HnF Causes Brisket Edges to Crumble?

[Swamp Donkeyz BBQ]

I was listening to an interview of Fast Eddy, from Cook Shack, and he was knocking HnF brisket cookers about how they have to trim the edges off their briskets because cooking then HnF causes the edges to crumble. He used Myron Mixon as an example. I've never had an issue with crumbling unless I took the briskets too far in the cooking process, and I never cook briskets under 300. I thought Myron, and many other KCBS cooks, trimmed the ends off their briskets so they would fit in the box without going all the way to the ends. Any thoughts?

[k.a.m.]

I don't cook hot & fast so I can only go by folks that do.
I agree totally if the brisket is over cooked even bringing it down to a lower temp for slicing results in the edges crumbling especially towards the point with a slicing knife that has a serrated edge.

[bruno994]

I agree, I don't think it is the HnF method so much as it is overcooking to get the brisket super tender.

[BluDawg]

The only time I have had it happen is if I get a brisket that has a flat that is very thin along 1 edge. If I had the same brisket and was forced to use it in a Comp situation I'd lop it off so it was thicker before cooking.

[FR8 Train]

You can get the crumbles cooking at any temp...I'm guessing it has to do with overcooking rather than how fast you cook it. If it's overcooked you get the crumbling.

[JMoney7269]

And how well did fast eddy (Ed maurin) do at the royal? Or anywhere in the past years for that matter? He just says that because pellet cookers can't cook a good brisket hot and fast (300-350). He suggests what works best on his pits and he is pro Pellet. I used to cook comps on a pellet pooper L&S and we started placing but never higher than top 5 two years ago. Switched to a UDS and Pitmaker BBQ vault cooking H&F and bam! In one year we had 6 GC's 4 of them sanctioned, fields from 32-121
Pellet pits are great for getting timelines and recipes down for the beginner cooker but they don't put out anywhere near the flavor. When I was a member of Pelletheads.com I caught so much flack from the comp cookers at first on there , then slowly but surely they started making UDS's and buying vertical insulated cookers and before I knew it, I was banned for influencing competition pellehead members to not buy pellet pits (mainly fast eddy/cookshack products). Since fast eddy is a manufacture and a advertiser on the site, they had to stick up and take action for their buddy. Oh well, that bunch of Californians that runs the site fell off the turnip truck a long time ago. No loss for me. Outgrew the knowledge of that site anyways.

[Swamp Donkeyz BBQ]

I just found it odd that he would say that HnF is not the proper way to cook a brisket. I've tried both ways and got pretty much the same result. I prefer HnF because I don't see why I should tend my pit for 8 to 12 hours when I can get the same results in 5-6. I've been cooking long enough to know that there really is no "right" temperature to cook at. "Right" is what the end result is. Because something doesn't serve my purpose I'm not going to throw stones and tell someone that they're doing it wrong. I've had my butt handed to me more than once by LnS cooks.
I see your point, J$, about how it serves him, as a manufacturer. It just seemed like a pretty bold statement to make.

[k.a.m.]

I just found it odd that he would say that HnF is not the proper way to cook a brisket. I've tried both ways and got pretty much the same result. I prefer HnF because I don't see why I should tend my pit for 8 to 12 hours when I can get the same results in 5-6. I've been cooking long enough to know that there really is no "right" temperature to cook at. "Right" is what the end result is. Because something doesn't serve my purpose I'm not going to throw stones and tell someone that they're doing it wrong.

Well said Swamp Donkeyz BBQ.
I cook L&S while a lot of my friends cook H&F they win I win it is a judge thing.
What I do not care for is when someone will try to shove a technique down a persons throat.

[JMoney7269]

Amen!

[Rambo]

It's not traditional Texas BBQ but does he think a pellet cooker is?

If it works for you and you like it, Pss on him, the horse he rode up on, the dog following them, and the fleas on his back

[CypertJ]

I try to switch it up between L&S and H&F. I guess it depends on time management, if I've got nothing but time and a cooler full of cold ones the pit might not get above 250 and I'll enjoy quality time. If I have a timeline I'm following, crank it up to 300+ and get to cooking. Just have to pay closer attention.

This is one part science, one part art, and two parts bourbon.

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[jtilk]

As it has been said already, it's not the H-n-F that causes the edges to crumble but it's the overcooking. Now, that being said I can see maybe where some would attribute this to H-n-F because your window of "proper done-ness" (is that a word??) has decreased exponentially. Thats the primary downfall to H-n-F if you ask me. Using H-n-F you may literally only have a few minutes before it's considered over cooked.

[dub']

Only time i've ever had this problem is when I get one of those briskets that
tapers to a razor edge at the end of the flat.
Gotta trim it back a bit sometimes.

[swamprb]

If I'm cooking HnF on an Egg or WSM, I'll sometimes put a strip of foil as an edge protector if the briskets are close to the sides of the grate and taking direct heat. But agree crumbling is due to overcooking. I don't like to have to trim the edges off the flats and box them.

[ButcherBBQ]

And how well did fast eddy (Ed maurin) do at the royal? Or anywhere in the past years for that matter? He just says that because pellet cookers can't cook a good brisket hot and fast (300-350). He suggests what works best on his pits and he is pro Pellet. I used to cook comps on a pellet pooper L&S and we started placing but never higher than top 5 two years ago. Switched to a UDS and Pitmaker BBQ vault cooking H&F and bam! In one year we had 6 GC's 4 of them sanctioned, fields from 32-121
Pellet pits are great for getting timelines and recipes down for the beginner cooker but they don't put out anywhere near the flavor. When I was a member of Pelletheads.com I caught so much flack from the comp cookers at first on there , then slowly but surely they started making UDS's and buying vertical insulated cookers and before I knew it, I was banned for influencing competition pellehead members to not buy pellet pits (mainly fast eddy/cookshack products). Since fast eddy is a manufacture and a advertiser on the site, they had to stick up and take action for their buddy. Oh well, that bunch of Californians that runs the site fell off the turnip truck a long time ago. No loss for me. Outgrew the knowledge of that site anyways.

I do agree that flavor comes from what you do with it. But please don't blame just the pellet cooking method for not getting flavor. It's not just for beginners I use them all the time and have won with them all over the US, including TX. I do repect everyone having there favorite style of cooking and thats exactly what pellet cooking is. Its a style of smoking.

I have heard Eddy talking about exactly what has been said here. I do think what he said is what he believes is due to the edges drying out before the center gets tender. I also think thats if its not the traditional BE from KC he won't like it. I personally think that it can happen at any temp.