cook time with brisket - would like some thoughts

[KC-Q]

Hey everyone,

This will be my first "official" post next to the intro for new members.  So I'm ready to drink from the firehose!

OK, so I just got me a PBC for my birthday this year.  I've done two cooks on it.  First was some chicken (turned out UH-MAZ-ING).  Second was a brisket point recipe I've been wanting to try for a while.    Now this is where I'm not sure what went wrong.  Mind you, I did two 4 lb points and had NO leftovers so it didn't bomb.  But I know I could do better and the cook time seemed WAY off.

Here's my procedure for this one:

Put two softball sized chunks of wood in the basket and filled the rest with Kingsford original briquettes.  Haven't invested in a chimney yet (don't worry, I will), so I doused with lighter fluid and waited 15-20 min. with the lid off to get everything ready.  put the points on with the double hook method PBC recommends.  I wanted to monitor the meat temp, so I used my maverick and at first just ran the cable out the top.  This prevented the lid to seal completely but didn't think anything of it at first.  The brisket went from 50 deg. to 162 (the stall point) within 45 min.  So, when I wrapped them, I decided to run the probe cable through one of the rebar holes.  All in all the brisket was done in 3-1/2hrs total.  I let it rest for about 3 hours before cutting it and making a sauce with the au jus.  The rest of the cook was to cut it up into burnt ends and finish on a skillet with the sauce from the au jus(via grill or stove top - I did stovetop due to the fact that rain was starting to come down pretty heavily at that time).   

They finished very well and no-one complained one bit.  But I personally felt the fat didn't render very well and the brisket was a bit too chewy.  It really freaked me out to hit temp at the 3.5 hr mark.  I know PBC claims to cut long cooks down quite a bit, but this is a little scary.  So I'm looking for thoughts on what I could have done differently.  My initial thought is that the probe cable kept the lid from sealing and thus up'd the temp.  I also wonder about the chunks of wood changing the cook temp.  One last bit of info is that I live in Chicago and I think I have my inlet set right (1/4 open - probably about 3/8" gap at the widest point).

Ok, so fire away! 

[MikeC01]

I usually run my probe wire through the hole in the side and then insert the rebar.  I'd be curious to hear other people's thoughts on probe wire placement though.

[drholly]

Hey KC-Q, I am afraid I can't be much help as I don't do a lot of briskets - more of a pulled pork kinda guy. But I am sure one of the experts (or more) will be along with some good advice.

I just wanted to respond to say - Happy Birthday and congratulations on getting a PBC - I do enjoy using mine and I know you will as well - keep telling us about your adventures, and include some pics when and if you can.

[amshepar]

I have done a few briskets and typically 45 minutes per lb is the right time, give or take a half hour at the end.  Two 4lb briskets is not the same as one 8lb due to the time it would take for the middle of the brisket to warm up above 200.  Did you pull it at 203?  That is the magic number for the brisket.  Anything less and you aren't giving the tendons enough time to break down (this causes the tenderness).

[smokeasaurus]

I have stopped doing briskets on my PBC. I prefer the way come out when cooking lo and slo......however, I have done high heat brisket cooks before with pretty good results.

No two briskets are the same, some just turn out not quite right. I do Jacard the flat just before I season. The point has a bunch of fat and it is not necessary.

I like to run the probe wire through the re-bar hole. It won't affect the air flow one bit.

[viscera912]

i am not considered a pro on this forum but i will give you my thoughts.  i also run the wires through the re bar hole.  i have done 7 brisket ( 3 packers, and the rest i separated the flat and point and cooked both at the same time) on pbc so far and each one was done at a different temp.  my memorial day brisket 6 lb point was done at 209 and the flat was done at 210.  i also don't use wood chunk when i start up the basket.  i setup the coal in such a way that i'll put 2 lowered areas and put the chunk right before hanging the meat. have fun learning your pbc!
jason

[teesquare]

Hey everyone,

This will be my first "official" post next to the intro for new members.  So I'm ready to drink from the firehose!

OK, so I just got me a PBC for my birthday this year.  I've done two cooks on it.  First was some chicken (turned out UH-MAZ-ING).  Second was a brisket point recipe I've been wanting to try for a while.    Now this is where I'm not sure what went wrong.  Mind you, I did two 4 lb points and had NO leftovers so it didn't bomb.  But I know I could do better and the cook time seemed WAY off.

Here's my procedure for this one:

Put two softball sized chunks of wood in the basket and filled the rest with Kingsford original briquettes.  Haven't invested in a chimney yet (don't worry, I will), so I doused with lighter fluid and waited 15-20 min. with the lid off to get everything ready.  put the points on with the double hook method PBC recommends.  I wanted to monitor the meat temp, so I used my maverick and at first just ran the cable out the top.  This prevented the lid to seal completely but didn't think anything of it at first.  The brisket went from 50 deg. to 162 (the stall point) within 45 min.  So, when I wrapped them, I decided to run the probe cable through one of the rebar holes.  All in all the brisket was done in 3-1/2hrs total.  I let it rest for about 3 hours before cutting it and making a sauce with the au jus.  The rest of the cook was to cut it up into burnt ends and finish on a skillet with the sauce from the au jus(via grill or stove top - I did stovetop due to the fact that rain was starting to come down pretty heavily at that time).   

They finished very well and no-one complained one bit.  But I personally felt the fat didn't render very well and the brisket was a bit too chewy.  It really freaked me out to hit temp at the 3.5 hr mark.  I know PBC claims to cut long cooks down quite a bit, but this is a little scary.  So I'm looking for thoughts on what I could have done differently.  My initial thought is that the probe cable kept the lid from sealing and thus up'd the temp.  I also wonder about the chunks of wood changing the cook temp.  One last bit of info is that I live in Chicago and I think I have my inlet set right (1/4 open - probably about 3/8" gap at the widest point).

Ok, so fire away!

1. What temp range were you cooking at?  I am happiest with those I have cooked at 225 to 275F. Typically that is below the "native range" of temps the PBC runs at ( tho we have guys that have worked out methods to run them lower. )
2. Test with a toothpick as a probe. It needs to slide in and out almost like butter. Ignore time, and be flexible on the final cook temp. Some will be done at 10 degrees cooler than you think -  some 10 degrees warmer. 5-10 degrees can make a big difference in the finished texture and tenderness.

[Hub]

You can do a great brisket in the PBC and there are lots of success stories posted here along with a few fails.  The PBC runs a little hotter than most smokers but you can adapt and succeed.

Any KCBS competition cook will tell you that briskets are the most unpredictable meat we do.  There are just times when all the attention to detail and all the right things we do still don't produce the exact result we want.  No two briskets ever cook exactly the same and the best insurance is to cook to temperature, not time, and do everything you can to promote moisture retention.  When I judge I see about 5-10% of the brisket entries nail it and the rest are still mighty good most of the time.  The worst brisket I ever encountered was obviously undercooked but was oversmoked and was sort of a pinkish gray color.  The slices were pretty ragged and I suspect the cook had to cut it with a chainsaw 

Hub

[KC-Q]

thanks for the input.  I do cook to temp rather than time.  I was surprised to see it hit 209 before I took it off so quick.  It could have just been the beef.  The learning curve on the PBC is different.  I guess I'll just have to cook a lot to figure things out.  (oh darn.)

Well, you asked for some pics, and I've got em.  I guess you can't say it was a fail if everyone ate it all and even went back for seconds.

[KC-Q]

Oh, and here's the recipe I used.  Although I did my own beef rub on one of them and used my own BBQ sauce in the recipe.
http://www.adamperrylang.com/recipes/burnt-ends-with-melting-garlic

[teesquare]

I would think about  placing the brisket not he grate - horizontal in order to heat it evenly ends - to - end. That will also give you a more reliable temp reading. And, if the brisket is too long - I might cut it in half if I had too.

I think those burnt ends would taste great!

[ronman451]

I haven't attempted a brisket on my PBC yet (I figure I will try one when I find a good sale), but my one bit of advice has to do with your temp probe.

I would strongly recommend that you don't drape the wire over the top of the PBC. Thread it through one of the re-bar holes. I've noticed that even a small crack in the PBC lid can jack up your cooker temp tremendously, which may be why your brisket cooked so fast...

I actually use this fact to my advantage when I want high heat. I use a piece of folded aluminum foil to create a gap.

[Chief Mac]

I agree with Ronman and my I add that the thermometer thermocouples wires are very fragile and and not made to be pinched or crimped ... don't expect those cables to last, IMO.   
If I want to close a off all the rebar holes I use foil around the wiring and pushed lightly into and around the rebar hole, it does not take much to block and reduce the PBC temps.   
CM