The Texas BBQ Forum

Issue: Flat part of the brisket tends to be dry.

BBQ Pit: GMG
Brisket: Prime packer from Costco, typically a 16LB. I will hand trim the brisket.
Seasoning: Salt and Pepper only
Water Pan: Yes
Fat Cap: After testing I found that fat sound down works best. It seems these pellet smokers heat source is closer to the meat and the fat will give the brisket better protection. Have done fat side up before and it seems to char the bottom side of the meat.
Wrap Method: Yes and I use butcher paper. I will typically wrap around 160 degrees.
Pull Temp: Will typically remove brisket between 202-205.
Cook Temp: I have tried following. A: 225 degrees throughout the cook. B: Cook at 185 degrees then wrap then finish the cook at 225 degrees.


I am just not seeing the moisture from my briskets that I see online following the same steps. Should I be wrapping based off time? Example 4 hours or stick with wrapping at 160 degrees. I have also tried removing briskets between the 198-200 degree mark and they tend to be tough (undercooked). Im just not sure what I am doing wrong so I waned to see if you all had any ideas. Thanks!

Same here, except I don't like primes due to the excessive fat in the point.
I also have a pellet cooker and have had better results by cooking three or four hours on low smoke fat down (or whatever produces the most smoke on yours) and then finishing on "hot and fast" setting of 325/350 until 170/180 internal, then foiling until 200/205.
I use a large round water pan directly under the meat which reduces the overcooked bottom layer somewhat.
In reality, the south end of the flat will always overcook, that's why some guys cut off the thin end and cube it up and finish the cook with the cubes sitting in pan drippings forming burnt ends.

I'm new to briskets myself, but Chasdev hit on what I keep seeing online as the trick for keeping the brisket moist; put the meat on the upper shelf, and the water pan right underneath the brisket on the lower rack / shelf. Maybe you're already doing that. Your post didn't say where the water pan was though. Beyond that, it sounds like you're doing it all correctly from the videos and such I've been binging lately, LOL. Let us know when you figure it out. I'm looking to learn here also.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I am going to see about ordering a shelf/rack for my GMG and place a water pan directly under rather than using one off to the side.

Have you tried cooking at a lower temp (185) for the first 4 or 5 hours?

Having tried butcher paper in the past and noticing the lack of juices left behind you might consider foil instead. Yeah, I get the trend is butcher paper but I find it helps to catch those juices. If nothing else, you'll have some great au juc to pour on the slices.

If you're truly stuck on B/P then perhaps a boat of foil on the bottom will help.

Drewlooker wrote:Have you tried cooking at a lower temp (185) for the first 4 or 5 hours?

Yes, however I have done this not based off time but temp (160)

txsmkmstr wrote:Having tried butcher paper in the past and noticing the lack of juices left behind you might consider foil instead. Yeah, I get the trend is butcher paper but I find it helps to catch those juices. If nothing else, you'll have some great au juc to pour on the slices.

If you're truly stuck on B/P then perhaps a boat of foil on the bottom will help.

I was/am going to try foil as well. But don't want to change more than one thing per cook.

You may be overcoming the brisket. Internal temperature is just a reference point. Try probing for tenderness and pull when the probe says it's done, not the therm.

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I too use the butcher paper. I dissolve 2 beef bouillon cubes in a cup of water and pour it on the brisket when wrapping. It comes out like this:

Lots of really good advice here for certain.
I ruined more then one brisket on my pellet starting out.
This is what has worked for me on the last half dozen or so.
I put a rub on the brisket then wrap in plastic wrap it. I then inject it and set back in the fridge 8 to 10 hours before going in the smoke. Thanks to K.A.M for that.
I place the meat on the top rack with a pan of water directly under it. Thanks to Swamp donkeyz for that.
I run my RecTec at 180 for the first 6 to 8 hours. Reason I do that is cause I normally start the brisket in the morning somewhere between 12-2 am. After 6 to 8 hours I jack the temp up to around 220-230. and let it run that way till I like the bark....somewhere between 150-170 IT.
I then place brisket In a aluminum pan and cover it with foil. I don't add any liquid to the pan.
I'll start probing it at bout 198. Once it probes tender I take the meat out of the pan, leave the temp probe in and don't wrap it up in foil till the IT starts to drop at least a few degrees. Once it's wrapped it goes into a cooler for at least a couple hours to rest.
Oh yea...don't forget bout all that juice that's in the pan. I separate the juice from the fat. Pour the juice in a jar and set it in the cooler along with the resting brisket. After you slice the brisket drizzle a wee bit of that there hot juice over them moist slices.
This is what works for me in my pellet pooper. Since I started injecting and following the advice of others on here I ain't had any problems with the flat section being dry.

Bill

Bill, are you making your own injection or are you using a store bought one?

GRailsback wrote:Bill, are you making your own injection or are you using a store bought one?

I use Butchers Prime brisket powder. Dissolves in cold water. Good and ez.
At my age...ez is always good

185 (smoke setting) first 4-5 hours




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That's Money Drewlooker