Brisket time!! Need advice!

[Txdragon]

Those pictures seem to tell a successful story already!

[GRailsback]

Hang in there Stefan, it will only get better for you.

[spacetrucker]

Stefan, our tables are filled with eatable mistakes, as long as everyone enjoyed it, the cook was a success
just make good notes for the next time, that is how we learn. (FYi I am my own worst critic so says my wife)

[k.a.m.]

Mighty fine finish Sir. That is a pretty brisket.
Next time just uncover the brisket after a couple hour rest and let her rest a bit open. The bark will tighten back up.

[Mule rider]

How many are you going to serve? A 14 to 15 lb packer will serve 20 -24 people depending on how you slice it.

[ShortRibStefan]

How many are you going to serve? A 14 to 15 lb packer will serve 20 -24 people depending on how you slice it.

Feeding about 50 people! But there's a lot of other food so hopefully my two 13 pounders I just bought do the trick. I really don't have room to do a third anyway! About to trim them up, and get them rubbed. Going on the smoke at midnight!

[otiskii]

How many are you going to serve? A 14 to 15 lb packer will serve 20 -24 people depending on how you slice it.

My compliments on having a very polite family.

I'm pretty sure 26 pounds will cook down to 13 so for my bunch that's (in theory 26) maybe 20 people. Maybe. Some would have to be children.

[ShortRibStefan]

How many are you going to serve? A 14 to 15 lb packer will serve 20 -24 people depending on how you slice it.

My compliments on having a very polite family.

I'm pretty sure 26 pounds will cook down to 13 so for my bunch that's (in theory 26) maybe 20 people. Maybe. Some would have to be children.

Yeah no doubt I think we'll finish off the meat tomorrow night. I did buy a 4lb corned beef/pastrami point that I'll smoke up as well, in case we get desperate, otherwise I'll have sandwich meat for a while. :) I need a bigger cooker! haha

[ShortRibStefan]

I went and bought another packer tonight - I think I can squeeze three packers on my RecTec and I just feel better about feeding 50 people with 3 briskets, rather than 2. I'll be sure to post pics!

[Boots]

Stefan, smart to go with the Packers, flats are tricky little beasts and require more monitoring, while packers are more juicy and juicy becomes loosey the more you cook it...

Piling +1 on the other comments, which are all from pros, but perhaps simplifies a bit. If cooking between 200-225, yer lookin at 13-17 hours for packers in the mid-teens weight; probably 11-15 at 225-250; and 8-12 at 250-300. Everything said about probe testing and poking it with yer thumb is right, when it feels tender enough to be yummy, you'll wanna shove it in yer tummy. Sorry, the poet who don't know it is dipping from a shallow intellectual well today.

One key tip: Once you hit 185-190 internal, you can try and set the cooker temp to match (say 200-205 if you can) and go another couple of hours and get it really tender without spiking its internal temp. Some do it in the cooker (that's me), others foil it and towel it and shove it in an empty cooler to let it do for itself. But if finished off in the cooker, it's hard for the internal temp of the brisket to exceed that of the environment it is cooking in; Papa Tom probably knows which one (I don't), but it's one of those gearhead Laws of Thermodynamics as I understand it.

And above all: Bondo Bill was an Ace! His instructions would be good for any off us to try.

[ShortRibStefan]

I though I'd share how my first big cook went last night. Started at 2am with 3 packers. All 11 pounders, probably 10 after trimming. I didn't stray too far from Bill's recipe, however one of the three I didn't inject - to see the difference for myself. I honestly liked that one best! Juicyness was not an issue in the non-injected packer.

I did burnt ends with the points, sliced up the flats, and even had a little leftover at the end of the night. 15 hours total cook time, averaging a 225 cook temp. Wrapped in butcher paper after bark looked nice, and I honestly think things turned out better than I could've hoped. The brisket was SO juicy, it was dripping all over the place and the cutting board was covered in juice after a few slices. Tasted...amazing!!!! Here's a few pics. We fed 55 people, (with many other sides of course) and many of Bill's friends attended, so we had some photos up in his memory. One of his buddies whispered to me, "That brisket might have been better than Bill's" - I think he was just being nice, but I'll take the compliment! Overall, big success, and I now feel like brisket is going to be on the menu this summer often. :)

Thanks for all your tips and help leading up to the cook! Every bit of advice helped me at least kind of feel like I knew what I was doing!

[GRailsback]

Greaqt job Stefan, now we have to teach you how to cut across the grain when you are sliceing up the brisket.

[ShortRibStefan]

Greaqt job Stefan, now we have to teach you how to cut across the grain when you are sliceing up the brisket.

haha YES good eye, I was so excited on the point cut, that I just started cutting into it without thinking about that! I did slice against the grain on the flats though. :)

[OldUsedParts]

Awesome Job, Sir Stefan - - Bondo is smilin down - that pic of the table with the photos might just be "Pic of the Year" in my book

[spacetrucker]

I was gonna comment on the second picture being cut wrong but got beat to the draw..
I am happy for you that your cook went well, just keep good notes on what and how you did,
Those look great to me