Dry Brisket Advice

[Aardvark]

Being a newbie, I run into things I am puzzled by all the time. A couple of days ago I trimmed a 6 lb beef brisket, dry rubbed it with a Traeger mix and let it sit overnight. Yesterday I set the Traeger for 225, put the brisket in a foil pan and cooked it about 6-7 hours to about 125 degrees. I was very disappointed with how dry it was. Edible but just. I’m thinking maybe I over-trimmed it and maybe the foil pan was a bad idea? But you guys know best - help!

 

[primeone]

Being a newbie, I run into things I am puzzled by all the time. A couple of days ago I trimmed a 6 lb beef brisket, dry rubbed it with a Traeger mix and let it sit overnight. Yesterday I set the Traeger for 225, put the brisket in a foil pan and cooked it about 6-7 hours to about 125 degrees. I was very disappointed with how dry it was. Edible but just. I’m thinking maybe I over-trimmed it and maybe the foil pan was a bad idea? But you guys know best - help!

Hi Aardvark and welcome to the forum! My first brisket on the Traeger was roughly the same size and I had a similar turn out. I smoked it at 225 degrees until it hit 160 degrees and then wrapped with butcher paper. I cranked it up to 275 the rest of the cook. It had good flavor, good bark but mine was on the dry side. After talking with a few buddies that are more experienced we came to the conclusion that sometimes the smaller cuts of brisket don't have enough fat to render. Another suggestion given to me was to try and wrap it with foil at 160 and add some beef broth. I'm hoping to try another brisket with in the next week and I'll certainly report back on the cook.

 

[primeone]

Being a newbie, I run into things I am puzzled by all the time. A couple of days ago I trimmed a 6 lb beef brisket, dry rubbed it with a Traeger mix and let it sit overnight. Yesterday I set the Traeger for 225, put the brisket in a foil pan and cooked it about 6-7 hours to about 125 degrees. I was very disappointed with how dry it was. Edible but just. I’m thinking maybe I over-trimmed it and maybe the foil pan was a bad idea? But you guys know best - help!

What pellets were you using by the way?

 

[Russells]

I just bought a small brisket at Costco and was wondering how to cook it. I wanted to try it on a smaller piece of meat before spending $70 on a larger one but maybe that was a bad idea. I also watched and read about putting a small pan of wanted in the grill to keep the moisture in but not sure if that works. This will be my first brisket on my new Ironwood.

 

[CampWhatnot]

Did you get the flat or point? I usually buy a flat if I get a Small one. Im not a point fan unless I cube it and make burnt ends. The point will also take longer to get to temp than a flat. I will seperate the point when I wrap. I add broth when wrapping to keep it moist. I trim mine more than most as I find the marbling inside suffice. I season with salt, cracked pepper and garlic. I get generous with pepper but that is what we like. I wrap around half an hour into the stall usually around 160 ish but all meat can be different. Remember to wrap in a towel and place it in a cooler to rest as this will allow the juices to roll. I do brisket around 225-250. Im going to experiment with hotter temps soon. Brisket is a personal preference so try different methods, temps and spice and see what you like. Dont over think it, relax and enjoy the day. Allow lots of time as it will tell you when its done lol. it will probe like butter around 205f internal temp.

 

[Russells]

Thank you so much! I bought a Full Packer Brisket.

 

[CampWhatnot]

Thank you so much! I bought a Full Packer Brisket.

Nice! Before you season it have a look at the direction of the grain. The point will run in one direction and the flat will usually run in a different direction. Be mindful of this when you go to slice it up as you always want to cut across the grain ( not with the grain) of the meat so it will be a tender bite. I cut a small piece across the grain on both pieces so once it is time to slice I know which direction the grain is. Enjoy!

 

[primeone]

@CampWhatnot - Do you wrap with foil or butcher paper?

 

[CampWhatnot]

Currently I have only used foil over the years but I'm going to try butcher paper to see if the hype is real but I have had success with foil. They say paper will allow more smoke in.....I have enough smoke by the time I wrap. They say it will keep it more juicy but I like a hard bark so I'm not sure if I will like paper but I'm willing to try it.