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.
__________________
Grando autem duodecimo hominis
|