Brisket: Hold vs Reheat?

[Jlems]

Ahh the timeless toil and endless threads on the long brisket cook. I’ve searched many previous threads on holding times for a brisket, using yetis, cambros, ovens etc. I don’t think I have seen one hold vs reheat. Can someone direct me to one if it exists?

I have a gathering of 12 or so on Sunday, and I simply can’t figure out how to get a brisket cook on a stick burner to not take out the cook himself (me). Trying to do the math on when to start, when I can transfer to an oven after wrapping, and if I can hold in the oven (probably not with 170 temp) or a yeti. And when to sleep so that I’m engaged in the event.

Got me thinking of a Saturday cook with a Sunday reheat? But I don’t know what to expect of the quality. I’ve seen the Franklin and Lewis BBQ mail-order instructions w butter/tallow etc. But I’m not Franklin nor John Lewis :-D

Anyone done both methods? Thoughts on the results?

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

Many times I have cooked my brisket a day ahead. Rest the right amount of time and chill in the fridge. The next day I slice cold and reheat. Save the juices to add with the reheat. It wont mess with the quality of a well cooked brisket.

Others may have differing opinions.........

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

What time are you serving?

 

[Jlems]

Here’s the tentative plan that I’m trying to modify in MY favor

Anticipated:

3pm eat
Hold brisket in cooler hopefully 4 hours, remove at 140ish?
10am remove from oven approx temp IT204
6am 170IT, pull from pit, butcher paper wrap (maybe a little tallow since that’s gaining some notoriety lately, into oven at 275
5am stall IT 160ish
1am check
10pm on pit, 270-290 cook temp

 

[BBQ-Bug]

I did a brisket for Easter with just about that schedule. I set high and low temp alarms and just let the pit run from 10 to 6. Luckily it all went smoothly and I got a full nights sleep. Up at 6, wrap until temp, then into a 175 warm oven for holding. Pulled it out for an additional rest about an hour before serving.

 

[smokeisgood]

Here’s the tentative plan that I’m trying to modify in MY favor

Anticipated:

3pm eat
Hold brisket in cooler hopefully 4 hours, remove at 140ish?
10am remove from oven approx temp IT204
6am 170IT, pull from pit, butcher paper wrap (maybe a little tallow since that’s gaining some notoriety lately, into oven at 275
5am stall IT 160ish
1am check
10pm on pit, 270-290 cook temp

If it were me., serving at 3 on a Sunday, I'd put it on the pit at 225-250 around 6, wrap it and put it in the oven around 11 (5 hours of smoke is plenty) at 225. Go to bed, get up around 8, check it and when done just put it on hold.

 

[Jlems]

The stick burner won’t let me sleep during that portion of the cook. I can see some sleep on that schedule from 6am to noon. But I was thinking if there was a way to move the cook forward and hold it longer, I’d get to sleep by 3 or 4. OR if there was a reheat option that worked really well, then hell ya I’m IN! Like Smoke Freak said, it sounds like it could work.

 

[smoke ninja]

this has worked for me many times.

8pm-12am on the stick burner, until color is good. wrap in butcher paper and into a countertop roaster oven at 225. it should probe tender around 6-9am. at that point set the roaster for 140. this will hold until 3 or 4 easily with no loss in quality

 

[smokeisgood]

The stick burner won’t let me sleep during that portion of the cook. I can see some sleep on that schedule from 6am to noon. But I was thinking if there was a way to move the cook forward and hold it longer, I’d get to sleep by 3 or 4. OR if there was a reheat option that worked really well, then hell ya I’m IN! Like Smoke Freak said, it sounds like it could work.

You'd be taking it off the stick burner around 11pm, wrapping it and putting it in the oven on 225. You get to sleep from then until morning, when you check it and either bump the oven up to finish, or bump it down to hold. Should be close to done when you get up, you get 8-9 hours sleep, and have several hours at least to hold it? I've done this exact thing with my stick burner numerous times.

 

[sandro]

Personally, here's my approach: hold for anything under 18 hours; faux cambro for anything under 6. Do note my Ikea oven goes as low as 120f though

 

[Jlems]

You'd be taking it off the stick burner around 11pm, wrapping it and putting it in the oven on 225. You get to sleep from then until morning, when you check it and either bump the oven up to finish, or bump it down to hold. Should be close to done when you get up, you get 8-9 hours sleep, and have several hours at least to hold it? I've done this exact thing with my stick burner numerous times.

This sounds like a plan! So I guess we are going with a hold and not a reheat. But the method of slice cold and reheat with the juices does sounds promising as well. I’ll keep that in mind for the future!

 

[robertm]

On at 4pm
Off at 10-11 pm and wrap and into oven or roaster to finish.
Finished sometime early Morning.
Into cooler, or roaster or oven on warm until serve time.

 

[robertm]

This sounds like a plan! So I guess we are going with a hold and not a reheat. But the method of slice cold and reheat with the juices does sounds promising as well. I’ll keep that in mind for the future!

The way smokeisgood recommends is basically how most BBQ restaurants do it (cook to finish then hold). It's going to turn out better that way than cooling and slicing and reheating.

 

[frayedend]

You'd be taking it off the stick burner around 11pm, wrapping it and putting it in the oven on 225. You get to sleep from then until morning, when you check it and either bump the oven up to finish, or bump it down to hold. Should be close to done when you get up, you get 8-9 hours sleep, and have several hours at least to hold it? I've done this exact thing with my stick burner numerous times.

Spot on. This is exactly what I do. When you wake up in the morning you can adjust oven temps to make it take longer or or less time. You can hold in a cooler for much longer than you probably realize, but that can be extended by holding in oven at 170 (lower if possible).

 

[Lomey]

I'm trying this tonight with a brisket. Put a 10lb on offset at 4:30 pm @ 300°. Pulled 170° and wrapped in butcher paper with tallow at 9 pm.

I put it in the oven at 225. Probably won't be able to get to it until about 8 am. Will it overcook at that temp and time? Should I put the oven at 190 until the morning and then bump it up if needed? We won't be eating on it until mid afternoon so will hold it in a cooler until ready.

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[robertm]

I'm trying this tonight with a brisket. Put a 10lb on offset at 4:30 pm @ 300°. Pulled 170° and wrapped in butcher paper with tallow at 9 pm.

I put it in the oven at 225. Probably won't be able to get to it until about 8 am. Will it overcook at that temp and time? Should I put the oven at 190 until the morning and then bump it up if needed? We won't be eating on it until mid afternoon so will hold it in a cooler until ready.

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I suspect it’s going to be done before 8am at those temps. Only one way to figure out though. Let us know what happens!

 

[Lomey]

I suspect it’s going to be done before 8am at those temps. Only one way to figure out though. Let us know what happens!

Went 225° for 2 hours then 190° overnight. Checked it at 7:30 am and it was probing tender at 203°. Turned the oven down to 170 since I was busy and then put in cooler too hold at 9:30. I'll update when sliced.

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[Jlems]

I'm trying this tonight with a brisket. Put a 10lb on offset at 4:30 pm @ 300°. Pulled 170° and wrapped in butcher paper with tallow at 9 pm.

I put it in the oven at 225. Probably won't be able to get to it until about 8 am. Will it overcook at that temp and time? Should I put the oven at 190 until the morning and then bump it up if needed? We won't be eating on it until mid afternoon so will hold it in a cooler until ready.

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How did it turn out?!

 

[Jlems]

Ok, here's how mine went:
12lb trimmed Creekstone Prime packer with S/P and cayenne on offset at 8:30pm for 5.5 hours at 260ish, wrap in BP and into 225 oven until 10am, increased temp to 250 for 2.5 hours, pulled at 204-207 (actually tested for tenderness and was butter), rested and into cooler for 3 hours. Sliced at 150IT.

This was the most tender I've ever had a brisket turn out. Had that jiggle you want on the cutting board. The flat was beyond juicy, which has been a damn unicorn for me for years. Everyone absolutely loved it, one guest said this was the best brisket he's had in 10-15 years!

So this will be my method from now on. If I change one thing, it would be starting a little earlier and letting the bark develop better. I'd probably add an hour or two in the pit.

 

[gtsum]

Ok, here's how mine went:
12lb trimmed Creekstone Prime packer with S/P and cayenne on offset at 8:30pm for 5.5 hours at 260ish, wrap in BP and into 225 oven until 10am, increased temp to 250 for 2.5 hours, pulled at 204-207 (actually tested for tenderness and was butter), rested and into cooler for 3 hours. Sliced at 150IT.

This was the most tender I've ever had a brisket turn out. Had that jiggle you want on the cutting board. The flat was beyond juicy, which has been a damn unicorn for me for years. Everyone absolutely loved it, one guest said this was the best brisket he's had in 10-15 years!

So this will be my method from now on. If I change one thing, it would be starting a little earlier and letting the bark develop better. I'd probably add an hour or two in the pit.

Sounds like it worked great. I’m doing it this way for my next brisket also.


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