# Brisket



## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

I'm sure that I forgot a few steps but we could eat it. A small piece of brisket.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

You didn't smoke it did ya....


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## zodiac470 (Oct 2, 2007)

How big was it and how long did it cook?


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

Jason said:


> You didn't smoke it did ya....


Yes I did. I just didn't smoke it long.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

zodiac470 said:


> How big was it and how long did it cook?


I had just cut off the end of a large brisket just to try. There is just the two of us. 
I cooked at 275 set at 5hrs. I think I pulled early because of IT temp at 170degresse .
It was good I thought but will work on it more next time. I'm not doing a cook off. LOL.

I'm working on a chicken tonight. Will see.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

DMC said:


> I had just cut off the end of a large brisket just to try. There is just the two of us.
> I cooked at 275 set at 5hrs. I think I pulled early because of IT temp at 170degresse .
> It was good I thought but will work on it more next time. I'm not doing a cook off. LOL.
> 
> I'm working on a chicken tonight. Will see.


Take to 202° next time. 170 is way to early


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

Splittine said:


> Take to 202° next time. 170 is way to early


Ok thanks.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Yeah, early 200's to cut...210 or close to pull/shred. I figured you didn't smoke it, no smoke ring on it. Never be scared of brisket, folks are just intimidated due to the length of the cook. I cooked one fer 18 hours before!


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## zodiac470 (Oct 2, 2007)

What Splittine said, nowhere near long enough. Now I'm no expert but I have cooked about 50 briskets and I was taught by Texas pit masters while stationed in AZ. Personally, I don't go by temperature so much but I go by feel. Meaning, when I insert a probe I want to feel just a little resistance. Then I pull it and let it rest until serving. The carry over will finish it off.

Jason,
Ask Curtis about my brisket.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

zodiac470 said:


> What Splittine said, nowhere near long enough. Now I'm no expert but I have cooked about 50 briskets and I was taught by Texas pit masters while stationed in AZ. Personally, I don't go by temperature so much but I go by feel. Meaning, when I insert a probe I want to feel just a little resistance. Then I pull it and let it rest until serving. The carry over will finish it off.
> 
> Jason,
> Ask Curtis about my brisket.



Will do.... I love brisket but the ole lady don't so I don't cook it as much as I'd like... :001_huh:


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## Geno (Mar 23, 2017)

Needs to spend about 3 hours in the 160-205 zone to allow the connective tissue to soften properly.

Most of the lace of connective tissue in the pectoral muscle is collagen, one of the two main supercoiled protein motifs. It's a triple helix and needs time in a specific temperature window to uncoil and dissolve. Completely changes the molecular structure of that cut of meat.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

IT 170°?
That's not even in the ballpark for a tender/juicy brisket.

IT and PROBING for TENDERNESS
Okay, check it out, IT is generally just a guideline by which we know to start probing for tenderness.
And that temp range is 195°210°.
And within that range I probe about every 2° rise in IT.
Till it probes tender in the thickest part of the Flat, and probed from the side going deep into the muscle.
No need to probe anywhere else, that is the key spot.

PROBE TENDER
Probing for tenderness is done with any slim pointed object, digital therm, ice pick, toothpick, kabob skewer or one of your wife's knitting needles.
(J/K, don't do it, she might probe you with it)

Once through the Bark it should slide into the muscle like a knife into warm butter.
Very little to no resistance.

Now back to IT.
On average probe tender happens between 203°-207°, but I've had briskets probe as low as 198° and high as 208°.

IT ALONE
Now some folks go by IT alone and it can work out on average, especially when you're cooking commercially and can't probe every brisket.
Most I've heard pull between 204°-207°.

FEEL
And some few judge by feel.
A poke, prod or shake. 
I've heard it said it should be like jello, it should have a good wiggle.

TIME
I never cook any meat by time alone, especially not brisket.
But I can expect some standard of an average time by temp. 



I can also take three briskets of similar weight and fat and cook each at different temps and get vastly different times, but equal results.

Lets cook a 12lb Packer Brisket using three different temp ranges/methods.

Low-n-Slow 225°-250°
I expect something under 2hrs per pound, and total cook times of 18-24 hours.

Hot-n-Fast 275°-300°
I expect 45 minutes to an hour per pound, and a total cook time of 8-11 hours.

Extreme Hot-n-Fast 375°-400°
4 hours +/-
6-7 hours if you want to give it 2-3 hours of smoke at lower temps before going Extreme.



Just my $0.02


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## zodiac470 (Oct 2, 2007)

My method, which is by no means the best but it works for me, is to smoke until it has the color that I like. Usually around 6 hours depending on the wood. I used to use mesquite in AZ and it is a heavy smoke. Once it has the color I wrap to preserve the color. Then, I check about every hour for tenderness. Once the probe has little to no resistance, I pull it and rest until time to eat. I don't go by temperature on my briskets but that's just me. I try to allow at least two hours to rest. Once, I had a 20 pound brisket from smoker to eating in 12 hours, cooked at 250 degrees. 

When my Texas friends ask me to cook brisket, I must be doing something right.


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## DMC (Nov 28, 2010)

Well like I said I got in a hurry. The piece of brisket was a small end about 2lbs. I didn't use a lot of smoke since I didn't want to over do it. 
I should have waited when I had more time. I pulled at 180 to 185 instead 170. Sill under 200.


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