Smoking a brisket for the fitst time ... tips?

[TDs3nOut]

Got a seven pound brisket rubbed down with salt. paprika, black pepper, and ancho chili powder. The plan is to throw in on the smoker for around ten hours tomorrow, mopping it down each hour with a sauce made of beer, apple cider vinegar, jalapeno, chili powder, worsteschire sauce, and store bought BBQ sauce. Never done a brisket before and it cost $50;. Any tips appreciated!

 

[outofyourmind]

Leave all the fat on it. Fat side up.
Hope the store left plenty of fat on it. They have a bad habit of trimming to much off, probably because people think they don't want to pay for fat, but that's what makes it turn out good.


Even with mopping it every hour it will have a tendency to dry out.


might think about heavy smoking it for the first few hours, then wrap in foil with a little mop sauce in it to keep it from drying out so much.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Leave all the fat on it. Fat side up.
Hope the store left plenty of fat on it. They have a bad habit of trimming to much off, probably because people think they don't want to pay for fat, but that's what makes it turn out good.


Even with mopping it every hour it will have a tendency to dry out.


might think about heavy smoking it for the first few hours, then wrap in foil with a little mop sauce in it to keep it from drying out so much.

Fat is good for sure.

I've got a Bradley smoker and love it.

I love smoked cheeses as well, especially gouda.

 

[outofyourmind]

So how did it turn out???

 

[Edisto_Tiger]

Damn, I missed this thread. Yea, how'd it turn out?

As for the drying out, I always put my meats in foil pans when smoking or grilling. The one thing I found out smoking a brisket is that it will hit a plateau at around 150-160 degrees and sit there for a long time. I don't know why but it does. Then it will finally start moving up the last hour or 2 to your desired temp.

 

[wingsauce7]

I always soak mine in cola or coffee at room temp overnight before smoking... It loves you long-time.

 

[WizardHawk]

Damn, I missed this thread. Yea, how'd it turn out?

As for the drying out, I always put my meats in foil pans when smoking or grilling. The one thing I found out smoking a brisket is that it will hit a plateau at around 150-160 degrees and sit there for a long time. I don't know why but it does. Then it will finally start moving up the last hour or 2 to your desired temp.

That is known as 'the stall' and is common in many low and slow techniques. It is caused by evaporation. When moisture begins to sweat out of the meat it evaporates and creates a cool layer around the meat because of it. Most meats hit a stall and the length of time they sit there will vary, but for brisket it can be many hours.

Most competition pitmasters foil the meat when it hits 150 to drive it through the stall faster. Wrapping meat tightly in foil and continuing to cook it low keeps the liquid inside from creating that evaporative layer around the meat so the temp inside continues to rise.

Depending on the type of meat and how you are cooking it you can simply wait out the stall, but your meat will be more juicy and cook quicker if it is wrapped through it. Losing moisture through evaporation is also drying out the meat.

 

[TDs3nOut]

I always soak mine in cola or coffee at room temp overnight before smoking... It loves you long-time.

Thanks for the tips posted here. Unfortunately, most were posted after I already smoked my brisket.

I do plan to use some of the tips posted next time, particularly that ^ one (with the coffee). Also think that I will go with the foil roaster next time.

The brisket came out good enough to eat, but it was not nearly as tender and flavorful as some that I've had.

I used the leftovers to make this stew, which I thought was quite delicious: The Smoke Ring

Feel free to post more smoked brisket ideas. It will probably be a few weeks before I smoke another one.

 

[WizardHawk]

If you do wrap your meat know that it can impact your bark. Some put broth, apple juice, or other liquids in the foil at the time of wrapping, but that will steam your meat through the stall and the added moisture will likely make some of your bark soggy and/or break/slide some of it off.

Best to just wrap it without any extra liquid. Make sure it is VERY tight. Any loose areas create places for steam and evaporation to still occur. Keep it wrapped and back on the slow and low smoker (can put this part in oven if it's easier if it's at same temp). Once it hits 190 (or just lower than the desired temp for your technique) remove it and put it back on your regular smoker long enough to dry out your bark. At least an extra half hour, but likely an hour again depending on the meat and what you treated it with.

Other tips?
Basting and spritzing? Just don't do it. You are adding some layers of flavor, but you are also doing the same thing that causes the stall. Adding moisture to the outside creates that cooling layer around it that slows down the cooking more. This ends up actually causing more evaporation from inside the meat making it take longer to cook and giving you dryer meat. If you must add sauces/mops/etc then do so about 30-45 minutes before it is done. After it gets past the stall temp and with enough time to dry and meld into the bark. You can put it over hot coals (grill or low rack over open smoker) for a few minutes to caramelize the sauce, but this requires you watch it very closely as there is often less than a minute between caramel and burnt.

When you are new to smoking, trying a new type of meat for smoking, and/or a new apparatus, stick to the basics until you have that down. Start with just a dry rub. Don't complicate it with marinades or other moisture. Use less wood chunks or other smoke than you think you need. Better to be under than add too much as too much smoke makes for bitter meat. Have your cooking strategy planned out and monitor your temps both in the vessel and the meat (unless it's ribs). Know what you will do with the stall and either wrap it or ride it out, again not adding more moisture! Add your finishing sauce (mostly ribs or other pork) and let it dry out from the sauce and/or foil wrap. Bring it off between 190 and 210 depending on the meat and know how to slice it. If you have a two part digital remote thermometer set so you can watch the meat and inside temps you have no need to open the lid so you keep more heat in and your cooking goes quicker making for more juicy meat. The less you open the cooker, the better the results!

A common mistake with brisket is not cutting on the correct lines. Cutting with the grain makes the meat more chewy and stringy. Simply cutting it on the correct lines (both parts need a different cut!) makes a huge difference in the texture! It will fall apart in your mouth if cut correctly.

If you must hold the meat before serving keep it in a 170 degree oven or foil line an ice chest, wrap the meat tightly, and keep it in their closed until ready to cut. It will hold easily for 2 or more hours this way. In fact planning on finishing up at least an hour before you want to serve is a pro way to make sure you don't have guests waiting when that stubborn meat just won't finish.

Well, that's just off the top of my head.

 

[outofyourmind]

I would say that beef brisket is the hardest thing to get right.
Might try a pork butt/shoulder. They cook up great with all the fat and don't dry out. Much easier.
Pork Ribs are an essential, and easy too. Even low and slow they cook up in about 4hrs max.


I never mop or put rub on my meat, but that's just a preference/choice. I grew up with letting the meat do the talking.


Sausage is a little tricky. It cooks so fast and can dry out really quick, so trying to get that smoke flavor in it is tricky. I'm partial to the Polish Sausage/Keilbasa. Everyone likes it. Unless your smoker is almost out, don't walk away from the Sausage.

 

[HizzleRocker]

Good thread. Touch cookie to cook the right way. I definitely agree with a heavy smoke first - with no foil or wrap, and the fat side up. Once it starts to hit stall, wrap it in foil and let it finish.

 

[{+}Mother-Marge{+}]

[cookin-outside?]..... drink beer, stand over-it and pee on it.......it gives it a ((mouth-watering)), ~salty~, beer-flavored, taste.....yu'll and your guests will luv-it...!

 

[WizardHawk]

That's another question. Do you leave the fat on? How much? or totally naked? I know some swear by carving the fat down to a 1/4" or so and leaving it on. Depends on what I'm doing with it, but I like to cut all of the fat off, including between the point and flat. Takes a while to clean it to that point and you end up with two flaps of meat, but cooks a little quicker, is less more likely to ride out the stall without foil, and more bark surface. In fact a LOT more bark. Some do like a little fat in their slices so leave it on if that's your thing.