1st Smoked Brisket Results (Model 3) - Need A Little Advice

[Big Red Home Smoker]

Looking for a little advise from all you experienced brisket smokers.  I smoked my 1st brisket this weekend on my model 3.  In my opinion it turned out a little dry....not bad but not quite what I had hoped for.  It had great bark and tasted very good.  Please let me know if you see something I missed or could do differently for a little more moisture.

I followed the below steps after reading many comments from this forum:

- 11.5 lb. USDA Choice - (they did not have prime) whole packer.....I think that is what you guys call them from Sam's Club.
- Trimmed the fat cap down to about 1/4 to 1/2".
- Scored the fat cap before putting the brisket into the brine.
- Brined for 18 hours in the fridge using Tony's brine recipe.
- Rinsed off brine and patted dry.  Injected the brisket, applied mustard and my dry rub.  Wrapped in plastic and put back into fridge for about 7 hours.
- Set Auber at 225 degrees for the smoker temp and 190 degrees for the internal temp of the brisket.  Programmed so when internal temp hit 190 degrees, the smoker would reduce down to 140 degrees to hold the brisket.
- Placed the brisket on the third rack from the bottom with the fat cap down.
- 5.5 oz of wood (combo of hickory and pecan).
- Used a small foil pan half filled with apple juice.
- Meat thermometer probe placed in the flat - the thickest part of the flat right at the end where it meets up with the thicker part of the brisket.  I'm sure there is a name of the thicker part, but I don't know it.
- Started the smoke at 1 am Saturday evening and at 1pm on Sunday the internal temp hit 190 degrees.  The Auber held 225 degrees throughout the entire smoke.  The Auber then temped the smoker down to 140 degrees after the internal temp hit 190 degrees.  Kept the brisket in the smoker during the temp down process.  This took about an hour and the internal temp actually rose to 191 degrees.  Pulled the bisket out to test it for doneness (fork, toothpicks, lifted it up to see how the ends flopped up and down, etc.)..........it looked and felt done to me. 
- Put brisket in double foil, added apple juice, wrapped in two towels and put into cooler for a few hours until we were ready to serve.
- Pulled brisket, sliced against the grain.  The thin part of the flat when sliced seemed too done, but I kind of expected that.  It did get a little better as I continued to slice deeper into the flat but still seemed a little dry.  I pulled meat away from the opposite (thicker end) of the brisket and that was very moist but also expected this due to the fat content of that end of the brisket.

All in all - very good but not as moist as I've had from some other folks that have served up brisket in the past.

Looking to see how I can get brisket to be juicer.  Any help or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks for any suggestions or input!

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[KY Smoke]

One thing that I see that I do differently is I always have the fat cap on top with any larger piece of meat.  That helps lubricate things over the long period a brisket or shoulder are in the smoker.  Do yourself a favor and always trim the fat cap to about 1/4" though, to ensure that you don't "over lubricate".

You could always add an extra pan for juice or even just water, to help with added moisture in the box.

Lastly, I wrap my smoked products in two layers of plastic film and then also two layers of foil, before placing in the cooler for the rest period.  A lot of folks don't do the plastic, but I feel that it helps seal in the meats juices, better than what just a foil wrap does. 

Other than that, you temps look good to me and should not have caused the brisket to dry out.  You might nix holding the brisket in the smoker during ramp down also.  Getting it out, wrapped and into the cooler might also help keep some more of the juices locked into the meat. 

All just things that I would try Big Red and are some of my standard smoking practices.   Hope it helps......Jeff

[Big Red Home Smoker]

Thanks Jeff - I'll give those suggestions a try.

I read somwhere on this forum that it would be ok to leave brisket in smoker at 140 degrees for a fairly long hold time.  I only retained for one extra hour while temping down to 140 degrees but maybe that is not the best thing to do....not sure.

I'll give the plastic wrap and a second small tray of water a try as suggested next time.

Have to add that I'm having some of my leftover brisket in sandwich for lunch today....warmed up in the microwave.  Seems more moist today after warming up in the nuker!  Added a little Famous Dave's Devil's Spit BBQ sauce to it........that adds a little kick, let me tell ya.  Damn this is good!!

Thanks for your input!

[KY Smoke]

Not a problem man!  Your sandwich for lunch definitely sounds pretty tasty, and could use one just about right now! 

My suggestions are definitely not gospel, but just some tips that I use to help hold moisture into any kind of meat. I hope they help.....Jeff

[DivotMaker]

Terry, it sounds like you did it right!  Sometimes, it's just the brisket, not the technique or process.  I agree that adding more water or juice will help some.  Personally, I don't use any plastic wrap on cooked meat, just foil.  2 layers of HD foil, then rest in the cooler for 1-2 hours.  I would repeat this same process again, with another water pan, and see if the results are the same before you change things.  You're right about the very end of the flat - hard to keep that from overcooking.  The big end is a combination of the flat and "What is the point, Alex, what is the point of the brisket!"  (Brisket parts for $200).  Hehe...a little Jeopardy! humor.

I'm also a fat-cap down guy, on briskets, too.

[Big Red Home Smoker]

That made me laugh Tony.  Thanks for "schooling" me on this.  New terms/names/processes learned this past week include whole packer, flat, point, floppy ends to test doneness, scoring the fat cap, brined beef - (that was a new concept as had only brined turkeys before this), fat cap up or down (still TBD on where I'll eventually land on that point), to wrap in plastic and foil or just foil (a work in progress), two water/juice pans for smoking brisket instead of just one.  I'll slowly get there and hopefully soon graduate from smoking level 101 to 201.

Thanks for all your help this past year!

[Trip]

fat cap on top during smoke, you want that fat rendering into the meat.

[TmanEater]

I got a new idea!

When folks trim the fat cap to 1/4" they could save the trimmings. Then, place the 1/4" layer face down to protect the bottom side of the brisket from the heat box heat. Then, place the trimmed fat on the top to render into the meat during the smoke.  Best of both worlds - fat on both sides!

[SuperDave]

I got a new idea!

When folks trim the fat cap to 1/4" they could save the trimmings. Then, place the 1/4" layer face down to protect the bottom side of the brisket from the heat box heat. Then, place the trimmed fat on the top to render into the meat during the smoke.  Best of both worlds - fat on both sides!

I have done this before and is effective.  The downside is that both sides of the meat are now shielded from smoke.

[DivotMaker]

I got a new idea!

When folks trim the fat cap to 1/4" they could save the trimmings. Then, place the 1/4" layer face down to protect the bottom side of the brisket from the heat box heat. Then, place the trimmed fat on the top to render into the meat during the smoke.  Best of both worlds - fat on both sides!

I have done this before and is effective.  The downside is that both sides of the meat are now shielded from smoke.

+1.  I go fat cap down to shield the thinner flat from the heat a little longer.  I've done both ways, and actually find better results with it down.  The brine and injection take care of any moisture issues, for me, so no need for the fat to "render down" into the meat.

[Trip]

The brine and injection take care of any moisture issues, for me, so no need for the fat to "render down" into the meat.

Taste.  Fat flavoring is the best flavoring.

[DivotMaker]

The brine and injection take care of any moisture issues, for me, so no need for the fat to "render down" into the meat.

Taste.  Fat flavoring is the best flavoring.

Absolutely valid point, Trip!  Other than the end of the flat, I find there's enough internal fat to add that great flavor.  To me, it's a tradeoff, and really boils down to a "Ford vs. Chevy" question - purely personal preference!  I recommend everyone try them both ways, and make up their own mind.  No wrong answers, in BBQ!

[gregbooras]

I always put the fat cap down, but also do not inject the fat cap.

Greg