Need help with first full brisket cook

[XavierH]

Just recently posted this on "community feedback" for smoking Butts. For all you out there who get caught up in all the questions about what is what when smoking a port butt, always remember this: You cook to a temp of 160 to get the pork DONE. Then you cook it to a temp of 205 so that you can pull it apart. All the other stuff is personal preference! You can go to 50 websites and get 50 different opinions as to taste, fat up or down, etc. Long and slow smoke is the best for most meats. Unless you are doing Ahi Tuna or steaks, don't use a temp higher than 250 for a Butt.

Tommy

for pork butt i followed this one

Traeger at 275 (5 hours uncovered / 3 hours wrapped in foil) perfect and easy to shred

 

[Twist]

for pork butt i followed this one

Traeger at 275 (5 hours uncovered / 3 hours wrapped in foil) perfect and easy to shred

That was interesting to watch having spent a fair amount of time watching the Master Class version of his pork shoulder. There was a few notable differences - the rub composition, and now he suggests never unwrapping it until it's rested. Take it off the heat when a probe shows 203-205 and it should feel like you're pushing the probe into a sack of melted butter. Poke it through in a place that won't release any of the juices inside and let it rest until it probes about 140 - 150 before pulling it apart.

Here's the last one that I did:

 

[Dpacker67]

1000% agree - the Traeger recipes are guidelines only. In fact, 1/2 the times listed in the recipes don't add up to what's on the summary. Welcome to the forum and enjoy!

Hey fellas, first time on a brisket here. 15lb beast figured it would take 14 to 17 hours. Woke up at 730 am to check expecting it to be at 160. It was 195 after only 7.5 hours. Smoked at 275 in aluminum pan with a little beef broth in the bottom. Where did I fail? Or more like where did I not fail?

 

[Slimpicker]

Hey fellas, first time on a brisket here. 15lb beast figured it would take 14 to 17 hours. Woke up at 730 am to check expecting it to be at 160. It was 195 after only 7.5 hours. Smoked at 275 in aluminum pan with a little beef broth in the bottom. Where did I fail? Or more like where did I not fail?

Okay, first off, did you eat it yet?? Was it any good? Was it really a FAIL??? Briskets done at that high of temp will always turn out like over cooked roast beef, way too high too fast, unless that's what you wanted. And you smoked it in a pan in broth... That's roast beef for sure.

2nd: no higher than 200° till it reaches 165-175° Internal Temp (or bark looks good and dark), wrap in peach paper, THEN boost temp up to 240°ish (plus or minus) till it reaches 203 IT, let it rest for an hour and eat. No pan, only rub and on the grate.

Did you do any homework before cooking this??? Any online search should have given you a much better guide than the one you chose.

how to smoke a brisket - Google Search

 

[XavierH]

I tried several times doing brisket and it wasn’t until found Matt Pittman’s weekday brisket recipe that I was happy with the results…I don’t do brisket any other way