Do I have to wet age brisket?

Started by Dano, March 26, 2014, 12:35:20 PM

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Dano

Hi everyone,

I'm about to take the plunge into the world of smoking brisket and I have a question after reading Pachanga's excellent process.  Do I have to 'wet age' the brisket for 30 days prior to smoking it?  I have to order a packer's cut brisket ahead of time and would be interested to see if anyone has not done this step.  I don't mind the wait - I cure my bacon for 2 weeks - but not sure how much the taste of the brisket would change.

Thanks!
Proud member of PETA:  People Eating Tasty Animals.  :)

Ka Honu

The only absolutes are to make sure you've paid for the brisket before removing it from the store and that you've taken it out of the cryovac or other packaging before cooking it. Every thing else is a matter of personal preference.

Experiment with different methods. The worst that can happen is you'll have lots of excellent taco meat.

Habanero Smoker

I have wet aged a brisket. It is not necessary, but the wait is worth it. It makes the meat more tender. I generally go by the date it was packed, and count 30 days from there. The butcher should be able to give you the packing date, it is generally stamped on the box.



     I
         don't
                   inhale.
  ::)

Caneyscud

#3
Nope,  -  And have done tons of briskets as Pachanga has.  Both of us from Texas - he's still there unfortunately I'm not.  I am not trying say he or anybody is wrong, just that we have different ways to get beautiful brisket.  I've never tried them side by side to see if any discernible difference though,  None of the brisket belt biggies that I know do - what mom and pop bbq place could afford 30 days of inventory?  Plus, I never have enough room in the fridge to have briskets sitting around.  And I have never been successful at wet-aging - gotten some very strange smells one time.  I'm a K.I.S.S. type of guy when it comes to BBQ - especially brisket - it is what I cut my teeth on.  I did not know anything about pulled pork until I moved to TN.  Brisket for me is salt, pepper, my sop, nd low and slow with lots of Oak smoke.  As long as you have a packer, you should be good to go to cut open the cryovac and put your seasonings/rubs on and put it in the smoker.  If you get a flat, then you will have to be more careful and possibly modify your technique. 
"A man that won't sleep with his meat don't care about his barbecue" Caneyscud



"If we're not supposed to eat animals, how come they're made out of meat?"

Dano

Thank you everyone for the knowledge! When I get it in a few weeks I will report back on how it went without the aging process. I can see why it would be worth the wait but I will try it with a fresh cut first. After all, it won't be my last brisket. :D
Proud member of PETA:  People Eating Tasty Animals.  :)