Experiments in Brisket #1 - Franklin v Lewis

[frognot]

Great thread here. Looking forward to results.

Last time I had brisket done 3 different ways was the North Texas Spring Bash.

 

[PappaOscar]

Nicely done Brew.

 

[aks801]

The bark along with patches of the brown coloration look fantastic! Anxious to get the full report.

 

[landarc]

Interesting progress pictures, I expected at least a little difference.

 

[pjtexas1]

Nice bark. Can't wait to see the sliced pics.

 

[sliding_billy]

Nice looking so far.

 

[Sallenthornton]

Looking good!

 

[Brew n Que]

Will post pics tomorrow. I didn't sleep at all so I am a little delirious and am on my way to bed. Long story short, new smoker is incredible, made my 2 best briskets ever. Perfect bark, perfect tenderness and rendering.

 

[SlowSmoked]

No, it's not. I've done the Franklin brisket many times before, and it always turns out great. The thing about salt and pepper only is that you don't need as much as with a rub that has lots of other components.

looks great on the exterior! I personally use more pepper (having grown up in central TX). Looking forward to the sliced pics!

 

[mikemci]

That Franklin brisket is rubbed WAY TOO LIGHT.....[/QUOTE]

looks great on the exterior! I personally use more pepper (having grown up in central TX). Looking forward to the sliced pics![/QUOTE]

I've been in San Antonio since 1950. Still here! Not in Colorado. That Franklin rub is right on!

https://video.search.yahoo.com/vide...c=0&sigr=11a1n2fud&sigt=119h4socc&age=0&&tt=b

 

[AaronPo]

Got them 3 times this year for $2.78/lb. Also paid $3.97/lb once. I try to buy at least 2 each time. I have a hard time thinking about cooking those selects I got at Wal-Mart for $1.67/lb and I still have 6 left.

Don't think, just send them to me. I'll PM you my address! :roll:

 

[tsimm15]

Man what a bark.

 

[Brew n Que]

Ok, now that I am all caught up on sleep, here are the results:

First off, the smoker. It worked like a champ. Overnight, it stayed pretty rock solid at around 250 with a log every 45-50 minutes. In the morning, the wind picked up a bit and blew directly at the intake vents, so the smoker settled in around 285-300 for the last part of the smoke. I didn't worry about it and just let it ride. The only thing I don't like about the smoker is that it leaks quite a bit out the main door, so I am going to see about getting some gasket material to install around the lip of the door. Even with the leak, it still gets a great draft out of the chimney. The temp does vary somewhat from one side of the chamber to the other, but I like that because it allows me to set up so different sized meats finish roughly at the same time.

Now for the briskets.

The Lewis brisket (8.5 lbs trimmed weight, prime) was done first after 15.5 hours.

Next, the Franklin brisket (10.5 lbs trimmed weight, choice) came off after 16 hours.

Finally, the Bevo Burn brisket (12 lbs trimmed weight, select) came off after 16.5 hours (sorry, I didn't get any pics of it at this point or beyond)

Here are flat and point slices side by side. Left side is Franklin, right side is Lewis.

As you can see, the 2 are indistinguishable by looks. bark was the same on both. Also, notice on the flat slices that you can barely see the fat cap. This is what I was going for. It was there and you could definitely taste it, but it was not so much that you were tasting a gooey glob of fat.

The Franklin brisket was cooked to a slightly more done tenderness and also had more marbling. It was almost on the verge of falling apart. Perfect!

The Lewis brisket was still nice and tender and juicy.

And one more gratuitous shot to show that lovely bark. This is the Franklin brisket.

I have heard people say that you can't get a good bark on top of the fat cap. Please stop saying that. Here is your proof that you can.

OK, so how do the 2 taste? Well, I might have to go back and try them again tonight. I think my taste buds were shot after being in smoke for so long. I just barely tasted a difference in the 2. The Lewis brisket tasted just a bit "smoother", whereas the Franklin one had a nice sharp "bite" to it. Again, it was just the slightest of differences, and I honestly could not pick a favorite. The 15 guests I had over also could not tell a difference or pick a favorite. I'll report back after I taste again tonight.

One final note on bark. I hear a lot of people talk about a crunchy or crispy bark. Personally, I don't like that. Even though the bark was meteorite black, it was not crispy. It is what I have heard people describe as "snappy". It was sticky, had some nice texture, and had a good bit of pull to it. I think the BP definitely helps to achieve this.

In all, it was a great weekend! Thanks for looking!

 

[Single Malt Slacker]

Great report, Brew. All of the brisket looks great. Definitely reinforces the fact that there are many ways to produce quality Q! Thanks for sharing.

 

[daninnewjersey]

Bravo sir.....

 

[peeps]

Nice work...but why leave out the results of the Bevo Burn brisket? Would like to see how it compares if you have the pics and how you thought it compared in taste.

 

[code3rrt]

Looks beautiful, thanks for sharing your experiment!

KC

 

[Brew n Que]

Nice work...but why leave out the results of the Bevo Burn brisket? Would like to see how it compares if you have the pics and how you thought it compared in taste.

A couple reasons. First, I smoked the Bevo Burn brisket for a friend, so I didn't slice it and serve it. Also, I was very tired at this point, so I just wanted to finish up. I have had the Bevo Burn before, and it definitely tastes different. It is more spice based than black pepper based. I think I prefer S&P or the Lewis rub more than the Bevo Burn, but that's just personal preference. In terms of looks, the Bevo Burn one really looked no different than the other 2.

 

[unixadm]

Nicely done. Looks great and you did a hell of a job keeping us informed!

 

[landarc]

Came out nice from what I see, and interesting the differences you found