook is the trick, also internal temp a  bit  lower for  slicing om brisket is my  opinion

[BAM1]

I pull mine at 185 and a short rest.  IMHO if you FTC or rest to long it will tighten up to much.

[Tenpoint5]

I pull mine at 185 and a short rest.  IMHO if you FTC or rest to long it will tighten up to much.

I too pull my briskets at 185 IT. 2-4 hours FTC are about perfect.

[KyNola]

I pull mine at 185 and a short rest.  IMHO if you FTC or rest to long it will tighten up to much.

I too pull my briskets at 185 IT. 2-4 hours FTC are about perfect.

Ditto!

[Pachanga]

Internal temperature is a guide for me and even then it depends on where you stick it.  I have posted the following before.  For me it is a more definitive guide than Internal Temperature only.

Torturing  and Interrogation of a Brisket

I believe I have read this somewhere before; a brisket is ready when it is ready.  It is certainly not an original thought.   

So, what language does a brisket speak to tell you it is ready?  Does it speak through a thermometer reading?  No, but a thermometer will give you some clues as to what it is thinking and can be relied upon to get close to optimum temperature.  How about color?  Again, color is a clue but not an answer.  Should time be your guide?   There are many variables to time.  Size and shape of the meat, internal temperature (IT) of the meat when started, temperature of the Bradley, total meat load if more than one piece of meat, water source, initial temperature of Bradley along with components such as water, bricks or other meat, vent opening, rack location, number of door openings and duration, temperature of water refills, ambient temperature, and of course oven temperature setting and adjustments during the smoke. These are just a few variables off the top of my feeble brain; there are many more.  Time can vary greatly and is most unreliable.

While the brisket will give you clues as to its condition, it remains silent.  A brisket is ready when the collagen and connective tissues dissolve, liquefy and loosen their grip, allowing the individual strands of meat fiber to be lubricated and easily separated.  This starts to take place as low as 140 degrees F, really gets active around 160 to 170 (as Tubbs states, this is when a stall is likely to occur), and finally gives up the ghost between 185 and 200 IT in the middle of the flat.  The IT is a great clue but it is not definitive.  There can be as much as a 15 degree window between briskets.

Again, a brisket is ready when it is ready.  But how do we know when that is?  The answer is through interrogation and torture.  This is the only way to discern the perfect temperature to break down each brisket's unique connective tissue and collagen makeup and content.

We must be diligent and proactive to get the information we need from the brisket.  We must interrogate the brisket.  At 185 IT in the middle of the flat, it is time to torture the brisket into talking.  Slide a meat fork with two tines into the skinny end of the flat parallel to the meat fibers.  Twist the fork.  If the fork twists easily and the meat breaks away with the fibers easily separated, the brisket has confessed that it is ready.  If the fibers stay together and the fork doesn't easily twist, give the brisket 5 more degrees to think about it and try again at 190.  Continue every five degrees until the brisket spills it guts by breaking apart.  At this point you can be sure the brisket is giving accurate information by inserting a temperature probe into the flat (about 1/3 of the total brisket length form the skinny end) starting from the edge and poking it deep into the middle.  It should slide in like going into butter, with very little resistance.  You have gotten all the information you need.  The interrogation is over.  Pull the brisket and let it rest.

At this point, I generally cut a little burnt end off of the deckle; a diabolical smile on my lips, as I enjoy the first taste of my labors.  It is time to hoist a cold one, toast the worthy opponent and exclaim "It just don't get any better than this".  Yes, this is the way life ought-ta be.

Some final points to ponder:

You have tested the thin tip of the flat for fork tender.  Since it is the thinnest part of the brisket, this is the first part of the flat to reach that brisket's temperature where its unique combination and makeup of collagen and connective tissue has dissolved and released its grip.   During the rest period, hangover temperature will continue to rise and cook the thicker part of the flat, thus achieving the exact same fork tender meat in the middle that you tested in the thin tip.  The thick flat will finish without overcooking because you judged the rest time (using the thin end) just as the middle was beginning to enter its final optimum phase.  The probe slipped in easily but the final loosening of the fibers was not over.  This hangover heat rise will bring the thick part of the flat up to the perfect finishing temperature which was confessed by the brisket during interrogation and torture.  Even though not absolutely necessary, the Foil, Towel, Cooler (FTC) method will equalize this optimum temperature throughout the brisket and prolong this temperature for a more forgiving product.

Most briskets will confess and give it up between 190 and 195 in the middle 1/3 of the flat.   If your oven temperature is at 180 to 190, the brisket will never give up because optimum confession temperature is never reached.  The Bradley should be between 205 and 225 according to most experienced Bradley users on this board.  This up to 40 degree temperature difference from your stated temperature will cause a cumulative time collection of several hours to add to your overall smoke time.

There is a caveat to the above.  The information is predicated on cooking low and slow, adequate moisture the entire cooking time which includes a full water pan and may include mop and slather.  It also includes protection from direct high heat.  Without a moist environment, the fibers can dry out, tighten and never release any information (even under the most intense interrogation) which will produce a dry tough brisket.  Indications that your brisket is ok and everything is going according to plan is a little plump spring (like pushing on a full belly) when pushed on with tongs or some bend and limberness when lifted in the middle or ends.  If the brisket starts to handle like a stiff board, be much afraid. 

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[JohnM70]

Gee I think I will pull mine at 185F

Just a look


and another look


The Bottom


The Fat Cap


In the Box... I must use a finer screen for the fat... check the top rack


I have the temp in the box set for 200F

[Snoopy]

Love the write up, thanks. attempting another brisket here soon.

[JohnM70]

The Brisket has been in for 12+ hours. I removed the old pucks, added 2qts of water, added 4 hickory pucks. I had 4hrs of smoke at the beginning. I relocated the temp probe last night  because it look like it was cooking too fast. I checked a couple of places and indeed it was not placed right. This morning I increased the box temp (PID) to 210F. The IT is currently 167F looking for 185F. I will then do some fork tests to coax it into submission."low and slow" per the  Master! I did not take pictures but it looked great ;D

[KyNola]

The positioning of your foil covered bricks concerns me as you have a good amount of the surface of the drip tray blocked.  That will do two things. It will prevent the heat from rising as it should and trap it under the drip tray.  More importantly, it may prevent the fat from reaching the water bowl, increasing the possibility of a grease fire.

Also, don't be surprised if the internal temp of your brisket stalls for a while just like a pork butt.

Slice it against the grain. ;)

[rveal23]

Keeps us posted, this looks like it will turn out great!

[JohnM70]

Well it's done! ;D I tested it at 185. The Fork went in very easy and turning was easy. In the Cooler.
Sorry for the bad picture >:(. I was in a hurry and did not check... what is new. The taste is out of site. The fat on the top rack was great craklin, (sp). It won't do my heart much good, but a little goes a long way.

KyNola, you are right the plates must have slipped, I will make sure next time. I had then set above the first vent in the drip pan.

Now to figure how to separate the point! 

[rveal23]

This looks amazing. Make sure you give us the money shot!

[Tenpoint5]

John just start slicing across the grain on the flat. When you get to the point you will see the fat ribbon. Turn your knife and follow the fat ribbon. That will separate them nice and clean. Here is me doing that very thing at the MWSO

[KyNola]

You can place those bricks under the drip tray next to the water bowl and they will be just as effective.  All you're looking for is mass to heat up and retain the heat.