What's going wrong?..

[Kylem.cmp]

Hi guys, I recently switched to a insulated vertical cabinet smoke and I've been having a heck of a time getting my brisket up to snuff. It keeps coming out dry.. I'm thinking im waiting to long to wrap it because the bark isn't forming like I want and then when I do wrap it comes out mushy and kinda blah flavor, not that juicy. I feel like I was easy on my offset to get a good smokering, thick bark, and juicy... its just not happening on this new smoker I got. Cooking about 225-250, below are notes I took of the cook.

Trimmed brisket left a .25" of fat on. Seasoned then injected. Set in fridge overnight, re seasoned with salt pepper garlic and put on smoker at 830 fat side down.

Wrap at 130pm and poured copycat and drippings in foil ( looked like it was trying to dry out and bark was just barely starting to form ).

4 or so it reached 203* degrees, probed and it wasn't butter soft. Left it on another 30 min and pulled it at 205*. It was probe tender.

Let it rest for about 2 hours in a foil pan still wrapped in foil. It had no bark at all, was just mush ( assuming that was from me pouring the copycat in the foil at wrapping? ). No smoke ring, was kind of dry, and mush flavored. I cooked two briskets one prime and one choice, could hardly tell the difference in the two. Maybe next time I'll wrap at 160* and not worry about that bark?

I'm using oak wood and a little charcoal on my cooks.

any help or recommendations would be appreciated.

[motabbq]

Steps you followed sounds like you should have better results. I’m a a fat side up. How big a brisket? I read through twice and didn’t see that detail.




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[woodenvisions]

Not an expert but I've wrapped and panned Every one I've done at 160, never deviated from that and probe tender was always between 200 and 204 and every one was moist.
Not sure why you ran into this, maybe try wrapping in butcher paper.

You can always put it back on the smoker unwrapped in the very very end to tighten up the bark.

Good luck and I'm sure the Brisket experts will remedy your issue so stay patient ok ..

[Kylem.cmp]

Steps you followed sounds like you should have better results. I’m a a fat side up. How big a brisket? I read through twice and didn’t see that detail.

13 lbs give or take. They were pretty close to the same weight. I'll give it a shot next time. Just always did down because of space on my offset I'd have to keep my briskets close to firebox.


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[S.O.L. BBQ]

What cooker you using. Water pan or not. If water pan what you putting in it. On my backwoods I will pan it at 160-165 covered in tin foil. Then cook until tender. Just done a 15 pounder and it was done in about 7 hours . I cook at 275 and 300 degree.

[Chasdev]

I started using a cookie cooling grate in the bottom of the pan to keep the meat out of the boiling liquid when I foil.

[motabbq]

Steps you followed sounds like you should have better results. I’m a a fat side up. How big a brisket? I read through twice and didn’t see that detail.

13 lbs give or take. They were pretty close to the same weight. I'll give it a shot next time. Just always did down because of space on my offset I'd have to keep my briskets close to firebox.


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Ok from weight your issue might be is foil(Texas crutch). Nothing wrong but it will affect your outcome in varying ways from one cooker to the next. Maybe consider foil at 4 hrs and then check at 6 hrs for tenderness and secondary temp... if your getting some mushiness now it sounds like to much foil time. On this smoker you mentioned having to do fat side down due to size. Maybe consider trying a smaller brisket with fat up. I find 10lbs to be the sweet spot. But of course that may not work depending on amount of folks needing to be fed. But yeah dial back because you can always add more time if needed. Once you go over well you can’t take it back...


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[txsmkmstr]

Some things for consideration based on what I read......

Don't season/inject and let set overnight. The salt content will tend to draw moisture out. I simply apply rub about 30 minutes before cooking - which saves fridge space, saran wrap and time.

Wrap at 160*-165* internal temp and not based on time. I prefer foil but no additional liquid - others have good luck with butcher paper (not me)

Once you reach probe tender remove from heat source (pit, oven, etc.) and vent the foil (open it up) for about 10 minutes to start setting the bark AND stop the cooking process. Carry over heat can overcook your brisket and make it crumbly and dry. After venting, reseal and hold either in a towel filled cooler or in the oven on low for your (MINIMUM) two hour rest.

Good luck and let us know what you figure out works best for you.

[bsooner75]

I know these questions were asked above. Water in the cooker or no? Which cooker are you using?

My Insulated Cabinet (Blue) has a place for water but I never use it. Seems to be a very moist cooking environment as is.

Also, I have found Blue's happy place to be about 275.

If you are spritzing maybe you are spritzing a little too often?

Opening your wrap at the end to set the bark was a good suggestion as well.

[Kylem.cmp]

What cooker you using. Water pan or not. If water pan what you putting in it. On my backwoods I will pan it at 160-165 covered in tin foil. Then cook until tender. Just done a 15 pounder and it was done in about 7 hours . I cook at 275 and 300 degree.

I'm using an older custom built one. Its reverse flow, I do not put water in it. Just spritz brisket when I do my ribs.

Some things for consideration based on what I read......

Don't season/inject and let set overnight. The salt content will tend to draw moisture out. I simply apply rub about 30 minutes before cooking - which saves fridge space, saran wrap and time.

Wrap at 160*-165* internal temp and not based on time. I prefer foil but no additional liquid - others have good luck with butcher paper (not me)

Once you reach probe tender remove from heat source (pit, oven, etc.) and vent the foil (open it up) for about 10 minutes to start setting the bark AND stop the cooking process. Carry over heat can overcook your brisket and make it crumbly and dry. After venting, reseal and hold either in a towel filled cooler or in the oven on low for your (MINIMUM) two hour rest.

Good luck and let us know what you figure out works best for you.

I've always seasoned the night before, never Inject the night before though. I'll have to try doing it right before it goes on and see If that helps me out. I vented but for only a minute or two. Guessing I should have done it longer maybe?

I know these questions were asked above. Water in the cooker or no? Which cooker are you using?

My Insulated Cabinet (Blue) has a place for water but I never use it. Seems to be a very moist cooking environment as is.

Also, I have found Blue's happy place to be about 275.

If you are spritzing maybe you are spritzing a little too often?

Opening your wrap at the end to set the bark was a good suggestion as well.

its an older custom built one I bought off of a local guy. I only spritzed q few times when I did my ribs. When you say open at the end do you mean while it's on the pit still or after it's off to vent it?

Steps you followed sounds like you should have better results. I’m a a fat side up. How big a brisket? I read through twice and didn’t see that detail.

13 lbs give or take. They were pretty close to the same weight. I'll give it a shot next time. Just always did down because of space on my offset I'd have to keep my briskets close to firebox.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Ok from weight your issue might be is foil(Texas crutch). Nothing wrong but it will affect your outcome in varying ways from one cooker to the next. Maybe consider foil at 4 hrs and then check at 6 hrs for tenderness and secondary temp... if your getting some mushiness now it sounds like to much foil time. On this smoker you mentioned having to do fat side down due to size. Maybe consider trying a smaller brisket with fat up. I find 10lbs to be the sweet spot. But of course that may not work depending on amount of folks needing to be fed. But yeah dial back because you can always add more time if needed. Once you go over well you can’t take it back...


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I usually try to wrap based on bark, when it gets good and crusty I'd wrap or 160* but it seemed like it was drying out bad so I wrapped. I'll give it a go with a smaller and see what it's like. Fat side up.



I was using majority charcoal and adding wood. This time using majority oak and added a little charcoal and it actually maintained heat better.

[bsooner75]

Yes! Open up your wrap on the pit and see if it helps the bark set up.

Also, maybe try rolling through the cook without wrapping at all? I’ve done a few that way with good results.

Memorial Day is coming up which means practice briskets ought to be going on sale.


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[S.O.L. BBQ]

Are you adding fuel a lot are opening door and letting heat escape and not getting a steady burn. Also how much charcoal will yours hold and how long on the burn time.

[Kylem.cmp]

Yes! Open up your wrap on the pit and see if it helps the bark set up.

Also, maybe try rolling through the cook without wrapping at all? I’ve done a few that way with good results.

Memorial Day is coming up which means practice briskets ought to be going on sale.


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Looking forward to it already! I'll try that, cant be worse than what I did this time lol

Are you adding fuel a lot are opening door and letting heat escape and not getting a steady burn. Also how much charcoal will yours hold and how long on the burn time.

No sir, it holds temp well. May add fuel 2 or 3 times on an all day cook. when I used charcoal I did almost a full bag of kingsford with 2 or 3 big oak logs. As far a cook chamber I opened it every hour to spritz ribs while they were open then in foil for 2 hours not opened then a few times to mop.. after 5 or 6 hours those were off it wasnt opened again until probing

[k.a.m.]

To me your times are not adding up to your brisket size and temps.
Cooking 225° to 250° with a 13 lb. packer and wrapping in 5 hours is premature in my opinion. I am wondering if a meat probe or grate probe is off.
It could also be that cooking at such low temps especially on the choice that you just dried what moisture you had in it out. What was your injection?
Personally I have found that cooking between 275° and 300° yields a better product for me. If the briskets do not have much marbling they push through the cook faster keeping what little moisture they have in them.

[txsmkmstr]

So many great thoughts/ideas on this thread but be careful and don't make too many changes at one time. I've done that and was left wondering not only what went wrong but what went right as well.