Need some advice - Doing my first brisket Labor Day

[Subvet]

I'm going to jump in the deep water by trying a brisket for my first cook. Picked up a 10 lb. Choice from my local butcher shop. He picked me out one with great marbling knowing I need to impress the wife. At $4.49 lb I'd better impress her.

1. Will be smoking in Open Range. Should I use lump or charcoal?
2. I have oak, hickory and mesquite. Friend is going to bring me a piece of pecan. Which to use?
3. Internal temp? I've read anywhere from 165 to 205?
4. Smoker temp? I've read anywhere from 225 to 270.
5. Use Texas Crutch or just stick with low and slow?
6. How long to rest in a cooler?

Thanks in advance for helping a 75 year old newbie. Never too old to learn something new!

[RG]

Hi Subvet! Welcome to the forum! That's a great question you have and I'll offer a little advice.  You want your pit to run in those temps  you listed. Let's just say 250. Internal temp of the meat should be anywhere from 190 on up past 200. Cook until it probes tender. To wrap or not to wrap? Matter of personal preference really. If you're going to do it,  wait until it reaches the color you're looking for (anywhere from 160 to 180) and then wrap.

As for fuel, I say lump with oak and hickory as your smoke agent.

[RG]

Cooler rest for an hour up to 4 (I've held safely for 6) as long as it's wrapped really well and cooler has lots of towels in it above and below brisket.

[Subvet]

Thanks RG!

[Hub]

Brisket is a fun and challenging cook.  Here's some material for you that'll help, I hope:

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=617.0

The comments following the article contain even more information and alternatives.  The best single piece of advice I can give you is that brisket is very hard to cook perfectly so don't worry about that.  Overcook it a little, if anything.  Overcooked brisket is delicious.  Undercooked brisket is horrible.

Hub

[RG]

I should've let Hub post first, lol! Good info there.

I was short in my responses, those that know me know that I over explain everything. I'm meticulous about things so I tend to go overboard. Last night's response was made on my tablet, which I hate to type on, lol. That lead to the abbreviated version

Good luck with that brisket, if you have time snap some pictures of it and share! We LOVE pictures!

[Pappymn]

Good luck. My last brisket was my second one. It came out great. It was a small 12 pound packer. Which I think made the difference over just a flat.

[Subvet]

Brisket is a fun and challenging cook.  Here's some material for you that'll help, I hope:

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=617.0

The comments following the article contain even more information and alternatives.  The best single piece of advice I can give you is that brisket is very hard to cook perfectly so don't worry about that.  Overcook it a little, if anything.  Overcooked brisket is delicious.  Undercooked brisket is horrible.

Hub

Hub, that is a terrific article. Many thanks for providing the link. With whats in the article and the 'condensed' tips from RG how can I go wrong.    

Looking forward to getting the smoker fired up early Monday. Will take some pics regardless of the outcome but I can smell and taste it already. Gonna make some baked beans and homemade restaurant style slaw for sides.

[Redsparow1]

I'm going to jump in the deep water by trying a brisket for my first cook. Picked up a 10 lb. Choice from my local butcher shop. He picked me out one with great marbling knowing I need to impress the wife. At $4.49 lb I'd better impress her.

1. Will be smoking in Open Range. Should I use lump or charcoal?
2. I have oak, hickory and mesquite. Friend is going to bring me a piece of pecan. Which to use?
3. Internal temp? I've read anywhere from 165 to 205?
4. Smoker temp? I've read anywhere from 225 to 270.
5. Use Texas Crutch or just stick with low and slow?
6. How long to rest in a cooler?

I didn't read through the string that was sent to you in the above posts, but I thought I would add my .02.

1) Your Choice
2) Brisket can stand up to a really strong wood like mesquite, but if you are still trying to dial in your smoker I think I might go with an oak or hickory.
3) Stick to the higher end closer to 205
4) I like to do mine around 250
5) I concur taking it up to an internal of 180 or so, then foiling it is how I would do it.
6) 4-6 hours is doable, they key is to make sure you have pushed out all the air, you cant leave any air at all, assuming you are using a standard cooler and not a Yeti or something.

The biggest piece of advice would be the time. Make sure you give yourself enough time, the meat is going to be done when it it done.  With a cut that takes so long to cut, this makes it a real challenge.  The cooler trick gives you quite a bit of flexibility to hold the meat for a good while, so shoot to have the meat done 4-5 hours before your serving time and you should be okay.  There is nothing worse than having to tell guests, just a little bit longer, when you don't really know how much longer it is going to take.

Good luck with your cook!



Thanks in advance for helping a 75 year old newbie. Never too old to learn something new!

[smokeasaurus]

Done a few briskets in Open Range pits. Go with lump. For wood, 2-3 fist size chunks. I would put a foil pan in the bottom of the smoker box with water. Easy to refill. If you choose to do this refill with HOT water. Two reasons, it wont steam back on ya and it will not cool down your smoker box temp.

Start probing with a toothpick after the stall (170-175) when that pick comes out clean and goes in and out early, remove it from the OP. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. I double wrap in foil and wrap in a bath towel. I will go two hours.

Oh, run the Open Range at 250 for the entire cook.

[Subvet]

I didn't read through the string that was sent to you in the above posts, but I thought I would add my .02.

1) Your Choice
2) Brisket can stand up to a really strong wood like mesquite, but if you are still trying to dial in your smoker I think I might go with an oak or hickory.
3) Stick to the higher end closer to 205
4) I like to do mine around 250
5) I concur taking it up to an internal of 180 or so, then foiling it is how I would do it.
6) 4-6 hours is doable, they key is to make sure you have pushed out all the air, you cant leave any air at all, assuming you are using a standard cooler and not a Yeti or something.

The biggest piece of advice would be the time. Make sure you give yourself enough time, the meat is going to be done when it it done.  With a cut that takes so long to cut, this makes it a real challenge.  The cooler trick gives you quite a bit of flexibility to hold the meat for a good while, so shoot to have the meat done 4-5 hours before your serving time and you should be okay.  There is nothing worse than having to tell guests, just a little bit longer, when you don't really know how much longer it is going to take.

Good luck with your cook!

[/quote]

Thanks, really appreciate it.

[Subvet]

Done a few briskets in Open Range pits. Go with lump. For wood, 2-3 fist size chunks. I would put a foil pan in the bottom of the smoker box with water. Easy to refill. If you choose to do this refill with HOT water. Two reasons, it wont steam back on ya and it will not cool down your smoker box temp.

Start probing with a toothpick after the stall (170-175) when that pick comes out clean and goes in and out early, remove it from the OP. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. I double wrap in foil and wrap in a bath towel. I will go two hours.

Oh, run the Open Range at 250 for the entire cook.

Thanks smoke.  Do I put all the wood in at the start or add a piece over a period of time?

[teesquare]

I am going to fall on the side favoring Pecan as my ALL TIME favorite for brisket.It is like a milder, more carmel-y - butter-y hickory. YO have gotten plenty of great advice- and I KNOW you will be successful. (Especially since I am watching A&M about to play them metro-boys from Lost Angels.)

Just trust the toothpick to have the last word on doneness. Temp. probing is a great guideline - but just like people ( especially female people ) briskets can be a little tricky to get that slice that loss together = but is almost melt in your mouth tender - and juicy. It is a craft well worth the practice - because as someone her on LTBBQ says - "we get to eat our mistakes" ( again...kinda like being married )

[Subvet]

I am going to fall on the side favoring Pecan as my ALL TIME favorite for brisket.It is like a milder, more carmel-y - butter-y hickory. YO have gotten plenty of great advice- and I KNOW you will be successful. (Especially since I am watching A&M about to play them metro-boys from Lost Angels.)

Just trust the toothpick to have the last word on doneness. Temp. probing is a great guideline - but just like people ( especially female people ) briskets can be a little tricky to get that slice that loss together = but is almost melt in your mouth tender - and juicy. It is a craft well worth the practice - because as someone her on LTBBQ says - "we get to eat our mistakes" ( again...kinda like being married )

And here I thought a toothpick was only fer pick'n brisket out of yer teeth.
Aggies need to pick up the pace. I sure miss the days of Johnny Football and Mike Evans lighting up the scoreboard. How about those Houston Cougars!

[teesquare]

I am going to fall on the side favoring Pecan as my ALL TIME favorite for brisket.It is like a milder, more carmel-y - butter-y hickory. YO have gotten plenty of great advice- and I KNOW you will be successful. (Especially since I am watching A&M about to play them metro-boys from Lost Angels.)

Just trust the toothpick to have the last word on doneness. Temp. probing is a great guideline - but just like people ( especially female people ) briskets can be a little tricky to get that slice that loss together = but is almost melt in your mouth tender - and juicy. It is a craft well worth the practice - because as someone her on LTBBQ says - "we get to eat our mistakes" ( again...kinda like being married )

And here I thought a toothpick was only fer pick'n brisket out of yer teeth.
Aggies need to pick up the pace. I sure miss the days of Johnny Football and Mike Evans lighting up the scoreboard. How about those Houston Cougars!

Houston did ALL of Texas proud! Of course we *do* allow Okies on this board, and - well...my apologies for the way U of H uglied up on Uglyhoma..... Watch out for a sharpened rib bone/spear from Hub in that he is an OU alum.