Second Brisket Attempt Help

[jrTheSmoker]

So I've only cooked one brisket two or so years ago on my Saffire Kamado, and it came out tasting like roast beef, which I do not like! I cooked to an internal temp of 201-204, then let set for a bit, then wrapped in two towels and placed inside insulated yeti type cooler. All total it cooked for 12-14 hours at 215F, then another 11-12 hours rest, for a total of almost 24 hours cooked. When I tasted it, it had a strong iron taste like overcooked roast has, which I do not like in the least bit due to having to eat it all the time as a kid since that's what was left of any unsold cows or hogs my uncle raised to make a living. I gave most of it away, and what people didn't take, I made mexican rice and added the meat and tons of yum-yum sauce just to try and drown out the flavor so it didn't go to waste.

My wife bought another 15-pound brisket this past Friday that's been sitting in the fridge for me to try this weekend hopefully on my new 1975t. I've been watching a ton of youtube and reading on here, so trying to get every last bit of help I can before I season it tonight or tomorrow and cook this weekend or Friday after lunch if I can get off.

My plan presently is to take out of the pack tomorrow and coat with Meat Church Holy Cow (and/or maybe a little Killer Hogs TX), then rest until Friday when I will smoke with oak splits, and a mesquite split every now and then, at 225F until I hit 170ish and fat is rendered, then wrap in butcher paper and that black label wagu tallow stuff, until I hit 190F, then pull and rest until temp starts to come down, and then "hot hold" somehow (need to verify what temp my oven actually runs at when set at its 175F lowest temp) until Sat at lunch (12 hours give or take).

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated to try and help not get a roast taste this go round!

 

[rwalters]

Sounds like a solid plan with the exception of pulling at 190°. Personally, I’d pull when it probes in the flat with no resistance… then remove and place on the kitchen counter until it comes down to 150°ish IT. Then proceed with your overnight oven hold. Just my 2 cents

 

[16Adams]

A lot of us here learned quite a bit from this book. A lot of this book is the same information given here before this book was written. It's a good book. Easy read easy processes easy recipes.

Franklin Cookbook on sale half price. Link to Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Bar...d=1684860153&sprefix=aaron+fra,aps,924&sr=8-2

 

[SmittyJonz]

Don’t cook to temp. Forget IT. Cook till probe tender. Ignore the point, probe the thickest part of the flat from the side with a bamboo skewer or such - should feel like probing a perfectly baked potato. Vent for 15-20 minutes then wrap up and rest for 2-4-8 hours.

Temps will bounce up n down on an offset - bounce between 225 and 275* ( 235-265) to average 250*.

Undercooked brisket slices but is tough/chewy.

Overcooked brisket crumbles when you slice it But is Tasty (unless way over cooked)

 

[JeffinNE]

Sounds like a solid plan with the exception of pulling at 190°. Personally, I’d pull when it probes in the flat with no resistance… then remove and place on the kitchen counter until it comes down to 150°ish IT. Then proceed with your overnight oven hold. Just my 2 cents

This ^^^^

And I wouldn't season until right before putting on your 1975.

 

[jrTheSmoker]

I saw a few people cook to 190F and mention no roast flavor so that's what I was basing that off of. Last time I cooked to probe tender and I ruined it, so just scared of doing it twice.

 

[SweetHeatBBQnSC]

I'm not a brisket expert by any means, I think i have cooked probably around 10 or so. With brisket and all my meat, I don't wrap at a temp. I do it when I like the amount of smoke the meat has taken on.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Cooking in foil or a covered pan too long can give a roast taste/texture because you are braising it.

If you Must go by IT - 203* then vent and let cool to 150* before wrapping and resting

 

[blackdogbbq21]

Some good tips above. If you are paper wrapping make sure the wrap is tight on the meat. If you noticed an irony flavor in the first brisket i would make sure the briskets you are getting are from grain finished beef. I could see getting those flavors from beef that is 100% grass fed.

 

[jrTheSmoker]

These are both Sams Prime brisket but didn't look at the label for feed or finish, assumed all grain/corn like their steaks, and yes, I did wrap in foil the first time, which is why I bought paper this time, so hopefully that will help not braise. I will plan on using a wire rack when holding to get the meat out of any excess juice while holding to try and prevent iron flavor as well.

 

[West River BBQ]

I agree with those that say to ditch the thermometer. You need to be patient with brisket, and some poor cuts will stills cook fast (relatively) and taste just as good as prime. I generally cook at around 300 because it just takes way too long at lower temps. Even then, I'm looking at ten or so hours. I wrap in foil for about three hours toward the end and then open it up at the end. Basting in liquids that collect in the foil will take away from the bark and also give it a little roast flavor, but not much. By the way, by your 12th brisket or so it will make sense. Keep it up.

 

[SmittyJonz]

140* Rest :

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aroma-22...eel-with-Self-Basting-Lid-ART-712SB/398125706
.

 

[Nuco59]

I would not be for "ditching the thermometer". For a brisket, the thermometer does not tell me when it's done, it tells me it's close to being done. I don't use one for the first part of the cook at all. I wrap (usually foil) at the color I like- usually takes 4 or 5 hours. Insert probe -move to a 300* oven to finish. Set the thermometer for 295*-ish. When it beeps, I probe for doneness. Not done? add 2 degrees to the Dot and go back to what I was doing. The finishing temp? Don't really know- could be 205 could be 210.

 

[jrTheSmoker]

Thanks all thus far. The consensus I'm getting is that the iron flavor is coming from A) wrapping in foil too long, and B) too much liquid brazing the meat (don't remember if I wrapped in foil pan or straight foil, but now thinking I did add beef stock inside). So, my next question is, do I skip the wagyu tallow when going into the paper wrap? I

 

[SkaterSmoker]

I’m late to the party, but agree with everyone else. I aim for 190-199 in the middle of the flat or the cold spot as I call it, but like others said each brisket is different and wait until it’s probe tender. I ignore the point as SmittyJonz does too. Also, I have a 90% rule, so when 90% off the flat is tender I’ll take it off the pit. I’d rather have 10% undercooked instead of it overcooked everywhere else. Here’s a link to a YouTube video I did cooking a brisket on my 1975. I usually don’t wrap during the cook, but when I do I use butcher paper with tallow right around a IT in the cold spot of 180 degrees.

https://youtu.be/2EhohirfRY8

 

[NickTheGreat]

I personally don't like the idea of the 12 hour hold. Maybe if you were an experienced brisketer. But for attempt #2, I feel like you're adding way too many complications to it.

I generally cook to probe tender (anywhere from 190° to 210°) and rest for an hour or two. I've held them for a few hours, but I'd try to time the cook a little more appropriately.

 

[blackdogbbq21]

Thanks all thus far. The consensus I'm getting is that the iron flavor is coming from A) wrapping in foil too long, and B) too much liquid brazing the meat (don't remember if I wrapped in foil pan or straight foil, but now thinking I did add beef stock inside). So, my next question is, do I skip the wagyu tallow when going into the paper wrap? I

Yes if you got the brisket from Sam's i'm sure it wasn't grass finished. Just threw that out there as a possibility in case you went to a small butcher shop that might have them.



I think trying the paper is a good call. I would skip the tallow. I paper wrap my briskets and just very lightly spritz the paper with cider vinegar before i wrap the brisket

 

[ssv3]

215* is way too low smoking temps. Minimum of 250* for me. Warming it to death sucks all the moisture out of a brisket.

 

[darita]

Ya, super later here, but I agree with everyone that said to forget about temp. Season liberally with salt/pepper/garlic, wrap when bark looks nice and dark, then pull when it's probe tender in the thick of the flat and never earlier no matter what. I render the trimmed fat in with the smoking brisket.
If there's one secret to brisket, it's patience. For some reason, it's a hard lesson to learn. Everyone that has problems seems to be afraid of overcooking the meat or is in a hurry. A long hold or a short hold for that matter, is better than undercooked brisket. Good luck.

 

[jrTheSmoker]

Whelp, second attempt had some bumps but overall was a lot better than first.

Got a 2-hour delay starting due to last day of school for wife and kids. Was overall a nice day to smoke since had a front coming through and low was in the upper 50s early, with high of mid to upper 70s but overcast all day; not bad for N FL end of May. Lit charcoal basket at 830ish, then poured in firebox and put two big post oak splits on. Got brisket out and seasoned with mix of HTBBQR TX, AP, and a little garlic herb mix. Let sit while pit came up to 225-250F and clean smoke then put on brisket at 930. Had to go pick up kids from school around lunch so put anther split on, soaked the back yard in water, told neighbor to not let house burn down, and left on my quick 5-mile round trip, but pit came down to 200F in the time I was gone since waited on the bus to my wife's school for almost an hour.

Kept cook around 225-240F for first 3-4 hours, then went up to 240-275F until reached 174-ish and bark was set and started to feel right. Wrapped in paper spritzed with apple cider vinegar and water mix to soften paper at 830pm, and into 290F oven for two hours until hit 190, but pulled around 194ish when prob tender, left out for hour or so until temp was in 180s and put into 150F turkey roaster at 1230am and went to bed. Turned turkey roaster off around 830am while we were getting ready and took off lid. Let brisket cool to 141F and cut a few pieces to try.

Verdict? Maybe brisket isn't for me. Although it didn't have the strong iron taste of roast, it had an ever so slightly roast taste on the point. I did smoke up some of the meat trimmings at the same time, while also rendering all the fat trimmings, and the three 135-145F brunch meat trimming snacks were a little chewy like venison, but awesome flavor and super juicy. I did cut up just a few pieces Sat morning to try since last time I cut the whole thing up and it melted out all into the pan and got dry quick, so now just cut what I need from cold whole meat. Those pieces were just every so lightly roasty, but not bad, almost like a beef rib crossed with roast. I also didn't really taste a whole lot of smoke on the brisket, even though it got super mahogany then black before wrapping.

I also cut several pieces the Sat night to warm up in a pan with some of the rendered fat, and it was good, but still had a snippet of roast taste to it. Sunday night I cut up some more now in the middle of the brisket, and cubed up to eat on flatbread as a sandwich. I tried a few of the cold fattier center pieces before heating, and those tasted completely different than the bark side. It had more of a deli ham mixed with prime rib taste and texture to it that I just kept snacking on while the oven was heating up. I ate the fire out of those pieces.

Conclusion, this was heads and tails above what the first one was, which was inspiring. However, I think I may order one of Franklin BBQ's briskets and get it shipped to my house to try and see what "the gold standard" is supposed to taste like. From there, maybe I can get a perspective of if I like brisket as whole or not, and if it is worth the over $100 it cost me in meat and wood, over say a prime rib. Time and money has little to do with it really if it comes out tasting great. If I do like Franklin's brisket, then I may try some in the future on my new large IVS like perfect back porch youtube (lol jk Evil Texan) did a few months back and posted.

That's what makes bbq great, everyone does what they like, and maybe brisket just isn't for me due to me not liking roast. That still leaves pork ribs, chicken, prime rib, seafood, and tons of other stuff I still love to smoke and eat.