Hello Everyone

I completed a overnight cook a few hours ago.I had a 7.5lb pbutt on top and an 11.5lb brisket on bottom.I pulled the brisket at 195degrees and rested it for 4hrs.The texture was good and so was the flavor but the moisture went and hid somewhere.Anyideas what may have happened.I only had one temp spike to about 268,the rest of the time it stayed between 230-255 all night.
Thanks for any ideas.

SeeYaa
Jeff

Did you cook fatcap down or up? Did you check tenderness with a fork before pulling or did you just pull when it hit your target temp?

Hi Kevin

I cooked fat cap down and pulled it when the brisket seemed to be fork tender.I started checking it around 185 and it didn't pull good until then.I'm beginning to think I may have just cooked it dry.

Thanks
Jeff

Possibly, and possibly it was just that particular roast. Much in the way of juices when you unwrapped it after resting?

basically no juices at all in the foil.the point was juicy .Just the flat was the sahara desert.

My guess would be cooked too long then; possibly the cut, but I'm thinking the former.

The Q gods might have been giving extra attention to the Northeast where they're finally getting nice weather (in contrast to all Fla's rain the past few (see what I mean?)). Fear not. They always return to us. (We in the south are the Q gods favorites. )

Yeah sometimes you just get a dry one. Next time you can try foiling it when it reaches 170. I have done a few flats that way and like the results. Just a thought.

If you pull at 185 to 190 internal then place wrapped in foil in dry cooler the tenderizing continues while in the cooler. This lessen the chance of the brisket out. As Kevin said many times it is the brisket it's that can be the cause, they are not made equal.
Jim

I have had a dry one with a butt on top before and just chocked it up to the meat.

Another thing I have read here on the forums to rest the brisket fat cap up and that is what I always do. How did you rest yours? Fat cap up or down. The theory is as some of the fat renders during rest it moistens the meat back up. I don't know if it actually makes a difference. I figure someone here has tried it and that is good enough for me. Besides the brikets that I did by themselves I have only had one dry one with a butt over the top of it.

Actually, all of my briskets, except one, were cooked fat cap down and rested fat cap down. The exception was cooked down and rested up. My seriously deranged opinion is that the bark was better on the down/down deals.

Please pass another beer!

Well I think I'm gonna chalk it up to not quite getting the fork tender thing right.I almost puilled it in the 180's but the brisket seemed to be telling me it wasn't done.
I cooked fat cap down and rested it down. When i pulled it from the foil there was still some fat cap left . I'm going to try the fat cap on top next time like Jim M suggests. I was a little worried cooking the fat cap up for fear the fat drippings would slowly wash away the rub.
We'll get them next time.On the bright side the wife said she loved the flavor.

Thanks for All the suggestions
Jeff

Jeff I did a brisket last night also and it sounds like pretty much the same results you had. I also believe I cooked it too long as I screwed up on the fork tender thing. It was only my second brisket ever so I'm still at the bottom end of the learning curve.

Now what is your plan for the dry stuff, sauce it, or make some kinda stew? chili? any suggestions?

Chili! If you've got good, moist point, cut that large; for dry flat cut tiny. Mmm.

quote:

for fear the fat drippings would slowly wash away the rub

Fear not, it won't.

Yeah, seek out the recipes for Green Chili (for green chili burros) and then next use THAT to make enchiladas (recipe is on this site, prolly under pork). Sooooo gooood!

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff rector:
I pulled the brisket at 195degrees and rested it for 4hrs.The texture was good and so was the flavor but the moisture went and hid somewhere.
Thanks for any ideas.

SeeYaa
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I smoke about 3 to 4 hundred pounds of meat a month...I've had happen to me the same thing that you're talking about and it's usually on the bottom rack of the WSM.

Here's my theory! If you've ever used a sidebox smoker you've learnt that you have to turn the meat at the halves....just so you don't dry out the side of the meat that's nearest the heat. I've never noticed it happening with a butt, a chicken or anything except a brisket on the WSM but...the heat is hotter on one side than the other (not to mention, the grate is always sitting on one side...and it's HOT). I've taken to rotating the brisket when I spritz it or whenever I just HAVE to peek! It seems to keep the heating much more even and I've never dried out the bottom, side nor edge of a brisket since! YMMV.


-Brian

The point of fatcap down in vertical cookers like a WSM is that the fatcap protects the meat from the heat. Flipping isn't required unless you feel like it. On off-sets flipping might be required or not, depending on the off-set. I would think that on a tuned off-set fatcap down for the duration would be preferable.