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All Things Brisket


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13 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Has anyone done the foil boat thing on an egg style smoker? Any noticeable difference from just wrapping in butcher paper through the stall? Not sure if the effect will be the same on an egg vs an offset 

I've done it on a WSM.  I think I messed up and had it fat side down, which pretty much taints my results.  In any event, I had better luck with wrapping in paper.  I may try it again later, but it didn't help with the stall, which seemed to last much longer than usual.

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56 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I've done it on a WSM.  I think I messed up and had it fat side down, which pretty much taints my results.  In any event, I had better luck with wrapping in paper.  I may try it again later, but it didn't help with the stall, which seemed to last much longer than usual.

I am doing one tonight for my brother since he just had a baby and I don’t want to fuck it up… I don’t really see how it’ll make that much difference when the heat is coming from below so I’m just gonna stick with the tried and true butcher paper. Thanks!

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1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

HFS y'all this is the life hack I've been missing. This is it. Hell I think even pouring the juice back on top from the foil boat makes a significant difference but it never occurred to me to try it. Amazing results. PXL_20230602_182832467.thumb.jpg.aa82a2377afed0dd528b92a5582fc853.jpg

I’ve yet to try the “icing” method, but when I made my tallow, I put it in an old olive oil bottle, stuck a nail in the top to make a hole for a squirt bottle, and when it’s time for wrapping I heat the bottle in a pot with a little water at the bottom (think warming syrup). The only real benefits I see over the icing thing is a) multiple uses from one batch bc the bag isn’t cut, and b) getting to squirt it over the brisket liquid style and manage where it’s distributed a little better. Lots of ways to skin a cat though.

Edited by Etexhorn13
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20 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

I am doing one tonight for my brother since he just had a baby and I don’t want to fuck it up… I don’t really see how it’ll make that much difference when the heat is coming from below so I’m just gonna stick with the tried and true butcher paper. Thanks!

Well, on the WSM, most of the heat is reflected off the dome.  So the idea of wrapping with the fat side exposed to the dome might be helpful.  But butcher paper with some tallow icing when I wrap for the hold really has turned out well for me recently.  So that's what I'm doing on my next one.

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1 hour ago, dcbc said:

Well, on the WSM, most of the heat is reflected off the dome.  So the idea of wrapping with the fat side exposed to the dome might be helpful.  But butcher paper with some tallow icing when I wrap for the hold really has turned out well for me recently.  So that's what I'm doing on my next one.

This is something I was going to post about. Again I don't cook nearly as often as I used to. I have definitely noticed when I cook brisket on my offset or even on my primo (cap down, always. Cap up was a disaster) that the very bottom layer burns, regardless of temp. I set them up cap down, point towards the firebox, damper fully closed. I have been keeping temps low lately to control things. I don't think I ever got above 230 in the middle where I measure temps. All of them wind up with a crust so pronounced that it either sticks to the grates, foil/butcher paper, or I discover when carving that I can't cut all the way through and have to carve off the bottom layer as I get towards the point end. I'm wondering if maybe I should ice the cap side before putting them on. I can understand this being an issue when I used to cook at 325 but I don't do that anymore. 

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1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

that the very bottom layer burns, regardless of temp.

On kamado, the deflector itself gets very hot and you get radiant heat from the deflector that makes the meat surface on bottom side see a higher temp. Try doing double indirect. On KJ it means a set of deflectors in lowest position and then a second set of deflectors on the lower grate position, typically using the X-ring. Food on top grate position. This gives a second air gap and second set of deflectors and results in much more even heat on the meat. You can also do this by putting deflector on lowest position, use a couple foil balls or another heat-resistant spacer arrayed in a triangle, and put a pizza stone on top of the balls. Again to get an air gap and then a second insulator. I'm unfamiliar with Primo deflector arrangement but I'm sure it's doable as well.

 

No experience with offset, but I can make some guesses and suggest some things to try. Is it reverse flow?

If so, the grill body under the cooking grate (the middle air deflector plate) is a hot surface and will radiate heat, just like the kamado deflector above. If you can, try suspending a drip pan under your cooking grate, not to do anything to drippings, but to block radiant heat off the grill body. Radiant heat is line of sight, so you don't want the meat to "see" the grill body underneath. I can make more educated guesses if you post some pics of all aspects of your offset.

If not, the air coming out of the firebox is definitely going to cook the meat more on the direct impact side. I'd try using foil to make a "sail" or wind deflector, wider than the meat, and have it protrude down from the leading edge of the meat under the grate some inches, so you aren't getting the hot airflow constantly across the bottom surface of the meat. (Sorta similar to when people gently tent the leading edge of the meat with foil in an offset; you're trying to block the direct airflow sweeping across the bottom). Also, again, radiant heat off the fire itself - is your firebox positioned where the fire can "see" the underside of meat? Block that line of sight with something.

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2 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

On kamado, the deflector itself gets very hot and you get radiant heat from the deflector that makes the meat surface on bottom side see a higher temp. Try doing double indirect. On KJ it means a set of deflectors in lowest position and then a second set of deflectors on the lower grate position, typically using the X-ring. Food on top grate position. This gives a second air gap and second set of deflectors and results in much more even heat on the meat. You can also do this by putting deflector on lowest position, use a couple foil balls or another heat-resistant spacer arrayed in a triangle, and put a pizza stone on top of the balls. Again to get an air gap and then a second insulator. I'm unfamiliar with Primo deflector arrangement but I'm sure it's doable as well.

 

No experience with offset, but I can make some guesses and suggest some things to try. Is it reverse flow?

If so, the grill body under the cooking grate (the middle air deflector plate) is a hot surface and will radiate heat, just like the kamado deflector above. If you can, try suspending a drip pan under your cooking grate, not to do anything to drippings, but to block radiant heat off the grill body. Radiant heat is line of sight, so you don't want the meat to "see" the grill body underneath. I can make more educated guesses if you post some pics of all aspects of your offset.

If not, the air coming out of the firebox is definitely going to cook the meat more on the direct impact side. I'd try using foil to make a "sail" or wind deflector, wider than the meat, and have it protrude down from the leading edge of the meat under the grate some inches, so you aren't getting the hot airflow constantly across the bottom surface of the meat. (Sorta similar to when people gently tent the leading edge of the meat with foil in an offset; you're trying to block the direct airflow sweeping across the bottom). Also, again, radiant heat off the fire itself - is your firebox positioned where the fire can "see" the underside of meat? Block that line of sight with something.

Thanks for the thoughts. It is not reverse flow. There is exposure to the firebox underneath the lower grate adjacent to the firebox but it has an adjustable 1/2" thick damper that slides and I keep it shut unless I'm trying to blast something. There is a fixed 12" plate in the middle and another 12" plate damper that can either slide underneath the middle one if you want to keep direct access to the firebox open, or closed. I can post a pic tomorrow. 

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This bitch was awfully pretty. No cut picks as I was feeding folks and ain’t nobody got time for that. I think I’m getting to the point where the next time I will really, really trim the edges, as that bottom left corner of the flat was dry as fuck and I no longer feel the need to keep something around that’s not enjoyable to eat. Thing thing cooked pretty fast. Put on at 11 pm, woke up at 6 to it already being at 190, but stalling. Made for a great bark, but I still wrapped and added my liquid tallow on the top side before doing so. 11.5 hours total for about 10.5 lbs

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13 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

I think I’m getting to the point where the next time I will really, really trim the edges, as that bottom left corner of the flat was dry as fuck and I no longer feel the need to keep something around that’s not enjoyable to eat.

Agreed.  I'd rather aggressively trim and have stuff for burgers, than leave parts on that aren't going to cook well.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Any Weber kettle smokers out there?  
 

I am wondering what you do to measure the cooking temperature? I’ve been smoking using a slow and sear. Coals on one side, brisket on the other.  I position the lid so the vent is over the brisket. That puts the thermometer over the coals so I don’t trust that reading. I’ve been putting my second probe on the grill next to the brisket to monitor temp (250ish). I still seem to be cooking hot because I hit the stall temp after around 2.5 hours. Any advice from other kettle smokers?

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Smoked over 50 briskets...this is my first Wagyu bc it was a last second decision and no primes available. 
 

Overall it was delicious but extra greasy. I saw more of the tenderness/ marble in the point than in the flat.  My primes are a lil better and half the cost. 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

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Parents bought half a cow and dropped this off with me to smoke for this weekend. I’ll have to cook tomorrow. It’s been super trimmed though. Any pointers vs a regular old packer?

Also, no idea why the processor sliced it in half but I’m thinking I’ll end up pulling flat sooner.

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I've read that you can use thick cut cheap (read fatty) bacon to help protect the areas that were overly trimmed.  I had planned to try this on a brisket that I got from a half calf that I had bought (also had most of the fat trimmed off), but I ran into issues with the pellet grill (yeah, I know) tripping a breaker continuously due to arc fault issues and gave up.

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2 hours ago, Post Oak said:

Throwing an 11lb brisket on tomorrow.  Gonna smoke it to 205. Then put it in the oven overnight. Probably eat it Sunday at lunch.

My lowest oven temp is 170.  Is that good enough? Should it be higher?

Any tips.

 

170, not considering the swing of the oven, actually is a little hot.  Ideally, you'd have it at 140F to hold it.  I'd opt for a good, preheated cooler with towels in the headspace were I in that situation.  The one time I tried to use an oven, even with manually turning it off/on, to do a hold, the brisket was dried out.  A turkey roaster with a "warm" setting is another option.

Edited by dcbc
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On 8/1/2023 at 8:36 AM, Catpfish said:

I've read that you can use thick cut cheap (read fatty) bacon to help protect the areas that were overly trimmed.  I had planned to try this on a brisket that I got from a half calf that I had bought (also had most of the fat trimmed off), but I ran into issues with the pellet grill (yeah, I know) tripping a breaker continuously due to arc fault issues and gave up.

Protect from what?

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Protect from what?
I guess to help it retain some moisture and try to keep the rate of cook as even as possible across the different areas (ie, some areas of the flat have fat cap and some don't). I don't really know as I'm not that experienced with cooking briskets, just pointed out that it was something I had read and night help.
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2 hours ago, Post Oak said:

Thanks. Well fuck.  Should I just wrap it in towels and throw it in my RTIC overnight?

 

I usually boil some water in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and put that in the cooler for about 30 minutes before I put the brisket in there.  Then fill the headspace with towels.  It should be okay for 8 hours or so, maybe longer.

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5 hours ago, dcbc said:

Oven.  Be sure to wrap that bad boy in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.

 

5 hours ago, dcbc said:

I usually boil some water in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave and put that in the cooler for about 30 minutes before I put the brisket in there.  Then fill the headspace with towels.  It should be okay for 8 hours or so, maybe longer.

 

5 hours ago, tigol said:

What dcbc said.

I've also rested one at room temp, vacuum sealed and refrigerated, and reheated sous vide.

Thanks guys

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Costco (the one at 183/Braker in N Austin) has a $10.00 off Prime Briskets. They are $3.99/lb, but the $10 off is off the package no matter the size. I bought the 2 smallest I could find (~13lbs), but they had some 20 pounders in there (a lot of 14lb-17lb ones as well).

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On 6/5/2023 at 5:17 PM, Scary Stranger said:

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I live in Georgia and joined Wild Fork so I would have a consistent supply of dino ribs, but lately it has been hard finding consistent prime grade briskets here.  How many briskets have you ordered from Wild fork and has the quality and size been consistent?  Have you only tried their choice or have you tried the prime as well? 

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