Posted: 6/15/2025 3:45:31 PM EDT
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The first time I smoked a brisket it was perfect… something I have not been able to replicate! I put a brisket on this morning about 1AM and followed what many people say to do. Equipment: Big Green Egg with the plate setter in place so the brisket does not get direct heat. I put an aluminum tray between the plate setter and grill grate. Brought temp to 225. Prep: 12 pound brisket USDA Choice, Day before the cook I trimmed the fat to approximately 1/4”. I rendered the fat into tallow. I covered the brisket with a commercial rub and put back in fridge. Before cooking I also injected about 10 oz of beef broth into the brisket. Injected about every 2 inches. Cooking: pulled brisket from fridge and put temp probe in the thickest part of the flat. Threw some apple wood I had been soaking into the coals. Put brisket fat side down on the grate, Monitored temp of grill and brisket. Grill stayed between 225 and 250. When I put the brisket on temp dropped to 180 but came back up. Monitored until internal temp of brisket was 150. At that point I too butcher paper and rubbed tallow on it (about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Placed the brisket meat side down in the tallow and tightly wrapped. Grill temp now is a constant 222f Stall was very short! Monitored temp till it reached 200. Removed wrapped brisket from grill and placed (still wrapped) brisket in an aluminum tray. In the butcher paper was a lot of liquid from the meat. Brisket appeared to pass the jiggle and prob test I covered the pan with aluminum foil and placed in a towel lined cooler. Brisket sat from 3 hours in cooler. The slicing: Sliced meat against the grain… and it was dry… went further up the flat - not as dry but lots more dry than it should have been. Still tastes good and I have everything soaking into brisket juices and beef broth. Question: Is there anything that I am doing wrong? Is the meat not that great? Should I look for prime instead of choice? Advice and tips appreciated!!!! |
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Originally Posted By TechOps: Please describe the issue you had with the meat, that may help determine what part failed. taste? tough? Why was it bad? I guess that would help! The flat was dry/tough. It is good enough very thinly sliced or chopped but there is very little moisture. |
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The fat side up vs down is not a make or break, it's just personal preference. Brisket is so grainy and dense, the fat is not going to go through the meat, it just runs off the side. If you put the fat side down, you're insulating beef from the heat below. In a kamado, it really doesn't matter. I trim nearly all the fat off my flat, slicing it really thin and tossing it with the leftover rub......then I put the point side down, and throw all that trimed fat on top to baste the meat and make chichorrones. Are you sure your BGE is at that dome temp? Calibrate often, or run a separate temp probe if your trying to hit a temp spot on. If it busted through the stall that fast, you were either running a higher temp than you were or it was just lean cut low on fat and or collagen. If you see that again, you might consider wrapping it sooner.....like 170-180F with a little beef broth, beer, or just BBQ sauce thinned out with either or water. I like butcher paper better, but again, personal preference. Either way, pull the paper or foil at 200 to get a little bark as the meat approaches your target temp. |
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Thanks guys! The temp thing is a possibility… I have a digital probe about an inch above the grate. That was what I was checking the heat temp with. There was a difference between dome temp and grate level - dome is about 70 degrees warmer. I will recalibrate thermometers, get a prime cut and go fat up next time. |
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Originally Posted By digitalebola: Thanks guys! The temp thing is a possibility… I have a digital probe about an inch above the grate. That was what I was checking the heat temp with. There was a difference between dome temp and grate level - dome is about 70 degrees warmer. I will recalibrate thermometers, get a prime cut and go fat up next time. The dome was warmer? That doesn't make sense, so something may be off. Dome should be cooler since evaporation is taking place below where the probe is. To ensure you're getting an accurate reading, make sure you put the grill temp probe above a convector plate leg so it can't "see" the fire, then at least an inch or two from the meat, lid, and NOT above a drip pan. Boil some water and submerse the probe tips to see how close they are to 212. Try fat up next time, but if you want to prove something to yourself, just cut that brisket flat in half longways. Set them side by side, one fat up, one fat down--bet you money you won't be able to tell the difference in the meat (the fat will be different if you eat that, but the meat won't, at least not in a kamado, especially if you wrap it.) Every smoker is different, the environment is different, but what's more different that anything else is the piece of meat. Every celebrity pitmaster, youtube BBQ "expert", and even your dad have some sort of "secret trick" that is [allegedly] "game-changing". Being in the business with the competition circuit guys and knowing a lot of longtime pitmasters, most of these guys will really tell you the variation from one cook to the next, comes in somewhere between 75%+ on the particular piece and quality of meat. The other third or quarter is a combination of your rub, brine, smoker, cooking fuel, environmental, smoke, etc......you can play with all that stuff, but once you've smoked 100's of these things, you'll see how little all of the factors YOU control actually affect anything. You can be off temp by 50F, forget smoking wood, use a water pan, etc. and it may be a little noticeable, but get an oddball piece of meat and it will be much more noticeable. And brisket varies more than anything other piece of meet. One thing you can do a Costco where there is a big selection is "bend your brisket." Try to settle ones that bend the same. Again, not that it's a big deal, it just cuts down on variations. |
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Originally Posted By delorean: The dome was warmer? That doesn't make sense, so something may be off. Dome should be cooler since evaporation is taking place below where the probe is. To ensure you're getting an accurate reading, make sure you put the grill temp probe above a convector plate leg so it can't "see" the fire, then at least an inch or two from the meat, lid, and NOT above a drip pan. Boil some water and submerse the probe tips to see how close they are to 212. Try fat up next time, but if you want to prove something to yourself, just cut that brisket flat in half longways. Set them side by side, one fat up, one fat down--bet you money you won't be able to tell the difference in the meat (the fat will be different if you eat that, but the meat won't, at least not in a kamado, especially if you wrap it.) Every smoker is different, the environment is different, but what's more different that anything else is the piece of meat. Every celebrity pitmaster, youtube BBQ "expert", and even your dad have some sort of "secret trick" that is [allegedly] "game-changing". Being in the business with the competition circuit guys and knowing a lot of longtime pitmasters, most of these guys will really tell you the variation from one cook to the next, comes in somewhere between 75%+ on the particular piece and quality of meat. The other third or quarter is a combination of your rub, brine, smoker, cooking fuel, environmental, smoke, etc......you can play with all that stuff, but once you've smoked 100's of these things, you'll see how little all of the factors YOU control actually affect anything. You can be off temp by 50F, forget smoking wood, use a water pan, etc. and it may be a little noticeable, but get an oddball piece of meat and it will be much more noticeable. And brisket varies more than anything other piece of meet. One thing you can do a Costco where there is a big selection is "bend your brisket." Try to settle ones that bend the same. Again, not that it's a big deal, it just cuts down on variations. I really appreciate the reply. My egg is going on 20 years old and I replaced the dome thermometer a few months back. I have tested it in boiling water - but it still seems off. The original thermometer did great for a looooong time. I may toss the one I have now and get a OEM BGE thermometer. |
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Originally Posted By ToyCop: Why poke a bunch of holes in a brisket to inject it. I've never injected one and they turn out fantastic. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18568/IMG_2141-3249280.jpg That is how I want it! That is how my first came out years ago - never to be duplicated. Thanks everyone for the tips! I thin sliced the flat on the slicer and have all that soaking in juice…. Great beef sandwiches. I made some burnt ends out of the point. Attached File Attached File |
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Originally Posted By digitalebola: I really appreciate the reply. My egg is going on 20 years old and I replaced the dome thermometer a few months back. I have tested it in boiling water - but it still seems off. The original thermometer did great for a looooong time. I may toss the one I have now and get a OEM BGE thermometer. You probably had one of the original cheap ones......amazing it made it 20 years! They went to larger faced Tel-Tru's about 6-7 years ago, but they still don't last. All thermometers are sacrificial parts. I sell these in my store: https://smokeware.com/products/limited-edition-usa-temp-gauge-2020 They're made in the US, and a lower price. The ones in my BGE's are going on 5 years. |
| Sometimes brisket is just gonna do brisket things. You can do everything right, and still have it come out bad, or at least less good. My last cook, I did two primes from the same store. Everything was identical, prep through cook. Both probe-tender when pulled. One turned out tough and chewy, the other was great! The tough one finished first, both probes right around 200. |
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+++++++++++++ TIPS +++++++++++++ You want to get a temp controller like the Pitmaster IQ130. This will let you monitor the internal temp as well as the ambient temp at the grate level. Also, provides a set and forget operation. You want to setup a double indirect configuration. Check out Ceramic Grill Store for a smaller, lower level plate underneath the plate setter. Inject as you please, but it shouldn't be necessary. Don't water soak your wood. That just creates an acrid smoke. Not appetizing. Use wood chunks and not chips. You may have trimmed too much. Unless you're a youtuber, skip the beauty contest. You don't need to trim until you're slicing it up to serve. Let it rest, fully wrapped, in a cooler for at least 2 hours. Going up to 10 hours of rest is better (if you can keep the temp => 150*). +++++++++++++ PROCESS +++++++++++++ Start with only using Choice grade briskets. Decide on your baseline setup for your cook. From meat preparation, to cook time, to cook style/temp. Everything. Write it down. All the details on how you are going to do your cook, the timings, etc. After the cook, evaluate your product. Decide what you need to improve and/or fix. Make ONE (1) and only one change. Do another cook repeating the above, with your ONE change. When you have the product you're wanting, keep going. When you can repeat your results 3 consecutive times then you probably have it figured out and can start extending your skills. +++++++++++++ EPILOGUE TIPS +++++++++++++ Even keeping things as close to the same as possible (same size/grade brisket) you can still experience wildly varying cook times. Brisket is done when its done. Always keep that in mind and you won't try to force a bad cook. Higher grades (Prime/Wagyu) will cook quicker. But again, its done when its done. The fact you apparently understand the jiggle & probe tests is most of the battle. |
Tom Sawyer.
"If The Rules brought us to this, what use are they?"
"If The Rules brought us to this, what use are they?"
| I go fat side up. But I don’t wrap in butcher paper until I hit the stall. I do put a little tallow in there when I wrap it. Also the rest is very importiant. Minimum of an hour in a cooler with towels. 3 or 4 is better. Did you have water in the pan? I also set it out 2-3 hours before putting it on the smoker so it’s not as cold. |
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| I have been cooking on my egg for about 15 years, always fat side up for me. I have never once wrapped any of my meat, just low and slow, no water pan, no anything. Wrap and into a cooler for a few hours, I put the meat on the cold as well. Always cook to temp and they have been great. |
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Originally Posted By ropin4gold: I go fat side up. But I don’t wrap in butcher paper until I hit the stall. I do put a little tallow in there when I wrap it. Also the rest is very importiant. Minimum of an hour in a cooler with towels. 3 or 4 is better. Did you have water in the pan? I also set it out 2-3 hours before putting it on the smoker so it’s not as cold. No water pan on a kamado......don't need it to regulate the temp. The bigger issue is you're running more O2 through to compensate for the water that's burning off. And as soon as it does, it will cause the pit temp to rise unless you're there to pour more water in the pan. They're good for drafty smokers that are moving a lot of of air through them--keeps the heat below and around the meat in the low 200's--but kamados do that on their own. |
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I don't wrap based on temp or a stall. I wrap when I have the color/bark I like (usually between 175-185). I also always get prime from Costco as I think it helps covers potential mistakes. I do mine fat cap up on a Weber Kettle with slow 'n sear between 250-275 most of the time. The last inch or two of the flat will always be a little dry IME, but the rest will be fantastic. I smoked one for father's day and was feeling lazy so I did it on my tiny Traeger Tailgater. The brisket took up the entire grate at first. Since the point was directly over the fire pot I went fat cap down, then foil boated it fat cap up around 8 hours in. I put it on at 1am at 185 and let it run like that until around noon, then I bumped to 250. Didn't have the bark I get from charcoal and wood, but I didn't expect it either. Rested for a few hours in the oven before slicing. Attached File This is how I prefer my bark: 
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Originally Posted By GravyLegs: I always smoke brisket fat side up and as the fat melts it soaks down into the meat. Everything else looks right Despite popular opinion, fat will not soak into meat. Read about it here. |
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| i'm not an expert, but it sounds like you didn't let it stay at temp long enough or hot enough to break down the collagen. let it get to 160-165. if it stays there, you're in the stall. you can wrap with peach paper at that point if you'd like. by injecting beef broth you're prolonging the stall. I wrap mine around 165deg after it's been there for a bit and take it to 203-205. I also don't cook for time, I cook it till it's where I want it. you might try a higher temp after you wrap, say 250-260. |
What did socialists use before candles?..........Electricity
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Fat side up vs fat side down is the biggest myth in brisket cooking. It doesn’t make a difference. I’ve done two briskets and done a blind taste test. One of the biggest variables is meat quality - not prime vs choice, grass fed vs corn finished, or whatever. It’s the cut of the meat, the thickness of the flat, and the composition of the point. You have to be able to look through a pile of briskets at the store and be able to do something else if they all suck (and sometimes they do). Some briskets are better than others. Some briskets make great burgers but lousy bbq. I don’t inject- it creates pockets of mushier consistency inside the meat, plus it’s totally unnecessary. Finally, no matter who you are or how much of a pit master, you’re occasionally going to have one that doesn’t turn out perfect. That’s just the way it goes. Better cooks just have it happen more rarely. |
Not fly enough to be halal....
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Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: Fat side up vs fat side down is the biggest myth in brisket cooking. It doesn't make a difference. I've done two briskets and done a blind taste test. One of the biggest variables is meat quality - not prime vs choice, grass fed vs corn finished, or whatever. It's the cut of the meat, the thickness of the flat, and the composition of the point. You have to be able to look through a pile of briskets at the store and be able to do something else if they all suck (and sometimes they do). Some briskets are better than others. Some briskets make great burgers but lousy bbq. I don't inject- it creates pockets of mushier consistency inside the meat, plus it's totally unnecessary. Finally, no matter who you are or how much of a pit master, you're occasionally going to have one that doesn't turn out perfect. That's just the way it goes. Better cooks just have it happen more rarely. |
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Originally Posted By ToyCop: Why poke a bunch of holes in a brisket to inject it. I've never injected one and they turn out fantastic. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18568/IMG_2141-3249280.jpg Yeah its not a pork butt. No injection Also separate the flat from the point when trimming |
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Not an expert (still learning), but my best guesses are: (1) do not poke and inject it. just trim, then season/slather it, and get it going. (2) fat side up (I always do fat side up so it renders better but even though apparently according this thread it doesn't matter, it seems to make a difference to me) (3) was your aluminum tray filled with water? if not, your brisket can dry out. (4) after the first 3hrs or so, you should spritz the brisket every 30min-1hr with apple cider or water to preserve moisture, the guy who taught me said to, so I do. (5) if you wrapped at 150 you may have taken it off before the stall. If you pull it and wrap it before the stall, it's hard to recover from it. My briskets usually stall for a while in the 160s, and sit there for a while. Once it breaks out of the stall, then you wrap. My last wrecked brisket was one where I messed up temps (new charcoal), but it sounds like you had your temps under control. |
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Originally Posted By LetFreedomBeep: Yeah its not a pork butt. No injection Also separate the flat from the point when trimming Originally Posted By LetFreedomBeep: Originally Posted By ToyCop: Why poke a bunch of holes in a brisket to inject it. I've never injected one and they turn out fantastic. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18568/IMG_2141-3249280.jpg Yeah its not a pork butt. No injection Also separate the flat from the point when trimming No need to inject a pork butt either… |
Not fly enough to be halal....
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Originally Posted By ToyCop: Why poke a bunch of holes in a brisket to inject it. I've never injected one and they turn out fantastic. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18568/IMG_2141-3249280.jpg I agree. I never inject and get fantastic results. Beef broth has a ton of sodium. OP, I think when you injected the meat the amount of sodium in the broth likely ended up pulling liquid from the brisket. |
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Two things. 1. Water pan. You're cooking brisket for a very long time. The only moisture inside the smoker is what is inside of the meat. Heat is driving it out and it's evaporating to rapidly. You don't need a lot of water because you don't want to steam the brisket. Just enough to up the humidity inside the smoker. Which will slow the evaporation of the meat juices. 2. Spritz the brisket. 1 to 2 hours of smoke to set the bark. Then spritz every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Heck some people spritz every 15 after the first hour. You have to keep adding moisture or you will get a dry brisket. 2 cups a beef broth and 2 tbs brown sugar in a spray bottle. Don't be afraid to spritz the heck out of it. And add more water to your pan if it looks low when you spritz. |
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Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: Two things. 1. Water pan. You're cooking brisket for a very long time. The only moisture inside the smoker is what is inside of the meat. Heat is driving it out and it's evaporating to rapidly. You don't need a lot of water because you don't want to steam the brisket. Just enough to up the humidity inside the smoker. Which will slow the evaporation of the meat juices. 2. Spritz the brisket. 1 to 2 hours of smoke to set the bark. Then spritz every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Heck some people spritz every 15 after the first hour. You have to keep adding moisture or you will get a dry brisket. 2 cups a beef broth and 2 tbs brown sugar in a spray bottle. Don't be afraid to spritz the heck out of it. And add more water to your pan if it looks low when you spritz. Keep your sugar away from my brisket. |
Not fly enough to be halal....
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Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: Two things. 1. Water pan. You're cooking brisket for a very long time. The only moisture inside the smoker is what is inside of the meat. Heat is driving it out and it's evaporating to rapidly. You don't need a lot of water because you don't want to steam the brisket. Just enough to up the humidity inside the smoker. Which will slow the evaporation of the meat juices. 2. Spritz the brisket. 1 to 2 hours of smoke to set the bark. Then spritz every 45 minutes to 1 hour. Heck some people spritz every 15 after the first hour. You have to keep adding moisture or you will get a dry brisket. 2 cups a beef broth and 2 tbs brown sugar in a spray bottle. Don't be afraid to spritz the heck out of it. And add more water to your pan if it looks low when you spritz. |
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Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: Keep your sugar away from my brisket. Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: Keep your sugar away from my brisket. I'm assuming you think two tbs of sugar mixed in two cups of broth spritzed over a brisket is going to impart a sweet flavor. It doesn't. It's mainly a binder to help keep the bark intact. Honestly, it was not my idea. I acquired this tidbit of knowledge from self proclaimed "Winningest man in BBQ" Myron Mixon. And it for sure helps build a better bark. Originally Posted By ToyCop: I have never spritzed or kept a pan of water in the smoker when smoking brisket. I guess I'm just lucky. Do you have a higher relative humidity where your live? I think the higher the humidity the more moisture you'll naturally have in your pit. The wood will be more moist along with the intake air. I lived in Texas for a long time and didn't need to spritz nearly as much as I do here in Nevada. Just my opinion, but getting evenly cooked brisket without spritzing seem almost impossible to me. The thinner spots are going to dry out faster then the thicker parts. How are you keeping the flat from drying out? I'd assume knowing your pit and putting the flat over a cooler spot. |
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Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: I'm assuming you think two tbs of sugar mixed in two cups of broth spritzed over a brisket is going to impart a sweet flavor. It doesn't. It's mainly a binder to help keep the bark intact. Honestly, it was not my idea. I acquired this tidbit of knowledge from self proclaimed "Winningest man in BBQ" Myron Mixon. And it for sure helps build a better bark. Do you have a higher relative humidity where your live? I think the higher the humidity the more moisture you'll naturally have in your pit. The wood will be more moist along with the intake air. I lived in Texas for a long time and didn't need to spritz nearly as much as I do here in Nevada. Just my opinion, but getting evenly cooked brisket without spritzing seem almost impossible to me. The thinner spots are going to dry out faster than the thicker parts. How are you keeping the flat from drying out? I'd assume knowing your pit and putting the flat over a cooler spot. I can certainly see how lack of humidity might make it more challenging in Nevada and other dry areas. |
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Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: I'm assuming you think two tbs of sugar mixed in two cups of broth spritzed over a brisket is going to impart a sweet flavor. It doesn't. It's mainly a binder to help keep the bark intact. Honestly, it was not my idea. I acquired this tidbit of knowledge from self proclaimed "Winningest man in BBQ" Myron Mixon. And it for sure helps build a better bark. Do you have a higher relative humidity where your live? I think the higher the humidity the more moisture you'll naturally have in your pit. The wood will be more moist along with the intake air. I lived in Texas for a long time and didn't need to spritz nearly as much as I do here in Nevada. Just my opinion, but getting evenly cooked brisket without spritzing seem almost impossible to me. The thinner spots are going to dry out faster then the thicker parts. How are you keeping the flat from drying out? I'd assume knowing your pit and putting the flat over a cooler spot. Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: Keep your sugar away from my brisket. I'm assuming you think two tbs of sugar mixed in two cups of broth spritzed over a brisket is going to impart a sweet flavor. It doesn't. It's mainly a binder to help keep the bark intact. Honestly, it was not my idea. I acquired this tidbit of knowledge from self proclaimed "Winningest man in BBQ" Myron Mixon. And it for sure helps build a better bark. Originally Posted By ToyCop: I have never spritzed or kept a pan of water in the smoker when smoking brisket. I guess I'm just lucky. Do you have a higher relative humidity where your live? I think the higher the humidity the more moisture you'll naturally have in your pit. The wood will be more moist along with the intake air. I lived in Texas for a long time and didn't need to spritz nearly as much as I do here in Nevada. Just my opinion, but getting evenly cooked brisket without spritzing seem almost impossible to me. The thinner spots are going to dry out faster then the thicker parts. How are you keeping the flat from drying out? I'd assume knowing your pit and putting the flat over a cooler spot. Don’t care- keep your sugar water to yourself. My bark has never needed it. Myron Mixon has won a lot of competitions… but he can keep his sugar water too. |
Not fly enough to be halal....
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Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: Sounds like you're the type of guy who would tell Nolan Ryan how to throw a fastball. Got it I'll keep my sugar water to myself. Originally Posted By LarMoeCur: Originally Posted By TxRabbitBane: Myron Mixon has won a lot of competitions… but he can keep his sugar water too. Sounds like you're the type of guy who would tell Nolan Ryan how to throw a fastball. Got it I'll keep my sugar water to myself. lol my uncle drinks beer with Nolan Ryan occasionally. Mixon’s specialty is pork, BTW. He also cooks briskets hot and fast, not low and slow. Spritzing involves opening the pit, which creates temperature fluctuations (which most brisket cooks say is bad mojo - the “if you’re lookin’ you ain’t cookin’ “ school). I, like a lot of other bbqers, make excellent brisket without sugar water (or so many have said). I’ve tried most techniques over the years, and picked what works for me. I never told you not to use sugar water, I only told you to keep that shit away from mine. If that hurts your feelings, that’s too bad. |
Not fly enough to be halal....
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Read the Aaron Franklin book friend. Avoid temp Swings Inject turkeys, jam beer cans in chickens, but don't fuck with the brisket Mang! Salt , fresh ground pepper. Revive the bark if you wrap the stall. Keep The H2O spray bottle handy for the brisket bunnies in braless Tshirts that may wander too close your grill station. And remember, one -six probe Bluetooth monitor is none, and 2 are one.  |
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Deploy "free" probes inside your grill to learn and graph your interior environment, see What your aluminum shield is creating for variances/ heat plumes. Graph entire cook cycle of the meat and inside grill. Sounds like you have a good grip on steady temps... Don't make your temp climb look like JapanAL 123 FDR data  |
| Need to smoke Brisket fat side up. No, the fat doesn't trickle down through the meat, but also the moisture in the meat doesn't evaporate up through the fat cap. By smoking meat side up you dried out all the moisture in the meat. That's why your stall was so short, the meat was already dried out and didn't have the liquid that creates the stall as it evaporates away. |
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First off, the flat will always cook faster than the point. For this reason here, I cut and separate the point from the flat and then put them on the smoker. You need to pull the flat before you pull the point if you separate them before you put them on them smoker. Beef broth evaporates. Take that rendered beef tallow and inject it instead of the broth. You'll thank me later. Do NOT smoke it to 200° F internal meat temp. Instead pull it at 197°, toss it in a turkey bag. Wrap in two towels and put it in a cooler for 2 hours and let it rest. It will continue to cook and render. Originally Posted By TheLineIsReady: If you didn't let it cool at room temp for an hour or two before placing it in the cooler, the meat will have continued to cook that entire time, and likely caused it to be overdone. This right here. If it's overdone, chop it up, mix a little liquid beef tallow in for moisture and make pulled brisket sandwiches on a bun with bbq sauce. |