Two failed Briskets

[falcon7xguy]

i cooked two briskets and were awesome. cooked them at 225 for the internal temp and was very moist and very happy. then, i got two pieces of meat that just seem to cook way to much and was somewhat dry, i cooked them both to an internal of 190' but just on the non moist side of things. on one brisket, there was nice fat around the meat and thickness of the meat with other side of meat getting thinner without any fat on the meat. this was the drier cooked side of meat so very disappointed. we then tried another smaller piece of meat with some, what i though descent piece of meat with some fat, and the middle of meat was once again very dry. i cooked all 4 pieces of meat to internal of 190, so now im scared of cooking another brisket. any ideas?

 

[CMTiger]

i cooked two briskets and were awesome. cooked them at 225 for the internal temp and was very moist and very happy. then, i got two pieces of meat that just seem to cook way to much and was somewhat dry, i cooked them both to an internal of 190' but just on the non moist side of things. on one brisket, there was nice fat around the meat and thickness of the meat with other side of meat getting thinner without any fat on the meat. this was the drier cooked side of meat so very disappointed. we then tried another smaller piece of meat with some, what i though descent piece of meat with some fat, and the middle of meat was once again very dry. i cooked all 4 pieces of meat to internal of 190, so now im scared of cooking another brisket. any ideas?

190 seems low as a general rule? How’d they feel when your probe went in?

 

[falcon7xguy]

190 seems low as a general rule? How’d they feel when your probe went in?

i kept probe in the entire time. i followed what recommendations were, actually i think 195'ish which might have been when i pulled off. it was dry but flavor was great. i only put salt and pepper on it, so im confused what the heck i did wrong. cooked them the same way i did two successful briskets prior. pretty much anything i put on this cooker comes out great, but not these last two briskets. i must admit, the briskets aren't what i used to get a couple years ago

 

[Timmy]

What temperature did you wrap them at and did you wrap in peach paper or foil?

 

[Slimpicker]

190 seems low as a general rule? How’d they feel when your probe went in?

Falcon, Tiger meant did you "probe test" your meat before pulling it at 195°IT. Your meat can go to 203° or more if it doesn't "probe test" like butter. If your meat is not soft enough to allow a probe to enter with ease, then it's probably not done yet!!!

What temperature did you wrap them at and did you wrap in peach paper or foil?

And Timmy is pointing out the very high importance of wrapping your brisket at the right time, even adding tallow with the wrap, and then taking it to finish temp. I usually wrap when I see a good hard deep dark bark, or no later than 175° IT but could be around 165°, or during the stall.

 

[falcon7xguy]

What temperature did you wrap them at and did you wrap in peach paper or foil?

195 and foil. im just wondering if the cuts of meat have changed since i started because they seem to be really thin with hardly any fat on them at all.

 

[Slimpicker]

195 and foil. im just wondering if the cuts of meat have changed since i started because they seem to be really thin with hardly any fat on them at all.

Again, the standard is to wrap in peach paper at about 160-170 Internal temp, add tallow if you have it (you can always make a small batch from your prep trimmings) and them bump up the temp to about 240-250 once wrapped till you reach in the 200s

Watch a few YT vids and you'll see hundreds of examples.

 

[RustyJake]

Meat grade plays into the outcome as well. I don't see that you mentioned the grade of the brisket you were working with.

What’s Your Beef – Prime, Choice or Select?

The USDA grade shields are highly regarded as symbols of safe, high-quality American beef. Quality grades are widely used as a "language" within the beef industry, making business transactions easier and providing a vital link to support rural America. Consumers, as well as those involved in...

www.usda.gov

 

[CMTiger]

Dare I ask…..were you trusting the Traeger probes?

 

[RayClem]

Brisket is actual two different muscles, the flat and the point. A full packer brisket has both muscles. The point has a fair amount of fat, so it will tend to have more juice. The flat does not have a lot of fat, but does have connective tissue. In order to fully break down connective tissue, you have to reach a temperature of 200F. If you pulled your briskets at 190F, the connective tissue might not have been fully rendered.

The point @CMTiger made is quite valid. Relying on the Traeger internal temperature probe when cooking an expensive piece of meat is risky. That is why you should always use a 3rd party temperature probe to test the meat when it nears final temperature. You are not only looking for the temperature reading, but for a buttery feel when you insert the probe into the meat. It is like using a toothpick to test the doneness of a cake in the oven. When the probe goes in an out cleanly in a few different places, the brisket (or chuck roast, or pork butt, etc.) are ready. However, even if the meat feels done, it still needs to rest for an hour or more so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat as it cools.

If you still have any of the brisket left, add some liquid such as apple juice, apple cider vinegar or water, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and place it in your oven at 300F and cook it until the internal temperature is 200-205F AND the meat is probe tender. This will insure that all the fat and connective tissue are rendered. Be sure to allow the brisket to rest for at least and hour before removing the foil. Hopefully, that will save an otherwise failed brisket.

 

[CMTiger]

For what it’s worth I trust my third party InkBird probe but I still use my MK4 to double check everything.

 

[FieldMedic]

Falcon, Tiger meant did you "probe test" your meat before pulling it at 195°IT. Your meat can go to 203° or more if it doesn't "probe test" like butter. If your meat is not soft enough to allow a probe to enter with ease, then it's probably not done yet!!!




And Timmy is pointing out the very high importance of wrapping your brisket at the right time, even adding tallow with the wrap, and then taking it to finish temp. I usually wrap when I see a good hard deep dark bark, or no later than 175° IT but could be around 165°, or during the stall.

Lately I’ve been having really fine results taking my Briskets & Beef Ribs past the stall into the 180’s before I wrap. I’m not losing bark like I have in the past when I’ve wrapped in the 165-170 point. You can even get away with wrapping in foil and still retain bark...

@falcon7xguy

The tale tell test for doneness is the probe test (like others have mentioned).... the number or temp on the probe isn’t nearly as important as the ease of which the probe enters the meat. Take a stick of butter out of the fridge and let it sit out for a few hours. Take your temp probe
or even a tooth pick and run it into the stick of butter. That’s the “feel” you want.
(IMO FEEL & COLOR) smoking until your protein reaches the level/color of bark you want Is more important than overall cook time and internal temp. Also consider your protein selection at the butcher shop.... Beef grades either Prime, Choice or Select. I’ve had Prime Grade Briskets finish with an IT of 190. Where lesser cuts take 200-203 to get the “jiggle” or probe to slide through with little to no resistance. Lesser grades Choice & Select can have drastically different outcomes via no fault of your own. A prime cut is a lot more forgiving than a Select cut.....due to the additional amount of marbling.

 

[falcon7xguy]

Dare I ask…..were you trusting the Traeger probes?

yes, i was cooking on my cousin's trager last time and using the probe. is that a problem with trager probe

 

[falcon7xguy]

Meat grade plays into the outcome as well. I don't see that you mentioned the grade of the brisket you were working with.

What’s Your Beef – Prime, Choice or Select?

The USDA grade shields are highly regarded as symbols of safe, high-quality American beef. Quality grades are widely used as a "language" within the beef industry, making business transactions easier and providing a vital link to support rural America. Consumers, as well as those involved in...

www.usda.gov

one piece was thick on one side and taperd off to a thin piece on the other end with not much fat on it at all. i was worried right off the bat before i put on the smoker. the second piece was a really thin piece of meat with some fat but not like i have had before

 

[falcon7xguy]

Falcon, Tiger meant did you "probe test" your meat before pulling it at 195°IT. Your meat can go to 203° or more if it doesn't "probe test" like butter. If your meat is not soft enough to allow a probe to enter with ease, then it's probably not done yet!!!




And Timmy is pointing out the very high importance of wrapping your brisket at the right time, even adding tallow with the wrap, and then taking it to finish temp. I usually wrap when I see a good hard deep dark bark, or no later than 175° IT but could be around 165°, or during the stall.

i didn't wrap because i use to cook on weber smokey mountain all the time without wrapping. maybe i should reconsider wrapping this piece