# Tired of Tough Brisket !!



## hotfoot

I have a old stick burner made out of 3/8 "thick/24" pipe. The cooking area is 4'6" and I have a 30" fire box. I can hold the heat pretty constant ( +- 10deg.) and have cooked brisket from an hour/pound to 1 1/2 hr./ pound and have wrapped it from 2 hrs. to 5 hrs. into the cook time. I still have a major problem getting the dang stuff tender. What am I doing wrong?? Ribs, chicken etc. is great, but brisket *%$#^&&^T%!!!


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## troutpopper

Smoke 4 hours around 250-275 degrees, wrap 2 more until around meat is 190 degrees, give it the poke test in the middle until the fork slides in easily. let rest for 2-3 hours before slicing. The key is to let it rest until the meat is still warm but not hot. If you slice too hot all the juice runs out.


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## K Man

troutpopper said:


> Smoke 4 hours around 250-275 degrees, wrap 2 more until around meat is 190 degrees, give it the poke test in the middle until the fork slides in easily. let rest for 2-3 hours before slicing. The key is to let it rest until the meat is still warm but not hot. If you slice too hot all the juice runs out.


Great advice!


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## CaptJack

until it passes the poke test it isn't done, regardless of how long it takes
I use a bamboo chopstix for my poke tester


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## Gottagofishin

+ 1 on letting it rest in a cooler to keep it warm. This let's the juices restribute.


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## Rog

My question would be what temperature are you cooking?


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## seadriftbayrat

Knowing the internal temp of a brisket while you cook it is a must. Buy a internal thermo. such as a maverick-et732. Then you'll be able to monitor the internal temp throughout the cook. I smoke at 225degrees till brisket internal reaches 155-160degrees then wrap till internal reaches 195-205 and poke test comes out good. Unwrap and let the steam/heat out of the foil for 5min, then wrap back up and let it sit in a ice chest for a few hrs.


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## RB II

Sounds like you are cooking it too hot. 225 is where I cook mine until the internal temp reaches about 150 then wrap and cook until the internal temp is 190.

One other thing that I have found will make a tough brisket is to freeze it. Not sure why, but every brisket that has been frozen that I have cooked is more tough than those that are fresh.


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## Crotalus

Not all briskets are the same.
Try this:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11123


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## hotfoot

Rog said:


> My question would be what temperature are you cooking?


I try to maintain 225-250 deg. My pit holds heat very well and is very easy to hold temps +- 10 deg or so. Last one I cooked at 250 for 5 hrs. then wrapped and cooked another 5hrs. at about 230. My problem may very well be not letting them rest long enough. Most of the time I leave them in a Igloo for an hour or so.


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## hotfoot

I do have a good thermometer and check every hour or so while cooking after the first 4 hours. I've never paid attention to what temp it is when I wrap though. Last one I pulled off pit after 10 hrs. was 202 and I let it rest an hour. Point was fair but the flat went to the dogs!!!!


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## trout250

all the advice given before pretty much nails it. I have cooked as many as 56 10 -12lbers at a time. for the church. We usually rub ours down with a mixture of dry rub, wocheshire (spl) sauce and pineapple juice, put them in coolers with ice for 2 days then cook at 225-250 for about 5 hrs, check temp looking for 150-160 deg. then wrap cook until internal temp 190deg. do poke test, everybody has thier special tool for this i have a old meat fork that i use, if it passes test take off put in iglo coolers overnight and slice next morning. thier temp is usually around 140 after setting overnight. We catch juice and put back into pans of sliced brisket, cover and put in large elec food warmerat 180 deg. until served.

patience is the key low and slow

good luck


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## seadriftbayrat

hotfoot said:


> I do have a good thermometer and check every hour or so while cooking after the first 4 hours. I've never paid attention to what temp it is when I wrap though. Last one I pulled off pit after 10 hrs. was 202 and I let it rest an hour. Point was fair but the flat went to the dogs!!!!


Keep in mind that every hour you are checking it and pokeing a new hole in the brisket you are allowing the juices to run out. No need to smoke a brisket past 155-160 (will not take anymore smoke past this temp)unless you want a good bark.


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## Last Drift

seadriftbayrat said:


> Knowing the internal temp of a brisket while you cook it is a must. Buy a internal thermo. such as a maverick-et732. Then you'll be able to monitor the internal temp throughout the cook. I smoke at 225degrees till brisket internal reaches 155-160degrees then wrap till internal reaches 195-205 and poke test comes out good. Unwrap and let the steam/heat out of the foil for 5min, then wrap back up and let it sit in a ice chest for a few hrs.


What he said...


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## Law Dog

Troutpopper is correct, remember Cook Low and Slow!


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## Gottagofishin

.... And don't keep poking holes in the meat.

One other thing... How are you slicing it? That can make a difference as well. It be sliced cross grain at a 35 to 40 degree vertical angle.


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## manintheboat

people get too hung up on time and temperature. In regards to time, I use it as a starting point and nothing more. Just use it as an estimate of when you think it could or should be done. After that, it is all by sight and feel. As others have said, not all briskets are the same. Some have more fat, some have more connective tissue. They are done when they are done. The trick to tender brisket is knowing when to pull the brisket off of the pit. MOST MISTAKES ARE MADE WHEN PEOPLE EITHER TAKE THE BRISKET OFF OF THE PIT TOO EARLY OR TOO LATE. One test is to stick a wooden scewer into the flat. if it goes in and comes out like butter, it is done. If it grabs, it is not done. Another trick is to properly rest the brisket after it comes off of the pit. This also helps with tenderness. Wrap in foil or butchers paper, then wrap in an old towel or blanket (something you don't mind getting greasy and/or smokey), then stuff into a cooler. This will stay hot for a couple of hours easy. 

Temperature is not very important to be honest. Very good briskets can be made at 225 up to 350 degrees. For me, I prefer 225 to 250 because that is what has always worked best for me, but in no way am I saying that you cannot make great brisket over 300 degrees. It all depends on your cooker and where it likes to sit. Also, I hope you have a good understanding of your cooker and which parts of the cooking chamber are hotter than the others. Just because your temperature gauge reads 225 doesn't mean your meat is cooking at the same temp. depending on the type and make of the cooker, you can see wide temperature fluctuations within the cooking chamber. If you are not sure where your hot spots are, open a couple of cans of biscuits and place them all over the cooking chamber. In about 10 minutes, you will be able to tell where your hot spots are by which biscuits are cooked more than others. 

I like to wrap my briskets in butchers paper. I do not get hung up on any preplanned time to wrap like saying "wrap after 5 hours". That is a wrong way to go about it. I like to take my brisket up past an internal temperature of 165 unwrapped, but more important than that, I do not wrap until the outside bark and color is perfect. It is not going to get any better once you wrap. 

Good luck and keep on working at it. Try to learn the feel of a properly cooked brisket so where you know when to take it off of the pit and let it rest.


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## hotfoot

Thanks for all the help folks. I am gonna try two more Sat. These I will let rest min. 3 hrs. I'll check temp before wrapping and do "poke" test before pulling off pit for sure. I always do the fold test before buying but wonder how many times the brisket may have been frozen before placing in the counters for sale. I'm gonna go to our butcher and get a brisket there this time and cook it along with one from HEB for a little test. Thanks again for the help...


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## Gottagofishin

I've had really good luck with the HEB Supertrim briskets. 

Good luck


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## Red3Fish

My way, verses 5000 other peoples' way!! LOL

Don't buy a "trimmed" brisket.....you want most of the fat on it to help baste during cooking. Trim off maybe 1/2 to 3/4 pound of the thick fat, but leave a 1/4" of fat everywhere.

Cook about an hour a pound at what ever temp your smoker likes...mine "likes" 225. I smoke mine for 5 hours and then wrap tightly in foil, and pop it in the oven at 250 for about another 5 hrs (10# brisket). Wrapped tightly in foil, it more or less steams (makes real tender), after it has all the smoke it will take in the 5 hr smoke. Before you cook, score the fat on the fat side, as to how the grain runs, and easy to see which way to cut "cross grain" when done.

All the "purist" will toss empty beer cans at me for using the oven, but saves wood and charcoal, and doesn't impair flavor to me. 

The only disadvantage to my "system" is you don't get to sit by the smoker, "minding the meat" for 10 hours drinking beer with your buds, and in the house during the final 5 hours your old lady will find SOMETHING for you to do!! LOL

Later
R3F


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## chumy

Looks like i'm pretty unorthodox. I cook briskets in their own juices, fat side up.
I drain off occasionally. I have a large water box that provides plenty of moisture
I cook at 230f, about 1/2hr per lb.
I never let them rest due to time and beer consumption is usually at my max.
They come out pretty tender.


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## bigfishtx

hotfoot said:


> I do have a good thermometer and check every hour or so while cooking after the first 4 hours. I've never paid attention to what temp it is when I wrap though. Last one I pulled off pit after 10 hrs. was 202 and I let it rest an hour. Point was fair but the flat went to the dogs!!!!


Next time take your temps on the flat, not the point. At 155-160 degrees, remove the meat and separate the point from the flat muscle. Then wrap the flat and cook it to 200-205.
Cut the point into cubes, season and put them in a pan for about two hours, at the same temp you are cooking the flats. I would not cover them, let them cook and render the fats out. If they are still tough then wrap them for an hour or so. You will have some really good burnt ends to snack on.


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## adog

I generally put the smoke on for three to four hours with a hot fire to get a good bark and ring, then I wrap and finish in the oven or on my webber gas grill where I can control the temp better. Cook to internal 200 degrees and let rest for a couple hours-it'll be tender.


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## peckerwood

You cats are way to hard on yourselves blaming tough meat on something you done wrong.I'm an old fork that grew up raising our own food,meat and produce,and every piece of meat you buy will be different.We butchered a calf and hog every year.Everyone raised the exact same way on the same grains and feed,and a lot of the time,calf came from same cow,and each one was different.My Dad didn't raise them in different ways and Mom dang sure didn't cook them different,but some were tougher or tenderer than others.A good,tender brisket starts with buying a good,tender brisket,then the rest is up to you.If a brisket or ribs comes turns out tough,don't ask yourself "what did I do wrong",just try again.


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## fattrout

perfect summation peckerwood


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## Reel Aggies

I think a huge part of it is meat quality. All I used to cook were the select packers from HEB, and it was always a **** shoot as to whether they would be tender enough or have any juice to them. When I started cooking in comps, I looked at what everyone else was cooking, and that was high choice or prime brisket. Once I made the leap over, there was no looking back. They are more expensive, but you can actually find them at HEB sometimes priced the same as the select packers. Just stock up when you do. They always come out juicy, and I have yet to have one that was tough. No matter how you cook, from high temp/quick cook to low and slow, your meat quality has to be there first IMHO. Costco, HEB carry choice and prime, Restaurant depot always has a great selection of Angus high choice. I keep the fat on as well, salt and pepper, oak/pecan smoke (with a few chunks of mesquite at the start as homage to my S. Tx upbringing) and butcher paper wrap about half way through. No complaints since. Buying prime brisket is also why the top 10 bbq restaurants in TX are ranked where they are.....


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## Deany45

We have started cooking our briskets hot and fast vs low and slow for competition and have really stepped up out game with brisket. I cooked one at the house for the fourth that turned out great. Costco prime brisket. Cooked at 325-330. Two hours then wrapped. Went another two hours or so until internal temp reached 205. Put it in a cooler for a few hours to rest before eating. I know this is against the norm but our days of cooking brisket all night for a competition are over. Great tenderness, great moisture, great look.


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## jamesgreeson

I slow smoke mine at 225 for s long as I want with minimal smoke.
Then l build the heat to 350,wait an hour and start checking the brisket to quickly swing to 188deg .as they say let it rest.
Any higher than 200deg. And you got chopped beef.


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## gstanford85

I like to run my pit a little on the hot side 250-275. I'll start with the brisket near the firebox for an hour, then move it to the middle of the pit. After a few more hours(depending on how it looks) I'll wrap it using a reynolds oven bag. Then towards the end I'll unwrap and let the bark firm back up. Definetly let it rest while cooking the burnt ends (meat candy).


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## redfishking11

Hope this helps.


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## bigfishtx

redfishking11 said:


> Hope this helps.


Franklin does not "like" to wrap brisket, but, he also cooks it 18-20 hrs. Unless you have a smoker that will allow you to cook that long, you will probably need to wrap to get it to the desired tenderness.

I don't know about you guys but cooking over 8-10 hrs really get to be too much with a stick burner that requires attention.


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## Pollo Pibil

Good advice throughout. Internal temp keyed to individual brisket is the key.

I second using prime brisket. Only a few bucks more at Costco unless sale price are in effect, and it is like brisket butter when cooked to @195-205 internal.


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## RB II

bigfishtx;9931306
I don't know about you guys but cooking over 8-10 hrs really get to be too much with a stick burner that requires attention.[/QUOTE said:


> I agree. Tough to keep them from drying out and we have two or three water pans under the meat grills and cook at no more than 225.


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## hotfoot

Thanks for all the advice folks. I got a really good brisket from our butcher last weekend and cooked it a little different. The brisket weighed 7lb. and fell apart when I got through. I don't know what the real key was, but here is what I did. 
Rubbed with salt and pepper with a little Tony's mixed in and let it sit till room temp. Brought the pit up to 300 and put the meat on the end away from fire. Cooked for 2 1/2 hrs. with pit at 290 - 300 then checked flat. It was 165 at that point so I wrapped it and put it in the middle of the pit and brought pit back up to 295 then closed down the vents and let it go. After 2 more hrs. the pit was still at 200 and at this point I pulled it off and put it in my cooler. This time I let it sit for 3 hr. before I opened it and I tell you it was good. The best I have ever been able to cook. Gonna do another this week the same way but use a packer and see how much diff, it will make.


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## mredman1

*Brisket*

In an oven, I cook my brisket for 30 minutes at 350 (to get a jump start), then 250 for another six hours. If the brisket is really big, I reduce the temperature to 225 until extremely tender. The key ingredient in an oven is beer....a dark beer. After using your selection of slices, place sliced onions on top. Gently pour a bottle of beer (my favorite is Shiner Bock) on top and cook according to the above directions. The gravy is to die for. The brisket should be in a deep pan covered with aluminum foil.

Mike


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## JohnnyG72

*Tuff brisket*

Cook till 165. Wrap with foil till 190. Remove let sit for 1 hr


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## StinkBait

mredman said:


> In an oven, I cook my brisket for 30 minutes at 350 (to get a jump start), then 250 for another six hours. If the brisket is really big, I reduce the temperature to 225 until extremely tender. The key ingredient in an oven is beer....a dark beer. After using your selection of slices, place sliced onions on top. Gently pour a bottle of beer (my favorite is Shiner Bock) on top and cook according to the above directions. The gravy is to die for. The brisket should be in a deep pan covered with aluminum foil.
> 
> Mike


At what point do you add the taters and carrots to the roast?


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## MCFADDEN RED

bigfishtx said:


> Franklin does not "like" to wrap brisket, but, he also cooks it 18-20 hrs. Unless you have a smoker that will allow you to cook that long, you will probably need to wrap to get it to the desired tenderness.
> 
> I don't know about you guys but cooking over 8-10 hrs really get to be too much with a stick burner that requires attention.


Franklin *wraps* his brisket in butcher paper..........not foil.


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## drathe3112

hotfoot said:


> Thanks for all the advice folks. I got a really good brisket from our butcher last weekend and cooked it a little different. The brisket weighed 7lb. and fell apart when I got through. I don't know what the real key was, but here is what I did.
> Rubbed with salt and pepper with a little Tony's mixed in and let it sit till room temp. Brought the pit up to 300 and put the meat on the end away from fire. Cooked for 2 1/2 hrs. with pit at 290 - 300 then checked flat. It was 165 at that point so I wrapped it and put it in the middle of the pit and brought pit back up to 295 then closed down the vents and let it go. After 2 more hrs. the pit was still at 200 and at this point I pulled it off and put it in my cooler. This time I let it sit for 3 hr. before I opened it and I tell you it was good. The best I have ever been able to cook. Gonna do another this week the same way but use a packer and see how much diff, it will make.


I was going to ask if anyone let's their brisket come to room temp before smoking.

I let my last brisket get room temp, rubbed with Fiesta brisket rub, placed in smoker. Smoked @ 225 until 190* internal temp. Pulled, sliced and ate w/o rest or wrapping. So tender I could cut with a fork. Best brisket I've done yet.


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## Chase4556

I always do the fold test on my briskets. My dad did it way back when I was young and he would cook with some guys for the neighborhood, I have always done it as well. Seems to work pretty well.

I season with Zachs brisket rub(www.zachspice.com). Local guy in deer park. Again, back with I was a kid, I used to go with my dad to this guys bbq place over on 2920. This was 10+ years ago. At least we are 95% sure its the same guy... tastes the same. I season the brisket well, and let it sit covered over night. Get the pit to 225-250* and put it on fat side up. I go with at least an hour/lb rule. I know when its ready when the fat starts rendering real well and the outside is nice and juicy looking, which is usually around the hour/lb quide line. Let it sit for an hour at minimum.

If I am on a time limit, I will wrap it for a couple hours. Usually I will just get up early enough to get it started and not wrap it. Make sure you cut against the grain. You should be able to pull a piece you cut apart and see all the little bits of meat. Youtube has videos showing this. Always turns out tender, and everyone always seems to like it.


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## Nitro Man

manintheboat said:


> people get too hung up on time and temperature. In regards to time, I use it as a starting point and nothing more. Just use it as an estimate of when you think it could or should be done. After that, it is all by sight and feel. As others have said, not all briskets are the same. Some have more fat, some have more connective tissue. They are done when they are done. The trick to tender brisket is knowing when to pull the brisket off of the pit. MOST MISTAKES ARE MADE WHEN PEOPLE EITHER TAKE THE BRISKET OFF OF THE PIT TOO EARLY OR TOO LATE. One test is to stick a wooden scewer into the flat. if it goes in and comes out like butter, it is done. If it grabs, it is not done. Another trick is to properly rest the brisket after it comes off of the pit. This also helps with tenderness. Wrap in foil or butchers paper, then wrap in an old towel or blanket (something you don't mind getting greasy and/or smokey), then stuff into a cooler. This will stay hot for a couple of hours easy.
> 
> Temperature is not very important to be honest. Very good briskets can be made at 225 up to 350 degrees. For me, I prefer 225 to 250 because that is what has always worked best for me, but in no way am I saying that you cannot make great brisket over 300 degrees. It all depends on your cooker and where it likes to sit. Also, I hope you have a good understanding of your cooker and which parts of the cooking chamber are hotter than the others. Just because your temperature gauge reads 225 doesn't mean your meat is cooking at the same temp. depending on the type and make of the cooker, you can see wide temperature fluctuations within the cooking chamber. If you are not sure where your hot spots are, open a couple of cans of biscuits and place them all over the cooking chamber. In about 10 minutes, you will be able to tell where your hot spots are by which biscuits are cooked more than others.
> 
> I like to wrap my briskets in butchers paper. I do not get hung up on any preplanned time to wrap like saying "wrap after 5 hours". That is a wrong way to go about it. I like to take my brisket up past an internal temperature of 165 unwrapped, but more important than that, I do not wrap until the outside bark and color is perfect. It is not going to get any better once you wrap.
> 
> Good luck and keep on working at it. Try to learn the feel of a properly cooked brisket so where you know when to take it off of the pit and let it rest.


Good advice to follow.

Also start with quality meat. Do the bend test on the brisket before you buy it. Don't buy a brisket if you can't easily bend it almost touching end to end. Don't buy pre-trimmed briskets, there's not enough fat on them.


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