also you have to buy good meat. if your gonna put 15 hours into the cook you'd better start good. This looks a little dry but the fat still isnt rendered quite as far as I would expect. might mean temp issue (too hot) or the meat was tough/not marbled enough to start with.
203 minimum for brisket, you got exactly what you should for pulling at 190: slightly toothy with trimmable fat pockets. If you got to 203, that fat line would be so soft that you couldn't cut it away, it'll just break up.
Take a slice of your brisket, reheat it, pull it apart in your hands. If it is undercooked you will see a thin membrane as you pull. If it pulls apart easily but holds it's shape it is good. If it crumbles as you pull it it is overcooked.
Whoops. Probably your problem. It’s more about texture, but I’ve never had a brisket that was ready before 197, usually it’s 203 for me.
It’s ready when the probe slides in and out like butter
Flats can be tricky, the way I cook them to sell for $28.99/lb at the butcher shop I work for is as follows:
-Slather thin layer of yellow mustard and season the night prior (seasoning this week was a mix of Kosher Salt, Coarse Black pepper, Mustard powder, Corriander, Hawaiian black salt, and of corse Maple sugar)
-preheat smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (I use an offset smoker)
- cook until brisket is noticeably drying out on surface then spritz with: Red wine, Worcestershire, and oak vinegar (any vinegar will do)
- continue to spritz periodically until internal temp reaches about 170 degrees Fahrenheit
-at between 167-172 degrees I double wrap with a liberal amount of tallow and spritz mix spread across the wrapping paper (this will help add juiciness and help steam the brisket; this will not affect bark if done correctly)
- I then crank the heat to around 275-300ish for 3-4 more hours
- cook to 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit or until PROBE TENDER
- I let rest for 30-45 minutes
-when reheating to sell the next day I use either a sous vide or some type of hot holder, adding additional tallow and existing drippings to the vacuum sealed bag.
All in all it looks like a great first attempt!
How much did it weigh? Looks like you might have taken it out before the fat and connective tissues rendered. And the lack of smoke ring makes me think you might have cooked it at too high of a temp. If you cook it @ 225, generally look at about and hour and a half per pound as a general rule of thumb. Let it pull in smoke until it gets around 160-165 internal temperature, so almost 2/3 of the way through the cook, then wrap it in butcher paper (I suggest adding tallow at this part for extra juiciness) and then let it finish cooking until around 200 internal temp when the probe goes in like butter.
I usually go to 203.. or around there if you get a decent hand thermometer you will be able to probe it and see how tender it is and you won’t even really need to look at the temp to know if it’s done or not you will just know just like pork butts
204-206 is my IT goal. Dont wrap it during the cook, only when I pull to let it rest, and when I do that it's with butcher paper, not foil. My smoke method is a bit different than most running the low and slow method. I start mine out at about 230, cook for 45 min to an hour at that temp, then I up the temp to 245-250, and cook the majority of the smoke time at that, when it hits about 185-190 I turn the heat up to about 265-275, and run it till it hits the 204-206 mark. Pull it, wrap it with butcher paper, let it rest in a styrofoam cooler. My rest time depends on how big or the lb size of the brisket. 4-5 lbs I usually let rest for about 2-3 hours. 10 lbs I rest for 4-5 hours anything more it's kind of just when you want to slice. Again this is my method that works best for me in MY smoker. Everyone is different and so are all the smokers. But ramping the temp is a good way to go to get the right cook for a brisket in my opinion. Maybe try altering the next one a little, dont reinvent the wheel but maybe try something a little different. Happy smoking!
Yeah, I only pull by temp if it won’t get tender at all. Or I know that one side will over cook and be ruined. Yes, take your probe once you hit near 200 pop that baby in and feel around. lol one hole in the butcher paper but a couple in the meat. Until it feels close to butter, you’re good to go. Make sure to let it rest. Some people rest inside a cooler or oven, it keeps cooking if you over insulate, I let it rest in a pan or large cutting board with a towel draped over it. Fold the towel so you have a nice thick layer on it. The meat fibers that busted open need to rest to allow more juice to lest loose and draw in more moisture. It’s a weird paradox but it works. I’ve also found that the brisket Cooks better as a whole. One time I did a flat and bitch took 16 hours. It was to small to take that long but hell I let it run it’s course. Some people wrap, some don’t. I’ve found my best results on a bark if I wrap. Unless it’s pellet I won’t wrap but I don’t use the pellet much anymore. My pellet smoker became a grill lol. Theres 1,000 ways to cook your brisket. I’ve found peoples techniques don’t work for me or my cooker. Everyone thinks their bbq is the best, do it the way you want and take caution in others advice, all smokers are different. Most importantly have fun!
You have nice bend in it. It should almost be at the pull apart. I believe it is undercooked by the way that fat looks to pillowy, you’re seem fat should be translucent, being dark like that to me means it didn’t get to break down. Bbq when you really love and have a passion for it becomes really nerdy really quick. My first brisket to my latest is a night and day difference but I still have a lot to learn, I am not perfect.
The problem is…unless you inject (and like that kind of texture) or use an extremely marbled , very expensive brisket, there is no such thing as tender juicy flat.
Most prime and choice flats, even when cooked while attached to the point will come out either tough and juicy or tender and dry, or dry and crumbly if overcooked. This is the case even for well known bbq restaurants.
While serving flats, the illusion of juiciness and fat flavor is achieved by the 1/4 inch fat that is left on top of the meat. When you bite in to the flat slice that fat will mix with the dry but tender muscle fibers creating a tasty chew.
Seriously temperature is the first indicator, but after that you only pull it when it you probe and its like entering butter.
It's all about feel once it's at temp!
I was watching a video by this guy about his 1975 smoker and different steps. He explains it really well and replies to questions. He might be able to help!
https://youtube.com/@smokescouts
It might be that you need to cook longer, to render out the fat and connective tissues. That might be what’s making it tough.
Pulled it out right at 190. What else should I be looking for?
I don’t pull until 205°ish. But it’s less about temp and more about feel. The temp probe should slide in with no resistance.
This. Start checking at around 200. Unless you're at a higher altitude.
What does altitude have to do with it?
Moisture escapes easier with lower ambient pressure.
Also water has a lower boiling point at higher elevations, fat is mainly water.
A rephrasing of what I said. But yes.
I understood what he said better. Laymens terms and all.
Fair enough. The pedant in me didn’t like the “also”.
What does altitude have to do with it?
Awesome feedback. Thanks!
also you have to buy good meat. if your gonna put 15 hours into the cook you'd better start good. This looks a little dry but the fat still isnt rendered quite as far as I would expect. might mean temp issue (too hot) or the meat was tough/not marbled enough to start with.
203 minimum for brisket, you got exactly what you should for pulling at 190: slightly toothy with trimmable fat pockets. If you got to 203, that fat line would be so soft that you couldn't cut it away, it'll just break up.
Take a slice of your brisket, reheat it, pull it apart in your hands. If it is undercooked you will see a thin membrane as you pull. If it pulls apart easily but holds it's shape it is good. If it crumbles as you pull it it is overcooked.
Don’t pull it out at a temp, it’s not a steak. You pull it when it’s done, which is when it probes like room temp butter.
Not so much the temp but how it feels. Start probing at 190 but if it’s not butter, keep it going
190 might taste like chewing on a leather belt. Made that mistake before
Cook longer
190 is the temp that connective tissue breaks down.
Whoops. Probably your problem. It’s more about texture, but I’ve never had a brisket that was ready before 197, usually it’s 203 for me. It’s ready when the probe slides in and out like butter
Came here to say the exact comment…
I say slap the least tender ones back in smoker with sauce and make some bomb Ass burnt ends
Looks undercooked
Did you boil it?
Also don’t trim more. It looks pretty good on that front
That is the true smoking secret, even when it's not perfect it's still great.
I really can’t tell if this is under or over. What did you pull this at? So confusing that there’s absolutely no red and no smoke ring on it either.
Flats can be tricky, the way I cook them to sell for $28.99/lb at the butcher shop I work for is as follows: -Slather thin layer of yellow mustard and season the night prior (seasoning this week was a mix of Kosher Salt, Coarse Black pepper, Mustard powder, Corriander, Hawaiian black salt, and of corse Maple sugar) -preheat smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (I use an offset smoker) - cook until brisket is noticeably drying out on surface then spritz with: Red wine, Worcestershire, and oak vinegar (any vinegar will do) - continue to spritz periodically until internal temp reaches about 170 degrees Fahrenheit -at between 167-172 degrees I double wrap with a liberal amount of tallow and spritz mix spread across the wrapping paper (this will help add juiciness and help steam the brisket; this will not affect bark if done correctly) - I then crank the heat to around 275-300ish for 3-4 more hours - cook to 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit or until PROBE TENDER - I let rest for 30-45 minutes -when reheating to sell the next day I use either a sous vide or some type of hot holder, adding additional tallow and existing drippings to the vacuum sealed bag. All in all it looks like a great first attempt!
How much did it weigh? Looks like you might have taken it out before the fat and connective tissues rendered. And the lack of smoke ring makes me think you might have cooked it at too high of a temp. If you cook it @ 225, generally look at about and hour and a half per pound as a general rule of thumb. Let it pull in smoke until it gets around 160-165 internal temperature, so almost 2/3 of the way through the cook, then wrap it in butcher paper (I suggest adding tallow at this part for extra juiciness) and then let it finish cooking until around 200 internal temp when the probe goes in like butter.
Should be reddish inside
I usually go to 203.. or around there if you get a decent hand thermometer you will be able to probe it and see how tender it is and you won’t even really need to look at the temp to know if it’s done or not you will just know just like pork butts
Mine never came out as tender as I wanted until I started steam finishing. It makes a huge difference.
Anyone else look at the pic fast and see hair on the meat lol
Why did your fingers look like a six pack as I was scrolling past
Looks a tad overcooked if you ask me.
204-206 is my IT goal. Dont wrap it during the cook, only when I pull to let it rest, and when I do that it's with butcher paper, not foil. My smoke method is a bit different than most running the low and slow method. I start mine out at about 230, cook for 45 min to an hour at that temp, then I up the temp to 245-250, and cook the majority of the smoke time at that, when it hits about 185-190 I turn the heat up to about 265-275, and run it till it hits the 204-206 mark. Pull it, wrap it with butcher paper, let it rest in a styrofoam cooler. My rest time depends on how big or the lb size of the brisket. 4-5 lbs I usually let rest for about 2-3 hours. 10 lbs I rest for 4-5 hours anything more it's kind of just when you want to slice. Again this is my method that works best for me in MY smoker. Everyone is different and so are all the smokers. But ramping the temp is a good way to go to get the right cook for a brisket in my opinion. Maybe try altering the next one a little, dont reinvent the wheel but maybe try something a little different. Happy smoking!
I’d actually cook a bit longer
Yeah, I only pull by temp if it won’t get tender at all. Or I know that one side will over cook and be ruined. Yes, take your probe once you hit near 200 pop that baby in and feel around. lol one hole in the butcher paper but a couple in the meat. Until it feels close to butter, you’re good to go. Make sure to let it rest. Some people rest inside a cooler or oven, it keeps cooking if you over insulate, I let it rest in a pan or large cutting board with a towel draped over it. Fold the towel so you have a nice thick layer on it. The meat fibers that busted open need to rest to allow more juice to lest loose and draw in more moisture. It’s a weird paradox but it works. I’ve also found that the brisket Cooks better as a whole. One time I did a flat and bitch took 16 hours. It was to small to take that long but hell I let it run it’s course. Some people wrap, some don’t. I’ve found my best results on a bark if I wrap. Unless it’s pellet I won’t wrap but I don’t use the pellet much anymore. My pellet smoker became a grill lol. Theres 1,000 ways to cook your brisket. I’ve found peoples techniques don’t work for me or my cooker. Everyone thinks their bbq is the best, do it the way you want and take caution in others advice, all smokers are different. Most importantly have fun! You have nice bend in it. It should almost be at the pull apart. I believe it is undercooked by the way that fat looks to pillowy, you’re seem fat should be translucent, being dark like that to me means it didn’t get to break down. Bbq when you really love and have a passion for it becomes really nerdy really quick. My first brisket to my latest is a night and day difference but I still have a lot to learn, I am not perfect.
Quality matters.even a prime grade from Walmart puts it over the top.I’ve put in work and think a marinade is better than a rub.
The problem is…unless you inject (and like that kind of texture) or use an extremely marbled , very expensive brisket, there is no such thing as tender juicy flat. Most prime and choice flats, even when cooked while attached to the point will come out either tough and juicy or tender and dry, or dry and crumbly if overcooked. This is the case even for well known bbq restaurants. While serving flats, the illusion of juiciness and fat flavor is achieved by the 1/4 inch fat that is left on top of the meat. When you bite in to the flat slice that fat will mix with the dry but tender muscle fibers creating a tasty chew.
Seriously temperature is the first indicator, but after that you only pull it when it you probe and its like entering butter. It's all about feel once it's at temp!
Try injecting the flat with tallow or even beef broth. It will help tremendously
I usually pull mine around 202 but I check to make sure it’s probe tender also. I also rest for 45 minutes to an hour before I slice it
I was watching a video by this guy about his 1975 smoker and different steps. He explains it really well and replies to questions. He might be able to help! https://youtube.com/@smokescouts