My first Brisket.....Mostly pics

[G man]

The first brisket completed.  The boys from Texas that were over said it was good enough to eat without sauce.  To me that's a success!

Did a brine, then dalmatian rub.    Took about 19 hours @ 225 to hit IT of 195.  It was very cold outside overnight..(down to about 6 degrees).  Here are couple pics...

First pic....so cold the grease was coagulating.....

Guac of course as a side...

Ready to wrap.

Ready to eat...

Ready to eat and drink.

 

[DivotMaker]

Nice job, Gordo!  How big was it to start?  19 hours is a long time!  I'm a 225 guy on brisket, but rarely go much over an hour per pound.  Just curious...

 

[G man]

I thought it was long too.....It was about 14lbs...Just over 11 pounds when I put it in. 

I put it in about 8:45pm.  Around 12:30AM, it was at 150.  Around 8:00am, it was only at 160!  Long, long stall.  By about 2:30 it was 195.  Any suggestions for next time?

I read in another post about probe placement.  I had inserted it in the center, and was pretty sure it was in the thickest part.  Also went all the way to the "bend" in the probe.  Did I stick the probe in too far?

 

[NDKoze]

Your first picture with the hardened fat reminded me of a Boston Butt I smoked a couple of years ago in -20F weather and I got what I called a Fat Volcano.

BTW, smoking at -20 was not a problem at all. I got up to temp in pretty close to normal time and did not have any trouble maintaining the temp.

 

[G man]

Nice Volcano!

 

[DivotMaker]

Ha!  Gregg drug out the ice volcano!  Haven't seen this in awhile, but it's great!  It's like "great food meets great art!"

 

[NDKoze]

Yeah, I try to dig it out at least once a yard.

 

[swthorpe]

Gordo...when I probe, I try to get the tip of the probe near the center of the meat, but I insert the probe from the top of the meat.  It sounds like you were inserting the probe from the side of the meat?  If you probe from the top, then you won't have the hole of the probe running through the slices of the brisket.