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  • Brisket Fail

    Yea thats right. What a bummer to work all day at something just have have it taste not so special. Thats where YOU ALL come in. I'm certain the answers to my questions are here.

    This is only the 2ND time I've attempted to smoke brisket so my hands on experience is limited to say the least. The first time was a success but my 2nd attempt wasn't meant to be i suppose. There were a few things that changed between round one and round two. My goal here is to find out where i went wrong.

    Was my problem
    A. The brisket i bought was previously frozen. I fully thawed it in refrigerator overnight before cooking. Round one brisket was fresh.
    B. The brisket i bought for round two was a "first cut" brisket, with little to no fat cap, weighing 5 lbs so i needed to cook 2. Round one (the success) was an 11 lb brisket. Much more fat, aka flavor than the puny 5 lber.
    C. I only smoked the 2 briskets for 7 hours. Did i need to go longer?
    D. None of the above, and i have no clue, please help me!

    Thanks in advance for your time.

    Bobby-Q

  • #2
    Howdee! And #1- Welcome to Smoked-Meat!

    Hmmm "C"..what temps? Rarely would even a defatted (bad thing) flat be done in that time at proper BBQ temps.
    In God I trust- All others pay cash...
    Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
    Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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    • #3
      Rich is a Good one to correct your woes and there will be others on board soon to give you some good advise but there is one good thing about it you get to eat you mistakes
      sigpic
      Brinkman Pitmast Deluxe (with alot of mods)
      Great Out doors grill
      Brinkman verticle
      And one great UDS
      Crooked Creek Viszlas

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      • #4
        Was your biggest dissapointment the flavor, the texture, or both? 7 hours is about generally about the minimum on a flat, and for a full it's gonna be short. Share a bit more on how you prepped/cooked the last one.
        Once you go Weber....you never call customer service....

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        • #5
          You can do it in 7 hours, but you had better be pushin 350 in that smoker. You need to get a meat thermometer and cook it until it has an internal temp of 185 in the thickest part of the flat. you can even go up to 205 for fall apart tender.

          If your brisket was tough and lacking flavor, it was under cooked. If you refuse to buy a meat thermometer, you can also cook it until it jiggles like jello.
          Keith

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          • #6
            Details

            Dissapointedly had to purchase frozen briskets on Sat morn for a Sun smoke.

            Let the brisket thaw for a few hours in the fridge before rubbing down w spice and mustard. Wrapped in seran wrap and sat in fridge overnight.

            Completely thawed by morning. Let sit on counter for 1 hr while preping smoker (18" Weber Smokey Mountain). Using cherry wood for smoke and lump charcoal.

            Thermometer read between 200 and 225 for full 7 hours of smoke. The outside temp here in Philadelphia on sunday was around 20 all day. Wonder if that might have given me some false readings???

            Anything seem terribly out of place? Could an extra hour or two of smoke time make that much difference in texture???

            The flavor was there but the texture was not.

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            • #7
              Sonds like a winner to me. Next time ill def go longer but i figured 2 5 lb briskets would cook a little faster than one 11 lb brisket. My lack of expierence got me on this one. ANd maybe the 20 degree temperatures i tried to smoke in. HAAAA! Thanks!

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              • #8
                Thermometer read between 200 and 225 for full 7 hours of smoke.
                Bob, the temperature inside the meat is way more important than the temperature outside the meat.
                Keith

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                • #9
                  Bob, one thing you really need to work on is not to cook by time. All meat, even in the same type such as brisket flats, will cook differently. You should get an internal meat thermometer to tell you when the internal temp of the meat says it's done. 7 hours or 12 hours doesn't matter when truly smoking meat at a given smoker temp. The meat is done when it's done. Some can cook by feel, but it is a learned technique over time.

                  Next brisket use a meat thermometer and I bet you come out just right buster. BTW they read off the point of the probe so don't get it in a fat pocket.

                  Best to ya buster.




                  3405 BGW GOSM gasser
                  Chargriller Duo W/ SFB and mods
                  Uni-Flame kettle grill - poor lonely grill
                  *New - Home made Drum Smoker with options*
                  Various other tools of mass destruction

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                  • #10
                    Ditto on the temp OF the meat. You NEED to go by this.

                    One of my famous quotes about the house... brisket for dinner:

                    Crowd: "When's Dinner gonna be?"
                    Me: " In 15 Degrees!"

                    If under time constraints...always start early. Then "cooler". Coolers work both ways... hot stuff stays hot :{)

                    Great to have you. In a month you'll be looking to start your own competition team, promise...
                    In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                    Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                    Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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                    • #11
                      Lear something new every day

                      Thanks for learning me. I have lots of it to do. A meat thermometer will certainly be inserted into my next brisket.

                      But what about the fact that the meat was frozen. Do i really need to avoid that at all costs?

                      Also, should i avoid these "first cut" briskets weighing 5 lbs and go with a full brisket?
                      Last edited by bob121powell; 01-24-2011, 03:16 PM.

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                      • #12
                        I've done quite a few previously frozen briskets. As long as it's thawed it won't make any difference. I'll give you a quick rundown. Smoke until internal temp is 165°, wrap in foil with a squirt of apple juice, continue cooking until 192°. Wrap in old towels, place in cooler for at least an hour (I prefer 2 or 3 hours. Slice and serve. This is not a fit all, it's just the way I do them and they come out great. Good luck on your next one.
                        sigpic
                        Smoke Vault 24

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                        • #13
                          Don't worry about having been frozen. Flats or whole packers, it's up to you and what you want from your briskets, either is great. Just control the temp of your pit and cook the meat until it's done and from there you will make little changes such as rubs, injections, and even pit temps for speed until you find what YOU prefer and like best.

                          Keep asking questions til you get the info you feel you need.




                          3405 BGW GOSM gasser
                          Chargriller Duo W/ SFB and mods
                          Uni-Flame kettle grill - poor lonely grill
                          *New - Home made Drum Smoker with options*
                          Various other tools of mass destruction

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                          • #14
                            Dont encourage me!

                            Thanks again for all of the support. Now i want to do another one tomorrow!

                            Ill be sure to let you all know how the next one turns out.

                            A big thanks to FAT_HEAD_CARL for turning me on to the site. I can tell im gonna like it here.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by bob121powell View Post
                              A big thanks to FAT_HEAD_CARL for turning me on to the site. I can tell im gonna like it here.
                              And where the hell has THAT boy been? He don't post, he don't say hi...
                              In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                              Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                              Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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