6 1/4 lb Brisket flat

[flying smoker]

Hello gurus,

I'd appreciate any pointers / thoughts you're willing to throw my way.  We decided to take on a brisket this week.  Here's what I did:
Brine:
1 gal water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 TS garlic powder
1 TS onion powder
1 TS basil leaves
The meat was in the brine for about 7.5 hours.  Rinsed completely and patted dry.

Binder / rub
Yellow mustard and KC Butt Spice

I didn't have time to let it "get happy" and I don't have an injector yet, so it went directly to the smoker.

I used 4.25 oz of hickory, but I didn't leave it in a chunk (split into 3 pieces).  I did use a water tray.  I set the temp at 225.  It bounced between 215-235.

One of my probes failed, so I monitored box temp and let it go for 7 hours.  Probed (analog) at the 7 hour point and it was approx 175-180 and went in effortlessly.  Having read multiple posts about briskets, I get the idea that most don't cook to a specific IT, but pull it when their finger, toothpick or probe goes in like going into soft butter.  I was hesitant to pull it at that point (my wife is uber specific about doneness).  I let it go for another 1.5 hours.  Pulled and wrapped for a 1 hour rest.

Overall, we're very pleased with the results (it didn't come out like leather  ;D), but I have some specific issues / questions:
my wood was COMPLETELY gone (not sure if I had combustion or not), but I didn't have much smoke flavor to speak of.  It's likely, though, that my expectations were those of briskets I've had out west, where mesquite is the dominant wood and the hickory just can't produce that kind of flavor.
Also, I couldn't taste any of the spices from the brine or the rub.  My buddy said he's heard you can't over-spice brisket, but I haven't seen that mindset here.

Going forward, I'll pull the meat when the probe goes in like everyone recommends.  If it's undercooked for my wife's taste, I can always finish her servings to her liking in the oven or on the grill.  I'd like to get more smoke flavor, so I'll probably add at least 1/2 mesquite next time and won't split my chunks.

My largest questions center around the flavor.  Should I have brined it longer?  Do I need stronger spices in my brine?  Does an injector really make the difference with brisket?  Does it need the "get happy" time?  Do I need a stronger rub?

I appreciate this forum any feedback you're willing to provide. 

 

[Durangosmoker]

I haven't done a lot of briskets, so I hope others will chime in if I'm off the mark, but I would suggest increasing your wood amount to 5 or 6 oz, and giving it some time to get happy before smoking it. As you mentioned, if your chunks of wood are bigger, they will be able to smoulder longer, so perhaps 5 - 6 oz total in 2 chunks. Good luck, and let us know how the next one goes.

 

[SconnieQ]

Actually, most of us DO cook to a specific internal temp. Checking by "feel" is important, but for brisket, it's the second line of defense once internal temp has been reached. Generally the "feel" test is used as the primary test for timed meats that you can't probe, like ribs. But for brisket, I would make sure I had a meat probe that works, and can monitor internal temp without opening the door. Brisket is too expensive to be going by time alone, and probing every so often by opening the door releasing valuable moisture, and causing big fluctuations in box temps. Offset smokers...maybe okay to open all the time and probe. I can't imagine that your brisket was as melt in your mouth tender and succulent at 175-180 as it should have been. The connective tissue would not be completely converted to gelatin at that temp. Go with internal temp, check when the flat is 195 (point 200-205). Once you reach those temps, you will "feel" the meat is "jiggly" and almost able to fold in half. Save the toothpicks for ribs.

 

[Grampy]

Actually, most of us DO cook to a specific internal temp. Checking by "feel" is important, but for brisket, it's the second line of defense once internal temp has been reached. Generally the "feel" test is used as the primary test for timed meats that you can't probe, like ribs. But for brisket, I would make sure I had a meat probe that works, and can monitor internal temp without opening the door. Brisket is too expensive to be going by time alone, and probing every so often by opening the door releasing valuable moisture, and causing big fluctuations in box temps. Offset smokers...maybe okay to open all the time and probe. I can't imagine that your brisket was as melt in your mouth tender and succulent at 175-180 as it should have been. The connective tissue would not be completely converted to gelatin at that temp. Go with internal temp, check when the flat is 195 (point 200-205). Once you reach those temps, you will "feel" the meat is "jiggly" and almost able to fold in half. Save the toothpicks for ribs.

+1, Kari nailed it.

 

[DivotMaker]

What she said!   Learn to cook to internal temperature, and you will rarely go wrong!  Every piece of meat has its own agenda, and going by time seldom works (except for things like ribs, which you can't probe).  Cooking to a desired internal temp is the only way to achieve consistent results!  At 175-180, you were smack-dab in the middle of the stall (most-likely).  That's where the real magic is happening, internally. 

If you don't have a remote thermometer, please get one.  Without it, you are flying blind.  You may get lucky, every now and then, but it's the perfect recipe for a ruined meal, sooner or later!