Brisket troubleshooting help

[TahoeMike00]

I smoked a brisket over the weekend, following the Meat Church youtube video for a pellet smoker brisket. I am confident in my procedure according to the video -- except when I got to the finish. I had 2 probes in, 1 in the point and 1 in the flat (see attached image)

Notes: this was a 15 pound Costco Prime whole brisket,
Pre-wrap temp 225 deg. F.
After wrap, raised to 280 deg. F.
Smoker: RT-700.

I wrapped the brisket in pink paper with a good slathering of tallow, when both probes were exactly at 170 (even though the flat ran 11 degrees cooler than the point up until about 165.

I planned on pulling when the flat reached my target temp of 203. When the flat hit 203, the point was at 210 in some spots. But I kept hearing in the back of my mind "cook to the flat until it's probe tender" so I ran my thermapen in and poked around. The point was AWESOME, like warm butter resistance, BUT I ran the probe through the point I hit resistance in the flat under the point. Then I probed the flat on the other end of the brisket it too had resistance. More than I wanted. But I kind of panicked. I did NOT want to overcook the whole deal waiting for the flat to become probe tender. I knew in my heart that the flat was not going to be tender, but at least I had the point going for me.

After pulling, I let sit at "room temperature (90 deg. F outside) until it reached 150, then I plopped in the cooler, still wrapped for about an hour. (I wanted more rest time but the family was getting hangry.)

Slicing basically in half, I immediately noticed the flat feeling tough. Crap.
I "sliced to order" off the fatty and the flat. The fatty, I was happy with, so far a personal best. The flat, although flavorful, decent bark and awesome smoke ring, just not what I was hoping for.

I guess this is a long intro to ask, would the point have gotten probe tender at a much higher temp? Or was I already past the point of no return with a dry chewy flat?
Would it have been a gamble to wait it out for the flat to get probe tender? Or did I miss the probe tender at a lower temp?

Thanks for any comments/input

Cheers,
Happy Smoking



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[Jim6820]

The only thing I would have done differently would have been to not let it cool down before putting it in the cooler to rest. It does sound like the FLAT was a bit under-cooked.

When I pull a brisket from the grill, I leave it wrapped in the pink butcher paper, put it in a shallow foil pan, put it in the cooler, loosely drape a piece of foil over it and place a folded towel or two on top before closing the cooler.

Yes, doing it that way will allow it to continue cooking, but I find that to be a good thing. I think the juices redistribute while the brisket slowly cools and any undercooked parts come up to temperature. I usually rest my brisket for at least 2 hours that way (and, sometimes up to 4-5 hours) with great results. From my perspective, long rests are the secret to good, moist brisket.

 

[TahoeMike00]

Thanks so much for the reply. Excuse my ignorance, but when you say that it sounds like the point was a bit undercooked. With that being said, and the flat being dryer, slightly tough (not as juicy and tender as the point) does that equate to the flat being even more undercooked? This is the crux of my long-winded post (lol) I think what I was trying to ask, the flat being 203'ish and not fall apart tender, was it under cooked and still "not there yet" to be probe tender OR was it overcooked and dried out. I don't have the experience to know how far to push and not turn it into shoe leather.

I've seen a lot of videos where the pitmaster is advocating to use the tactile approach, feel it for jiggle, feel underneath between the point and flat, and of course probe with a toothpick or meat thermometer until it's tender. Then only did they use the temp probe to show the temperature after going by feel.

I did want to rest it much longer but the cook went slower than I anticipated as I was set at "low" to get more smoke. So by the time it was (what I thought) was ready, the rest time was just about an hour because the family was getting hangry.

What you mention about pulling and immediately putting in the cooler is exactly what I do with my pork butt smokes. Perfect every time. I'm certainly going to try another brisket, but I will cook to the flat, not the point and let 'er rest immediately out of the smoker. I call it FTC in pork butt land.

 

[Waterboy]

It would help if you included the times for your cook. How long did you run at 225 and how long for the overall cook?
If the flat was dry and slightly tough it was undercooked. If it were overcooked it would crumble when you tried to slice it. You have a lot of leeway with the point to allow the flat to catch up. If I get one end getting too far ahead I will rotate the brisket to see if they will even out.
The best part is you’ll need to cook another one to try to master the process…and then another…and then another.

 

[Motodad1776]

I suck at briskets and they are not cheap, I've been a convert to chuck roasts and will never go back.......some great advice here though for certain for ya.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I've done like Jim, wrapped right off the smoker and into the cooler/cambro. I don't think it's the same effect as leaving it longer on the smoker. It just seems more even heat distribution and will tenderize a bit more of the middle of the flat that may not be quite there. Also agree with Jim on redistribution of the meat juices. I think how you rest it after removing from the pit is more important when cooking at higher temperatures.

 

[Jim6820]

when you say that it sounds like the point was a bit undercooked.

My apologies; I meant to say flat and my ancient brain just flubbed it. It was the flat that I think was under-cooked. As @Waterboy mentioned, if the flat was over-cooked, it would be falling apart.

I will edit my previous post. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[SmokeZilla]

I typically see the opposite. I don’t let the flat go beyond 170F pre-wrap and pull when it hits 190-193F. Anything more than that tends to render the flat dry and overcooked. I have cooked several dozen of the Costco full packers and won’t buy one until the flat is at least 3” thick at the thinnest point (not including the fat cap). Unfortunately, they have been running about 1.0-2.0 inches at my stores lately. As you did not specify how thick the flat is, I can’t determine what went wrong. Next time you try one, when the flat hits 145 wrap it in double foil (the thick kind) so it doesn‘t overcook/dry out while you wait for the stall to clear for the point. You can also over “plump” it with an injection to slow down its cooking process. (I didn’t catch how thick the fat cap was on the flat or if you turned the packer so the thickest part is towards either the fire pot or at least point it towards the back of the smoker where it is hotter.) I’ve had mixed results trying to synchronize flats and points, especially when they point is too thin. Good luck with your next cook and always remember flats normally cook faster than points. A final note is that you can practice with just the flats. Costco also sells them. If you do, just treat it like a prime rib roast but let it cook until it hist about 165F. Pull and wrap in foil for at least 2 hours before cutting.

I forgot one step. Wrap at 165F, then let it ride until about 190-195. Then wrap again and let it rest for the 2 hours. Lately, the Costco Prime Grades have been a little on the lean side so don’t forget to place the fat cap towards the fire source (Bull=Fat Cap down).

 

[AlphaPapa]

I just finished a brisket today and had almost the exact experience as the OP had during his cook. My brisket was a choice 13lb‘er from Kroger with a rather thin flat. I seasoned it with kosher salt the day before the cook and put it in the fridge uncovered. Before putting it on the smoker, I injected the brisket with beef stock and seasoned the outside with pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

During the cook, the flat heated up much more quickly than the point. I smoked it at 180 for the first 4 hours and then went to 200 for about 4 hours. Flat was at 163 and point was in upper 140’s. Since, I prefer to sacrifice bark for juicy, I decided to go ahead and wrap. I spritzed it up with 50/50 apple juice/apple vinegar and placed clumps of wagyu tallow all over the brisket before wrapping in aluminum foil. I put it back on the smoker and raised the temperature to 250. About 2.5 hours later the flat was 203 and the point was in the upper 200’s. The point was probe tender and the flat was maybe just a tad tough. Not wanting to over-cook the point, I went ahead and pulled it and put it in a cooler packed with bath towels. I took it out of the cooler 4.5 hours later and the flat was still at 155. It sliced up well and is nice and juicy. if you lay a slice of the flat on the knife, the tips droop almost straight down, but not quite. The point came out great. However, I think if I had left it on much longer the point would have been tearing apart when I tried to slice it. So, I think I managed the compromise just right for my taste.

Like Jim, I do think a long rest helps keep the brisket moist.

 

[Gonefishin]

Are these packers left whole or separated? I have the issue when cooking it whole but not when separate, which is why I don’t cook them whole.