Brisket ,expectations

[Kid]

Colt grill here in Cottonwood Az makes the best brisket , it's like butter , as they say .
It was Colt grill that inspired me to buy a pellet grill .
Never ate it anywhere else until today and it was awful , like roast .

Anyway , I cooked one and it came out awful , don't know what my wife did with it
Bought another and cut into 3 and tried 3 more times , each one slightly better than the other .
Can not duplicate Colt grill
I know they spray with apple juice and wrap with foil , not butcher paper like me , I have not tried foil

So ? Y'all may respond

I did smoke a prime rib , pork ribs and turkey breast , they all were very good , but , not my brisket

 

[Jim6820]

Give us a few more details: cook temp and time, how you judged when it was done (time, temp, feel?), USDA meat grade, etc. Brisket can be a challenge, but you have to remember that the Colt Grill has probably been doing multiple briskets daily for years, and they have learned how to do it. This was your first attempt. Big difference. Hang in there!

 

[Waterboy]

How did it turn out awful? Was it tough and dry? Dry and crumbly? Was the flavor not good, fat not rendered? What seasonings did you use? Like @Jim6820 said, we need more details.
Also I find wrapping in foil (unless it’s a foil boat) makes my briskets taste like pot roast more than wrapping in paper.

 

[Kid]

I followed the guide recipe here , plus read other recipes via the net , all were pretty much the same , 10 or so hours , maybe 5 hours first then wrapped it , stove temp 225 , removed it at about 203 degrees internal , I think that's what I did , remembering back 2 to 3 months .
10 days ago I purchased a quarter of a cow from a ranch in Chino valley , grass grazed and finished on special grain and wine , purchased some extra briskets with the quarter cow , afraid to try again .

The first whole brisket I purchased at Whole Foods , that was very pricey .

Turned out dry , must of over cooked it maybe

 

[SmokeOCD]

What size did you cook? May sound stupid but my best ones are about 15-16 lbs. You did say each one is better than the last, so you just haven’t cooked enough of them yet.
Chili, sliders and tacos are great ways to deal with a sub par brisket.

 

[Waterboy]

Turned out dry , must of over cooked it maybe

If it was dry and tough it was undercooked. 10 hours is a fairly short cook for a whole packer brisket, especially at 225. If it was dry and crumbled apart when you tried to slice it that would be overcooked.
Most of the time I wrap at around 10 hours then take it up to 195-200 and start probing to see if it is tender. You can also pick it up near the center and see if it wiggles around when you Lift it.

 

[Mozekian]

Also suggest wrapping in foil until you get some practice. Foil will keep the moisture in vs paper

 

[Jim6820]

I don’t cook brisket by internal temp but, rather, by probe feel. When the IT gets to about 190 F, I start probing with my instant-read thermometer (I’m not checking temp, just feel). When the probe slides in like it was going into peanut butter, it is done. I’ve had that happen anywhere from 190F to 205F, but usually closer to 200F.

 

[Gonefishin]

What Jim says..

 

[kstone113]

As far as it came out - what @Waterboy said.

I don't go off time but rather internal temp/feel/look of the bark. So sometimes that can be (what most say) internal around 165 but I've gone all the way up to 180 or so b/c I didn't like the feel/look of the bark. I wrap my briskets in butcher paper. I also add beef tallow to the butcher paper and the brisket though isn't completely necessary but I do it now.

I cook till around 203 like you did however also go off what Jim said. You want your thermometer to go in like butter.

You can also spray during the cook if you would like. I haven't done that though in the past b/c I usually start mine overnight at 180 or 225.

 

[Snorebaby]

If you are trying to duplicate a restaurant......good luck. They probably inject it with a special recipe, use a secret rub, cook for X amount of time at X temp and then wrap for X amount of time at X temp. Probe every X minutes until tender. Remember, they cook A LOT of briskets at a time.

All the advice on here is great. Briskets are finicky when you first try them. But once you get the technique down, they are awesome. I have just been doing flats lately. 250 for ~2 hrs (depending on bark texture) and then wrap in foil and start probing for tenderness around 195 (around 3 hrs). My last flat didn't probe tender until it was around 208. Pulled and rested for 1 hr. Cut across the grain and was delicious. Pulled what was left and had sandwhiches the next day.

Keep at it, You will get it.

 

[Kid]

Thank you for all the responses , when it warms up some , I'll try again using foil and the poker test with , probing with thermometer .

Costco has prime beef , brisket , not select or choice , but prime ??
That's what Colt Grill uses , prime grade

 

[Gonefishin]

SOME Costco’s carry prime, some don’t. Ours usually doesn’t but if you have a decent size freezer you can buy a couple when they do. The flats, when they have those, are always choice.

 

[Jim6820]

Costco has prime beef , brisket , not select or choice , but prime ??
That's what Colt Grill uses , prime grade

I guess there is a mixed opinion on whether the USDA grade makes a difference in brisket. I am of the opinion that it does…most definitely. And, like all other proteins, no two briskets are created alike—not even those of the same USDA grade.

One of the tricks you learn in your brisket-cooking journey is what to look for in selecting a brisket. IMO, look for the thickest flat possible (protein, not fat), good marbling, obvious grain, no huge fat pockets, etc. It takes a while, but by paying attention to each individual brisket and assessing the results of each cook, you eventually get there.

Another “trick” is to keep good notes on each cook, with before, during and after photos. I know it sounds like work, but it does pay off in results.

Good luck with your next brisket.

 

[Greg Jones]

Another factor to keep in mind is that the USDA only inspects the entire beef carcass before butchering, not the individual cuts (brisket, chuck, etc.) You will rarely, but sometimes, see the blue ink on a cut of meat on the skin that indicates the grading for that entire carcass. While overall a beef may be graded Prime, Choice, Select, etc., that doesn’t mean that the individual cuts are any less +/- in quality than any other carcass.

TLDR: the government is not always your friend.

The requirement that all cuts of beef be USDA graded to be sold is a point of contention right now with the beef producers that are raising some of the best quality beef available today.

You have low production/high quality beef ranchers, such as what we have here in Kentucky, that cannot market individual cuts of meat unless they have paid to have the entire carcass shipped to a USDA approved facility.

Producers can get by this requirement by selling shares of the entire carcass. But why? Similar, you cannot legally sell whole, unpasteurized milk but you (as a dairy farmer) can sell shares of the output of a cow. That is, you can sell whole milk. If you want to jump through thes hoops. It’s a crazy process, but bottom line is that Prime vs .Choice va. Select on a brisket does not mean one necessarily is better/lesser than the other.

 

[Jim6820]

While I agree with @Greg Jones's overall point regarding whole-carcass grading, my assessment over the years has been that, on average, USDA Prime graded meat has better, more uniform marbling than the lower grades. Is this always true? No, not even on different cuts from the same carcass, but on average I have found it more likely than not.

That's why I think it is important to learn how to select your own protein. When I select a brisket, or any other cut, I have some personal preferences that I use. USDA grade is one of them, but certainly not the only one. And, on occasion, I have found a brisket or other cut that met all of my personal preferences except being USDA Prime; and, I purchased it.

As for requiring small ranchers to have their meat USDA-graded, I have always thought that was ridiculous. I can understand rules designed to protect public health (bacterial contamination, spoilage, etc.), but meat grading hardly seems to fall into that category IMO.

 

[Greg Jones]

That's why I think it is important to learn how to select your own protein…

Spot on, and really was my point. Although I went off on a different tangent! Just because something is labeled Prime or Choice, doesn’t necessarily mean it is better or lesser quality than the cut beside it in the meat case.

 

[AndyG1960]

I’m not a “pit master” and have never entered competitions, but I have been making brisket ( and much more) on pellet grills for 5 or 6 years. First Traeger, now RecTeq. Here is my process, FWIW, many people say it’s pretty freaking awesome. I buy mostly at Costco, frankly dont see much difference if any in results between Prime and Choice.
Trim the fat on the “top” ( non fatty) side closely. I leave very little. Costco briskets are pretty well trimmed but I still do some clean-up. Trim any very thick fatty areas from the edges. On the fat side, leave 1/4” -3/8” fat. I find it difficult to see the grain once cooked, so I cut a corner off when uncooked and grain is easy to see as a marker to make it easier once ready to serve. If you get a whole “packer” brisket, remember the grain goes in opposite directions in the flat and the point. Use your preferred rub on all sides/edges. I use the Traeger beef rub and coffee rub combo. I inject with Kosmos beef brisket injection. Amazon has it. It’s a powder to mix with water. You will need a meat injection needle/syringe. Amazon has them too. Allow to sit in fridge overnight.

Preheat grill to 225F. Insert temp probe into thick area. Set directly on grill grate fat side down . If there is a noticeably thicker end, position that toward the pellet hopper. Spritz with apple cider vinegar/water mix (80% water) once/hour. Remove from grill when temp reads 160F. Wrap in pink butcher paper. I use 2 slightly overlapping sheets to make it wider. Return brisket to grill, now fat side up. Continue cooking to 203F. Seems like a weird number but that’s what the pro’s do and it’s been working for me. Set the temp alarm for 200 then watch it. Once at 203F, use the temp probe to check for tenderness by poking it through the paper into the brisket in a few places. Should be tender, if not, leave a bit longer. The flats have been taking about 8-9 hours. Full packer 12+ hours. Remove from grill and into cooler, still wrapped, cover on for minimum 30 minutes. It will stay warm for much longer. I err on the side of having it get done early because it can sit a few hours in the cooler and still be awesome. Hope this helps someone.

 

[Jim6820]

I’m not a “pit master” and have never entered competitions, but I have been making brisket ( and much more) on pellet grills for 5 or 6 years. First Traeger, now RecTeq. Here is my process, FWIW, many people say it’s pretty freaking awesome. I buy mostly at Costco, frankly dont see much difference if any in results between Prime and Choice.
Trim the fat on the “top” ( non fatty) side closely. I leave very little. Costco briskets are pretty well trimmed but I still do some clean-up. Trim any very thick fatty areas from the edges. On the fat side, leave 1/4” -3/8” fat. I find it difficult to see the grain once cooked, so I cut a corner off when uncooked and grain is easy to see as a marker to make it easier once ready to serve. If you get a whole “packer” brisket, remember the grain goes in opposite directions in the flat and the point. Use your preferred rub on all sides/edges. I use the Traeger beef rub and coffee rub combo. I inject with Kosmos beef brisket injection. Amazon has it. It’s a powder to mix with water. You will need a meat injection needle/syringe. Amazon has them too. Allow to sit in fridge overnight.

Preheat grill to 225F. Insert temp probe into thick area. Set directly on grill grate fat side down . If there is a noticeably thicker end, position that toward the pellet hopper. Spritz with apple cider vinegar/water mix (80% water) once/hour. Remove from grill when temp reads 160F. Wrap in pink butcher paper. I use 2 slightly overlapping sheets to make it wider. Return brisket to grill, now fat side up. Continue cooking to 203F. Seems like a weird number but that’s what the pro’s do and it’s been working for me. Set the temp alarm for 200 then watch it. Once at 203F, use the temp probe to check for tenderness by poking it through the paper into the brisket in a few places. Should be tender, if not, leave a bit longer. The flats have been taking about 8-9 hours. Full packer 12+ hours. Remove from grill and into cooler, still wrapped, cover on for minimum 30 minutes. It will stay warm for much longer. I err on the side of having it get done early because it can sit a few hours in the cooler and still be awesome. Hope this helps someone.

Nice summary of your process, @AndyG1960. Each of us probably has a slightly different variation, but I think you are fairly mainstream. Personally, I neither inject nor spritz my briskets (I'm pretty old school), but otherwise follow a similar process.

 

[Maule Guy]

Jim and Andy sort of covered it.

If you buy a 16 lb brisket it probably will trim to about 14 lb. See:

for trimming tips.

Thickest flat you can find helps. Make sure you are monitoring the actual temperature in your smoker. Trust not the RecTeq temp probe.

I have begun putting my briskets on a second shelf to get them away from the radiant heat from the firepot (measure temp at the level of where the meat is)

I like to put some fat trimmings in a metal bowl and either put them in the smoker if there is room or in the oven to be used on the butcher paper when you wrap the brisket. See this on foil vs paper wrap:

I will normally smoke at low on my 590 for a couple of hours or start at midnight and get up early and go to 225F. As Jim et al said, about 190 I will check to see if it is jiggly and the instant read thermometer slides in without much resistance.

It's done when it's done. Could be 10 hrs could be 14 hrs.

Grass fed beef normally has less fat while choice normally is better marbled. You could take out a loan and get Wygu which is massively marbled.

I finally am a believer in letting the brisket rest in something like an insulated cooler for several hours (stuff cooler w/ towels etc for better insulation). The results are worth the wait.

Please pardon the repetition in this post