Brisket

[Joe Smoker]

OK guy's, I am a new owner of a 1400 smoker. I have always been a "pit guy" and seem to have had success cooking briskets the old fashion way. I need some advice on keeping briskets moist and tender. I just finished my first brisket. The flavor was good but the moisture and texture are a little less than perfect.

Thanks

[Wurst]

I inject my briskets and just cook 'em to about 185F. internal, then double wrap in foil. for about an hour.

[smokin-tnpete]

Mine comes out so juicy its unread on my 1500. Are you opening the door a lot? That is the only way I could think of drying meat out on these smokers.
Pete

[txkevin]

Received my 1400 for Fathersday with plans to BBQ for wife's B-day party.

For my trial run before the B-day party I prepared a Brisket for a family reunion. Seasoned outside with rub, inserted garlic with a knife and let set overnight.

Try #1....Cut in half to make it fit and put in smoker at about 225 with dual thermometers in each half set to cook to "Medium". Cooked about 8 hrs or so and removed when the thermometers said it had achieved Medium temp (I think about 160 degrees if I recall correctly). Meat came out with a nice smokey taste but quite dry and not very tender. I was expecting it to be difficult to even pick up with a BBQ fork. Not the case. I did not wrap this meat in foil during cooking. Never opened the door during cooking except to remove when internal med temp was achieved.

For the B-day party -
Try #2... Put halves of brisket in smoker at 200 with dual thermometers set to Medium. Cooked for about 6 hrs unwrapped from foil. REmoved, wrapped in foil to retain moisture and continued cooking another 6 hrs. REmoved at the upper "medium" range. Again, nice flavor, but not nearly as tender as I expected and have been used too producing in my previous setup.

I cant help but think I am doing something wrong. Cook at lower temp? Cook less time to Med Rare? include water pan in the smoker? Wrap with foil at a different time? Any hint on what steps you take to produce moist and tender brisket?

[txkevin]

I think the internal temp may be the problem. Seems like most info I am coming across states you must get an internal temp of around 180+ and then wrap and let sit in cooler or in smoker with low or no heat or an hour or so.

So try #3.....(to be continued.)

[metronome]

I smoke @ 225 on the rack, never wrap in foil, never open the door, only watch that probe temp.
Moist and de-lish every time

[DReeves]

I will add something I have been meaning to try.

In talking to Scott @ SmokinTex, he cooks his brisket 1 hour per pound plus two hours. Going with this, a 12 pound cryovac'd brisket would cook 14 hours.

Scott's brisket is always "to die for". I know, this goes against our conventional wisdom, but def worth an attempt or experiment, no?

[DReeves]

Oh, and he does not use a Texas Crutch (foil wrap) at all, at least not until the end of the smoke, when he would remove the brisket and wrap up for prosperity.

You should always allow your meat to rest after a cook, at least 30 minutes.

[DReeves]

Joe Smoker -

How did attempt #3 work out?