Just cooked my best brisket

[Grousegrove]

That looks incredible. The video was well done, and your techniques were cool. I now have some new 2023 goals! Thanks!

 

[MisterChrister]

That’s a gorgeous brisket! And your video was extremely well done, also!

 

[Robert]

Thank you. I do have a question. At some point in your process of developing your method were you wrapping? At what point in the process did you stop wrapping? Or to put it another way how many of those 18 briskets were cooked without doing the wrap and how many of those came out well?
And another-what is your take on the difference between letting the finished brisket rest for three-four hours vs. twelve? And what warmer is that?

Could be wrong, but looks like an Anova Precision Oven. $699.00.

 

[Moose]

This is really a great video that packs a lot of helpful info into a short time period. I'm especially interested in how you leverage temps and damper/venting at different stages to get where you wound up. Will definitely give this a try on my next brisket for sure!


Also:

 

[SkaterSmoker]

Thank you. I do have a question. At some point in your process of developing your method were you wrapping? At what point in the process did you stop wrapping? Or to put it another way how many of those 18 briskets were cooked without doing the wrap and how many of those came out well?
And another-what is your take on the difference between letting the finished brisket rest for three-four hours vs. twelve? And what warmer is that?

Yes, I went back and forth wrapping in butcher paper (I did half of the 18 like that). When wrapping in bp, the fat cap rendering was never as good, and the bark was just slightly not as developed. Besides that, I didn't see much difference. I thought wrapping would preserve some moisture and beef taste, but my no wrap briskets always turned out the same. The no wrap method is cleaner, and very easy to monitor the brisket doneness in the last critical hour (I can probe in multiple spots quickly).

The briskets I rest between 8-12 hours always turn out the best. I've cut into a few 3 hours after, and it's nice that they don't oxidize as fast, but the texture was just a little different. I've done some 16+ hour rests too, but not as good and the slices dry out and oxidize way too fast.

It's an Anova Precision Oven. It's an expensive, but awesome machine. I can rest 2 briskets at once. You can control the steam level 0-100%, and has 3 different heating elements. This brisket's IT held at 139.9 the entire night. If anyone is looking to buy one, they run 25% off specials all the time. Or look on Facebook Market place. I found mine for $275 and it was practically new.

 

[SkaterSmoker]

This is really a great video that packs a lot of helpful info into a short time period. I'm especially interested in how you leverage temps and damper/venting at different stages to get where you wound up. Will definitely give this a try on my next brisket for sure!

Haha, thank you! I did a bunch of testing to determine temperature spread and where the hotspot is with different damper settings. In all three settings I use the *same size fire*, and adjusting the damper/airflow as a result will increases temp from 225 to 250 to 275 (see attached picture).

Once I figured this out, I did a bunch of cooks testing the different damper settings. I smoke a ton of 3-4 inch ribeye roasts, so one cook I did it with the stack wide open the entire time, the next time 2/3 closed the entire time, etc.. The ribeye is such a delicate meat and a shorter cook, so I was able to really taste and evaluate the difference. For example, when I cooked a ribeye with the damper closed 2/3 the entire cook it was way too smokey.

Then using this knowledge, every brisket cook I would evaluate if the finished product wasn't smokey enough, and increase the 2/3 damper or 1/3 damper time period length. Same thing with the fat cap rendering, determining I need about 3 hours with the stack wide open at 275+ temps to get that golden brown color.

 

[bbqb0ss]

Looks amazing man. Wish I would have started with an offset smoker. Feel like I’m outgrowing my yoder after 2 years lol