First Brisket

hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

I've smoked pork butt several times now, so I am trying my first brisket. I've acquired lots of good ideas from this forum, so hopefully it will turn out great! I am posting some before pictures now, and will post some more in between and at the end. I did notice one thing that I thought looked a little strange with my uncooked brisket. It seemed to be a light gray color along one edge, and feel a little rough to the touch. It looked sort of like a steak does after its been exposed to a hot grille for about a minute. Has anyone seen this before, or is this normal? You should be able to clearly see it in the pictures. It's been on the smoker for about an hour now. Wish me luck!

hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

One question about wrapping in foil. After wrapping in foil and placing back on the smoker, should it be placed fat side up again if that's the way it started? It seems to me that if you do this, the juice from the brisket would pool in the bottom of the foil and make the bark soggy. What is everyone's opinion on this?

barnburner180 · Posted: Feb 10 2008 Post subject:

Dude, you paid $3.89 a lb!? That seems really expensive to me. I get my brisket at Sam's and it's only around $1.40 a lb there. Shop around and you should get a much better price.
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hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

All in all my brisket turned out pretty good considering it was my first one. It ended up taking about 10 hours from the time it hit the smoker until I sliced it. At about the 6 hour mark and 165 degrees, I pulled it off the smoker and double wrapped it in heavy-duty foil. I stuck it back on the smoker for another 2 hours until it hit 196 degrees. With the brisket still wrapped in foil, I then put it in a cooler with one towel lining the bottom and another draped over the top and shut the lid. It sat in the cooler for 2 more hours, and after it dropped to 180 degrees I took it out and sliced it.

I wish it would've had a little more bark on it. At the beginning of the smoke I scooted it across the grate to reposition it, and I think I ended up raking a big portion of the rub off. I think that had a little to do with it not having as much bark as I would've liked. I'm wondering if wrapping it in foil makes it more mushy and have less bark. It seems like I've read that somewhere. I also wish it would've had a little bit thicker smoke ring. I thought it was a tad dry in some parts as well. Overall it tasted great and was a good learning experience. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone that has any ideas on how I could do a better job next time. Here are the final pics:

Thanks!

allsmokenofire · Posted: Feb 10 2008 Post subject:

ou812warford · Posted: Feb 10 2008 Post subject:

I have read on this site that foiling meat makes less bark.
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Oklahoma Joe 16" traditonal
weber gold 26 3/4"

Tom C · Posted: Feb 10 2008 Post subject:

Judging from your pictures it looks like it came out great! Letting it go a little longer brfore you foil it might increase bothe the bark and the smoke ring. I know on the last one I did which was my second one, I didn't foil it at all and It had a nice bark and a thick ring. It was very tasty but a little dryer than I would have liked.

hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

Thanks for that advice, Tom C. I will try waiting a little longer before foiling next time. I did read that not foiling does tend to make it dryer, that's why I decided to foil it. Mine was even a little dry in some parts for my taste, so not foiling it would probably be too dry for me. There may be a way to keep it moist without foiling, but I haven't come across it yet. Maybe someone on this forum knows how.

k.a.m. · Posted: Feb 10 2008 Post subject:

hoverlover, It looks great to me. I have used no foil, and foil, my wife likes the less smoke and melt in your mouth brisket which is what i get from the foil, when i cooked them on my big charcoal pit i would cook them for one hour on each side then wrap till done. Good flavor juicy not much smoke ring. My wife saw your pics and said thats what i am talking about. Very Happy

hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

Thanks k.a.m.!

SoEzzy · Posted: Feb 11 2008 Post subject:

hoverlover · BBQ Fan Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 156

Thanks. That's a lot of good information. There are several things I'm going to try differently next time, so I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out.

pullit · Newbie Joined: 15 Nov 2007 Posts: 49

heck you had me at beef brisket, looks good