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[LowSlowJoe]

That cook was proceeding so fast, I did try to slow it down a bit near the end, I reduced my grill temp and held the internal temperature at about 190F for a couple hours...   

FYI - this brisket was actually slightly over cooked when it was done .  The whole thing sort of caught me off guard and I was improvising at nearly every step of the way.

[slaga]

Here's some photos of the brisket I cooked with a water pan sitting in my direct grilling area of the PG500...  This was done with PG500 set to 240F, total cook time was about 12 hours

For some reason when I quote your post the pictures are not in the quote. Anyway, looking at the top 2 pictures it is interesting the way the point end is lifted up off of the grate due to how the brisket cooked. I have not noticed that on anything I have cooked. Maybe the water pan kept the underside cooler and the top, at that point end cooked faster and shrunk more than the bottom at that end because of the water pan.

[Bentley]

If folks attach photos directly to the site, they will not appear in a quote...another reason I do not use it!

[LowSlowJoe]

Here's some photos of the brisket I cooked with a water pan sitting in my direct grilling area of the PG500...  This was done with PG500 set to 240F, total cook time was about 12 hours

For some reason when I quote your post the pictures are not in the quote. Anyway, looking at the top 2 pictures it is interesting the way the point end is lifted up off of the grate due to how the brisket cooked. I have not noticed that on anything I have cooked. Maybe the water pan kept the underside cooler and the top, at that point end cooked faster and shrunk more than the bottom at that end because of the water pan.

 Yeah, this was the first time I had ever seen that behavior before.  I honestly don't know what caused it... but if I had to guess, it had something to do with internal meat tightening up more on the top side for some reason...   If anyone knows what caused that , I'd like to hear about it.

[silverbullet]

In all my 10 years of cooking with pellets I've never used a waterpan. Until last Sunday. I put a waterpan on top of the driptray underneath the grates. For the baby backs I made. I don't foil my ribs, I could never get any consistency with foiling. I place them on the grate @ 275 until done.

Granted this was also the first time I cooked on my new Louisiana. I was really impressed with the moistness of the ribs. They were done in just over 3 hours. I was also impressed on how evenly they were cooked, End for end. I was so impressed I think I'm gonna further experiment with a waterpan.

[TechMOGogy]

I could never (and I mean never in 5-7 years) get a brisket to turn out.
Tried everything.
Last summer I sourced verified USDA Prime meat and used a water pan... it was like heaven and the angles blessed me with divine tender and moist brisket
I became a believer once again!
I think it was the meat and water pan - that is what I have been using ever since for briskets.
YMMV
Dan

[LowSlowJoe]

I hate to burst your bubble... but I will only say that out of maybe 30 or 40 briskets I've cooked in my life... I've had about 4 or 5 that were like heaven and the angels blessed me... and I really can't determine that there was something I personally did that made those particular briskets turn out so well.  I do think I'm a little better now then I was 25 years ago at cooking brisket, but as far as I'm concerned... there are sometimes divine interventions that just make it work really well now and then. I wouldn't be so quick to assume it was the water pan... ( not that I'm saying water pan isn't a good  thing, just that I don't think it's a magic bullet )

[Bentley]

Refreshing honesty!

Funny you would say this...in the last 16 years, between competitions, practice and cooks for family and friends & catering.  I have cooked hundreds and I thought this statement just applied to me!

but I will only say that out of maybe 30 or 40 briskets I've cooked in my life... I've had about 4 or 5 that were like heaven and the angels blessed me... and I really can't determine that there was something I personally did that made those particular briskets turn out so well.  I do think I'm a little better now...

[Goosehunter51]

Refreshing honesty!

Funny you would say this...in the last 16 years, between competitions, practice and cooks for family and friends & catering.  I have cooked hundreds and I thought this statement just applied to me!

but I will only say that out of maybe 30 or 40 briskets I've cooked in my life... I've had about 4 or 5 that were like heaven and the angels blessed me... and I really can't determine that there was something I personally did that made those particular briskets turn out so well.  I do think I'm a little better now...

I only cooked two and vowed to never try again, thank you for posting this as I will be back now.  Also getting the Smoke tells me the pan on the bottom rack was really messing with my upper grate temp.  I need to make another trip to Costco, last time I was there the Prime was $2.99 a pound.

[bregent]

I remember the first time I nailed a brisket. Previous attempts were tasty, but dry. This time, it was perfectly tender and moist in both the flat and point. The difference - I had been buying select packers and this one was choice. That was the answer - until the next time when I was back to mediocre results with a choice packer. Over the years I found lots of solutions to the problem that worked, once.  I've tried lots of things over the years - injecting, wrapping, fat up, fat down, water pan, etc. None seems to make much difference in the long run - it was still hit or miss. The biggest breakthrough for me was deciding not to worry about IT, and just pull when probe tender. Since then I've had much more consistent results. I think more people get messed up by trying to hit a specific IT than just cooking until it's done.

I recall a PH member stating a few years ago that they cooked hundreds of briskets and every single one came out perfect and there's nothing to it. I figured he was either amazing or just full of BS. Now I'm thinking he probably just had lower standards then the rest of us and didn't know any better

[Brushpopper]

I recall a PH member stating a few years ago that they cooked hundreds of briskets and every single one came out perfect and there's nothing to it. I figured he was either amazing or just full of BS. Now I'm thinking he probably just had lower standards then the rest of us and didn't know any better

I consider that Bravo Sierra too.  I've cooked one on a pellet grill and a handful on my old stick burner that's mighty lonely these days.  Some were good and some were boot leather.  My dad could make boot leather tasty.  Don't know how he did it.

[pmillen]

But there are a few, like Aaron Franklin or Chris Marks, who seem to produce perfect brisket on each cook.  I watched Chris Marks cook one.  His pit ran "about 250°" and for the most part, he ignored the brisket.  When he thought the time was right he poked it with a finger and determined his next step(s).

No water pan, BTW.

I think bregent is correct, I'm going to pull it when it probes like butter.  Also, I'm going to learn the appropriate finger-poke feel each time I pull it.

EDIT:  Darn you Autocorrect!

[rughead]

I have made roughly 10 Briskets, never used a water pan.
I will try on the next one since I have 3 in the fridge from the local
grocery store that had them at $1.88/lb. 

Water pan or not, H&F, low & slow what ever is your liking, whether YOU thought
it was dry, no bark, tough & chewy etc, has anyone ever said - not going to eat it?
We are are worst critics. As PF's we strive to be the best at what we cook, smoke & BBQ.
I enjoy everything about Pellet cooking, getting together with
friends & family and eating great food. 

That's what great about this forum, everybody has ideas, try's them and then post them
for all to see. I have learned so much from all of you. Thank you.
May all your plates come back empty!! 

[Lantern]

But there are a few, like Aaron Franklin or Chris Marks, who seem to produce perfect brisket on each cook.

Now, Aaron helps his consistency with VERY good meat sourced from the same farm. Also, he cooks at high-ish temps in his massive cookers. Those loaded cookers have tons of moisture from the meat and from the wood logs being burned.

It's tough for us smaller scale cooks to replicate the environments guys like Aaron cook in. He has mentioned that he cooks quite a bit differently(different temps) at home or at small get-togethers than he does at the store.


In the end I think you're doing the right thing. We ALL have to find our own groove. Not only do we all have different cookers and live in different parts of the country with different climates.....we also have different ideas on what perfect brisket is.

Just remember EXACTLY what you do on each cook then when you nail it for you REPEAT. Until you decide you wanna screw with it later.

[Brushpopper]

That's what great about this forum, everybody has ideas, try's them and then post them
for all to see. I have learned so much from all of you. Thank you.
May all your plates come back empty!! 

Well said!!