I need brisket help

[kiyotei]

I live on brisket and used to live in TX which is brisket country.  A temp reading of the meat hitting 190 is not really the true test of doneness.  If you stick the thermometer into the meat and there is no resistance, then its ready.  Also I've never seen a brisket get done in 5 hours.  Excuse me if I re-ask a few questions here.    I smoke a brisket almost every weekend and here is what I do, never fails:

1. Smoke a big brisket 6+ lbs.  Smaller briskets just dont' hold up to the amount of time required to tenderize the meat.
2. Do NOT remove the fat cap.  I recommend scoring it in a checkered pattern before smoking.  Make sure you Do NOT cut into the meat, just cut deep enough to expose the meat.
3. Yes use a mustard slather.  It helps protect the outside of the meat.  Add spices etc if you want.  A simple basic mix that is great is even parts kosher salt, sugar, and course ground black pepper.
4. Preheating the smoker: I find with my smoker that the internal temp in the smoker really varies depending on the shelf I use (on the bottom close to heating element or top shelf).  I usually put my food in on either of the top two shelves.  I also run my smoker at full temp.  I preheat heat it for about an hour at full temp.  I also boil the water before I put it in the bowl in the bottom of the smoker.  That way I don't have to waste time heating up the water.  I live in Seattle where it never really gets that hot out, most of the year is cold.  I use a digital thermometer and I lower the prob to sit just under the brisket.  That way I can see the temp directly under the meat.  I find with my smoker the over all temp near the meat does not really exceed 220-230 range at best.  And yes the door temp is rarely accurate to the temp below the meat.  When you put the meat it, it really absorbs a lot of the heat in the cabinet while it warms up.  You can tell when the meat starts to really get near the end of the smoking process cause the cabinet temp starts to climb.  As far as spritzing the meat goes, I'm undecided.  The brisket has a very large fat cap on top and so any spritzing you do just lands on the fat which hardly needs it.
5. Put the meat in to the smoker cold (cold meat, hot smoker).  Do not bring the meat to room temp.  Meat only absorbs smoke until it reaches a temp of 140.  Warming the meat to room temp means that it will reach 140 too fast and not pick up enough smoke flave.  I actually do this for all my meats.  YES it means it cooks longer but who cares (I have tricks for speeding it up).
6. I smoke it 5 hours.  Period.
7. Take it out of smoker.  On a cookie sheet with sides (hold in juices that always leak out of foil), lay multiple sheets of foil (very long sheets), place a smoker rack upside down on the foil.  Set meat on rack (fat side up).  The reason for putting the rack on the foil upside down is to keep the meat from sitting in the juices/fat that will accumulate in the foil.  I don't add any juices but feel free.  close up foil and place in oven.
8. Oven temp depends on your time.  If you want to eat the meat that day and are short on time, preheat oven to 300-350.  Cook meat for 1+ hours.  Then lower temp to 250-300 for an 1-2 hours (depends on how long you left it at 300+).  I always have it finishing at 250 for the last hour.  I do this for 3 hours and its always been done.  When I stick the thermometer thru the foil there is no resistance, its like sticking a marshmellow.  If you have a lot of time, you can preheat the oven to 200 and slow roast it over night.  I don't know how long it has to cook at this temp but I can tell you when I get up in the morning its done.
9.  Take meat out of oven and leave sealed in foil.  Let it sit at least an hour.  I usually just do an hour.  You can FTC it or  just leave it sitting on the counter (this is how I do it cause I don't have a big cooler and it works fine.  Just don't open the foil).  Also when you let the meat sit a bit, it allows the smoker flavor to mellow and sink into the meat.
10. Before slicing meat, make sure you slice off the fat cap.  Slice and enjoy.

[iceman]

Thanks for the info kiyotei.
That helps a lot of folks out.

[kiyotei]

Oh one more thing, and I'll go back and add this to my list on my previous post, cabinet temp.  I find with my smoker that the internal temp in the smoker really varies depending on the shelf I use (on the bottom close to heating element or top shelf).  I usually put my food in on either of the top two shelves.  I also run my smoker at full temp.  I preheat heat it for about an hour at full temp.  I also boil the water before I put it in the bowl in the bottom of the smoker.  That way I don't have to waste time heating up the water.  I live in Seattle where it never really gets that hot out, most of the year is cold.  I use a digital thermometer and I lower the prob to sit just under the brisket.  That way I can see the temp directly under the meat.  I find with my smoker the over all temp near the meat does not really exceed 220-230 range at best.  And yes the door temp is rarely accurate to the temp below the meat.  When you put the meat it, it really absorbs a lot of the heat in the cabinet while it warms up.  You can tell when the meat starts to really get near the end of the smoking process cause the cabinet temp starts to climb.  As far as spritzing the meat goes, I'm undecided.  The brisket has a very large fat cap on top and so any spritzing you do just lands on the fat which hardly needs it.  Before slicing meat, make sure you slice off the fat cap.

[kiyotei]

You may have noticed I haven't posted anything in a while.  I've been traveling a lot for work lately, just got back from two weeks in Germany.  The weather was great this past weekend in Seattle and so while getting over my jet lag I smoked a 7+ lb brisket on Friday and on Saturday I smoked a 7+lb pork shoulder, both were outstanding.  I know I didn't post any pics sorry.  This weekend should be equally nice and you can bet there will be a brisket smoking in my yard.

[begolf25]

Great info kiyotei. I am gonna have to try your method out on my next brisket.

[dakota57006]

kiyotei,

Thanks for the tips.  I am curious, why do you chose to finish your brisket in the oven and not in your smoker?

[kiyotei]

I can finish it faster in the oven than I can in the smoker.  Also, over night I don't feel comfortable leaving the smoker in the yard unsupervised, who knows who might walk thru and mess with it.  Finally, the oven temp is easier to regulate than the smoker.