Brisket Advice 1st Attempt Disappointment

[mando2802]

I did my 1st brisket with somewhat disappointing results.  Need some advice where I may have gone wrong.

Brisket about 5-6 lbs.  Overnight dry rub. Pre-heated Bradley.  Allowed brisket to come to room temp.  With temp at right around 200 degrees throughout most the cooking time.  Used bacon drip.  Brisket in middle of Bradley all by itself, fat side up.  4 hours of smoke.  After 5 hours internal temp never got more than 165 degrees.  Raised temp to 210-220 for another hour with little change on internal.  Removed to TFC for about an 1-1/2.  Total cook time 6 hours.

While the brisket was very flavorful,  and somewhat moist it was also somewhat tough and not what I would call tender.  Advice on where I may have gone wrong.  Perhaps did not cook long enough is my only though.

[iceman]

Hiya mando; You just didn't cook it long enough. You need to get the temp up to 185 or so. I know that sounds high but it's true. After 4 hours of smoke wrap it in foil with a little spritz of juice or broth and but it back in the smoker. It takes hours to break through the 165 barrier. I don't have time to explain it all just now but will later if you wish. There are a bunch of pros around here so hang tight and you'll get a lot more feed back. FTC for at least 2 hours and it should turn out fine.

[MallardWacker]

I did my 1st brisket with somewhat disappointing results.  ......  After 5 hours internal temp never got more than 165 degrees.  Raised temp to 210-220 for another hour with little change on internal....and somewhat moist it was also somewhat tough and not what I would call tender......

Man of Mondo,

OH so close....

You did everything correct except...What happens when you cook a piece of meat like a Brisket or Butt, the meat will plateau at around 165-170 and depending on the hunk of meat just might stay there quite a while, I mean for hours... I have even seen the meat drop a couple of degrees during this period typically called rendering, this is where the meats connective tissues, fat and other things are going through some significant changes TO MAKE THE MEAT TENDER like you were looking for.  I shoot for 185-ish and I do FTC for two hours, if you start getting to 190 mark you just might get the Pot Roast-non sclice-able tenderness...anything after 190 you are looking for a dried up piece of meat.  One thing you will notice that after it punches through this plateau, the temp of the cooker can and will rise...just watch for that.

My Brisket method are as follows:

I use a Italian seasoning (it's basically salt, pepper, garlic) the day of the smoke and I only use flats, not whole briskets.

I cook mine at 225 with four hours of my favorite smoke.

I open the vent up to about 1/4 and I DO NOT TOUCH the thing or OPEN THE DOOR until 185ish.

I pull the meat, double wrap in foil with a splash or two of apple juice and off to FTC beddy time it goes for 2hrs.

HTH's

[nsxbill]

Like the others, I go to 185-187° internal temp. I too smoke for 4 hours, then if, and only if, cooking more than one, will rotate the shelves.  Otherwise, I leave the door closed and let the thermometer tell me it is done.  I cook for 205° for the entire smoke/cook then when internal temp is reached, out into foil with apple juice 2-4 hrs.  The meat is very tender and flavorful. 

When selecting meat to smoke, I look for nice fat cap, and cross hatch the fat cap then marinate overnight in Italian Dressing.  I cover with rub while it comes to room temp, then into the smoker for whatever time it takes to get to internal temp.

My top vent always open about 1/4 -1/3 a slot to allow moisture to escape.

Always comes out nice when I am patient!

Bill

[BigSmoker]

Remember to slice across the grain about 1/4" thick is all I can add here ;D :P.

[Oldman]

I think everyone here is on spot.

FYI I never smoke the flat end of the brisket. Normally I will corn it.  6.5 pound of brisket with FTC takes about 14 hours for me. Oh I never allow my unit to get hotter than 205F with a brisket.

As one of the members here said at the 4 hour mark wrap the brisket in foil . I wrap mine in a foil boat and add a couple of splashes of Apple Juice--close up the boat and return to smoker until I get 185, then FTC it to 190 F.

Also I only do a Texas style brisket---just a quality salt and fresh ground white and black peppers.

Olds

[Malc]

Maybe I can add a chemistry teachers 2 cents.  Somebody let me know if I am on the right track.  The whole point of slow and low is to melt fat and connective tissue as others have said, as well as to keep the rendered fat from evaporating completely and drying out the meat.  During a phase change(melting) temperature will remain constant.  Instead of speeding up the molecules and thus raising the temp, all the heat energy is used to change solid to liquid.  Until that happens completely the temperature will remain constant.  I guess for fat that happens around 165 or so.