View Full Version : The Brisket Experiment
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 06:23
Still a beginner when it comes to smoking meat, today is the first time I've tried smoking anything that wasn't pork ribs or salmon. At the butcher shop I picked up a 5 1/2 lb. beef brisket point. Not wanting to invest in a whole brisket in case the experiment goes awry, I thought this would be a good size to work on technique.
Yesterday afternoon I hit it with a COTS (commercial off the shelf) dry rub and put it to bed in the fridge until this morning. After firing up the smoker and waiting for it to get up to temperature, on went the meat. The brisket has been smoking for just over an hour now. During the night some of the rub had slid off the side, as seen in the picture, but I did not reapply it.
I'm using apple wood chips for smoke, and I'll probably have to refill the pan every 45-60 minutes. The target smoker temperature is 265-275. The outside temp is about 25 degrees. After four hours I'll check the meat's internal temp at least one per hour. The target IT is in the 190-205 range. Once it gets into the zone I'll start doing a probe test to check for doneness.
This could turn into a smoking pile of crap, but it gives me something to do in addition to watching football today.
I have only done one brisket, not as easy to do as ribs or shoulder. My understanding on the smoke is that the meat only takes on so much of it and that is in the early part of the process. Good luck with your brisket mine came out a bit dry.
I highly recommend the below site for more information than you can absorb about any and everything having to do with grilling or smoking, to include recipes for rubs and sauces, equipment reviews etc.
www.amazingribs dot com
Be careful it is way to easy to go down a rabbit hole and end up with hours of your life gone
seriously it is my goto place if trying to grill or smoke anything new or before I make a purchase.
its free. the guy makes $$ if you use his links to amazon when you buy stuff there.
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 07:11
I have only done one brisket, not as easy to do as ribs or shoulder. My understanding on the smoke is that the meat only takes on so much of it and that is in the early part of the process. Good luck with your brisket mine came out a bit dry.
I've been doing quite a bit of reading online this week about smoking brisket. Some very knowledgeable people, as you state, only have smoke early on. Others, just as experienced, smoke throughout. Maybe I just like seeing that thin blue smoke coming out, dunno. But, this is an experiment and there will be a lot of variables to tinker with going forward.
As to the dryness of your brisket, multiple people agree that the primary cause is not cooking it long enough. Also, a long rest seems to be very important as well. Hopefully I can apply what I've read and come close to the perfect brisket on my first attempt. I really should start keeping detailed notes.
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 07:15
I highly recommend the below site for more information than you can absorb about any and everything having to do with grilling or smoking, to include recipes for rubs and sauces, equipment reviews etc.
www.amazingribs dot com
Be careful it is way to easy to go down a rabbit hole and end up with hours of your life gone
seriously it is my goto place if trying to grill or smoke anything new or before I make a purchase.
its free. the guy makes $$ if you use his links to amazon when you buy stuff there.
Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out. Right now I have three windows open on different brisket threads on www.smokingmeatforums.com. I've got more rabbit holes than Watership Down.
craigepo
12-18-2016, 07:25
As to rubs, a bunch of the locals have told me that their best rub is just salt and black pepper. That's what I have been using on beef and pork recently, and have had pretty good results.
I have yet to try a brisket. I really like one with good bark.
I've been doing quite a bit of reading online this week about smoking brisket. Some very knowledgeable people, as you state, only have smoke early on. Others, just as experienced, smoke throughout. Maybe I just like seeing that thin blue smoke coming out, dunno. But, this is an experiment and there will be a lot of variables to tinker with going forward.
As to the dryness of your brisket, multiple people agree that the primary cause is not cooking it long enough. Also, a long rest seems to be very important as well. Hopefully I can apply what I've read and come close to the perfect brisket on my first attempt. I really should start keeping detailed notes.
Yes, journal the experiment, wood type, fire type, heat used, size of brisket. Low ad slow is the Texas way, nice crust, thin line right under the crust, melt in your mouth. Looking forward to the results.
Thanks for that, I'll definitely check it out. Right now I have three windows open on different brisket threads on www.smokingmeatforums.com. I've got more rabbit holes than Watership Down.
Ah yes. Inject or not inject. Marinate or not marinate. Fat side up or doesn't matter. To crutch or not to crutch..
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 07:44
As to rubs, a bunch of the locals have told me that their best rub is just salt and black pepper. That's what I have been using on beef and pork recently, and have had pretty good results.
I have yet to try a brisket. I really like one with good bark.
A lot of folks also just use SPOG- salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder. I'm definitely shooting for a good bark on this brisket.
This one is in there fat side up. I left the full fat cap on, no trimming at all. No injections, and no marinade.
The smoker is propane (Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite 44") and I've used it probably half a dozen times, if that many, since July 4th.
Hopefully Santa will bring me a good dual probe wireless thermometer. The temp gauge the smoker came with doesn't have a great reputation.
The beautiful thing about smoking meat is that you are not reinventing the wheel, lots of great info out there. I too like Smoking meat Forums. When I first started I took notes on each smoke, I use a Weber Smokey Mountain and it just keeps getting easier. Looking forward to hearing how this turns out for you.
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 10:56
Internal temperature at the 5 1/2 hour mark was 159. Looks like a few more hours to go.
Roguish Lawyer
12-18-2016, 12:28
Hopefully Santa will bring me a good dual probe wireless thermometer.
Ask Santa for the Maverick. It's great.
Roguish Lawyer
12-18-2016, 12:33
I have been working very hard on my smoking technique for a couple of years now. I look forward to reading and seeing your results.
^^^^brisket looks incredible !
Got the wife one of these - Thermapen- (a few years ago and prices have come down) and steaks and roasts have been great - have not used for smoking meat yet but would seem to work. Marketing propaganda says competition BBQ folks use them.
http://www.thermoworks.com/Classic-Thermapen
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 12:52
That brisket looks amazing. I'm leaning towards either the Maverick or the Tappacue 4-probe that has an app so you can monitor things via cell phone.
The Thermapens are indeed used by some competitors and many home smokers. It is super fast, unlike the El Cheapo I have now.
ETA: Eight hours in the internal temp is 182.5. Earlier today I picked up a couple of oven thermometers to monitor the temps at meat level. The gauge in the smoker says 300 F while the oven thermometer has it at about 280 degrees. Tried the probe test and the brisket is not quite done yet.
^^^^brisket looks incredible !
Got the wife one of these - Thermapen- (a few years ago and prices have come down) and steaks and roasts have been great - have not used for smoking meat yet but would seem to work. Marketing propaganda says competition BBQ folks use them.
http://www.thermoworks.com/Classic-Thermapen
I got the Thermapen a long time ago, very accurate, one does not want to overcook good BBQ.
Divemaster
12-18-2016, 18:44
At nine hours the brisket began passing the probe test, even though the internal temperature had not risen in the past hour. At 10 hours, the IT was only up to 189 but the bamboo skewer was sliding in like butter everywhere I tested. This sucker was done, so out it came. I double wrapped it in foil and put it into a cooler to rest for two hours.
Really, it could have rested for at least another hour. When I cut into it, the end just fell apart. It was super moist and flavorful, but the downside is that there was really no smoke flavor. Reminiscent of a roast rather than something that came out of a smoker, it's possible leaving the full fat cap on might have hindered smoke penetration. No smoke ring was visible either. I didn't bother with pictures after slicing into it.
Removing the fat cap, I left the brisket sitting on the cutting board for about 30 minutes. Checking back, I found it had firmed up enough to get good slices. It will be good for sandwiches and French dips.
Next time I'll try a full brisket and trim the fat quite a bit before it goes in the smoker. This should help with bark formation and, hopefully, smoke penetration.
It looks great, one would think it would have a smoke ring on the non fat side. I love brisket but my only experience smoking one left me in no hurry to do another. Enjoy your efforts it can't be all bad :D.
Divemaster
12-19-2016, 04:55
It looks great, one would think it would have a smoke ring on the non fat side. I love brisket but my only experience smoking one left me in no hurry to do another. Enjoy your efforts it can't be all bad :D.
It is most definitely edible, which I'll call a win considering what I've read about the first efforts of others. Even the non fat side didn't show a smoke ring even after almost eight hours of smoke. Weird.
It is most definitely edible, which I'll call a win considering what I've read about the first efforts of others. Even the non fat side didn't show a smoke ring even after almost eight hours of smoke. Weird.
The way I do mine I start getting a good smoke ring at 11-12 hrs. I do it low and slow.... Flavor is the key not the way it looks. :D
Looked back in my notes, the one I did was 11.3 #s I smoked it at a higher temp/less time. This was at 5.5 hours, used 1/2 doz small chunks of cherry on top of my coals. seasonings, garlic and onion salt and black pepper, no bbq sauce. I did rest the meat but according to my notes should have rested it longer. It was good but not Kansas City good. The pics are of the small point.
33150
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Roguish Lawyer
12-19-2016, 10:57
I wrap my brisket after 2-4 hours. It gets plenty of smoke in that amount of time.