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[Bentley]

Man, it has been quite awhile since I cooked one.  You forget how wonderful the beef & the smoke smell together!  The smell is better then the taste! About a 16lb., zero trim, Dalmatian rub with Garlic, onion and brown sugar! A Medium Hot cook, 300° for who knows how long.  Sure hope it hits the number by 5pm!  The ThermoWorks Smoke X4 is doing great!

[Bentley]

I think the Memphis Pro is coming to the end of its life span!  It is set on 300°, she is not holding temps like she did 13 years ago.  This is about 3 hours in.

[Hank D Thoreau]

A couple of questions because I am still working on making brisket work:

You did not trim. It looks like there is a fat cap on the bottom. What advantage do you see in leaving the fat cap untrimmed (provided that is what you are doing)?

What do you see as the advantage of cooking at 300 degrees?

Comment:

I use a Signals and routinely use two ambient probes. My grill temperature never matches what the built in probe measures. In fact, I don't even get close to the same temperature for each ambient probe.

Maybe 271 is what you get at the bottom where a big piece of meat is when your smoker is set at 300.

Did you measure your smoker temperature the same way in the past when you feel your smoker was performing better?

[hughver]

A
You did not trim. It looks like there is a fat cap on the bottom. What advantage do you see in leaving the fat cap untrimmed (provided that is what you are doing)?

I too will eagerly be watching for Bentley's answer. For my last 5-6 briskets I've been separating the point from the flat and trimming off all visible fat. I cook at low temperatures (start at 150° and progressively up to 200°) until IT is around 160°, then I wrap or put into a covered foil pan at 275-300° until done. My rational for removing all fat is that more meat is exposed to seasoning and smoke. So far, they have turned out great. I also occasionally sous vide after smoke and sear after sous vide.

[Bentley]

I just see no reason cutting flavor off the piece of meat till it is finished cooking.  I do not believe in the self basting theory, but I do believe it is flavor imparted during the cook.  I believe it does cook into the meat, and it comes off like cutting Jell-O when it is done.  Very easy to deal with after the cook.  I am also not a big rub guy and certainly do not like bark, 2 major reasons to trim very close.  This is only seasoned on the top.

As far as the 300° cook, it is somewhat necessity today.  I had to have this ready by 5, so it could not be cooked low.  I also adhere to the theory that as much smoke flavor is being delivered at 300° as is going on the meat at 150°.  This is about 4 1/2 hours in.

The flat is over 190° and the Point is still around 175.  The color is where I like it, so I am gonna separate it, foil it and put a probe in both sections and still hope they are done by 5.  I would like to rest it for at least 30 minutes!  Will try and flip it over and show the thick fat!

A couple of questions because I am still working on making brisket work:

You did not trim. It looks like there is a fat cap on the bottom. What advantage do you see in leaving the fat cap untrimmed (provided that is what you are doing)?

What do you see as the advantage of cooking at 300 degrees?

[Bentley]

I was so into getting it back on the grill, this was the only photo I snapped.  I did a video of separating it, but our internet is so slow, it is going to take hours to get on youtube, and then it will have to be edited.  So that probably will not show up till tomorrow.  Foiled point and put back on Memphis, but it was obviously done, as alarm went off 5 minutes later.  It is resting. Flat worries mw, as it is only 156° in the deepest part.  I don't think I can get it done by 5 or even 5:30.  As you can see I am out of practice, never dawned on me to put frogmat down!  What does it matter I guess, it was all sliced off anyway!

[hughver]

Well, I'm sure that scrapping the fat off afterward is one heck of a lot easier than trimming it off when raw. And, if it adds flavor, that's a good thing.

[Hank D Thoreau]

Bently, the reason I asked about the fat cap is that I frequently cook tritip that way. And as you say, it is very easy removing the fat after it is cooked.

I may try the non trim method next if it works out for you.

[BigDave83]

All I could think as I watched you scraping the fat pieces off, was I hope he tosses them on the griddle to finish them.

You didn't need to squeeze it to show the juices coming out.

How was it? I usually get brisket when we go to a BBQ place unless I had it before and didn't like it. I had 2 places I really liked and not sure what they did but now they just taste and feel like pot roast. They are not that same as they used to be. One is at a butcher shop, they cook on a large reverse flow, the other place has one of the big southern pride gas/wood cookers.

[Kristin Meredith]

This was an absolutely outstanding brisket. I could have eaten until I got sick it was so good!  It was a prime brisket from Costco that I got on sale, so I am sure the grade made a difference.  But he cooked it perfectly.

[hughver]

This was an absolutely outstanding brisket. I could have eaten until I got sick it was so good!  It was a prime brisket from Costco that I got on sale, so I am sure the grade made a difference.  But he cooked it perfectly.

Thats all that counts.

[Bentley]

My Brisket that took 11th at the 2010 American Royal looked about as Anemic as this one!  No Smoke Ring, look like a 2nd Grader had cut the slices with a butter knife.  This one has that same look, but the flavor of this was light years beyond that one in 2010!  This one came out good.  I would put it up against any Brisket I ever turned in at a Competition!

The video has been edited, but they said it might takes hours for the edits to apply.  I will put link in anyway.  You wanna watch about the 1st 90 seconds, then go to about the 3 minute mark and watch about another 2 1/2 minutes and the rest is all dead air.

Seperating Point & Flat

[reubenray]

That looks fantastic.  I wish I had a Costco close by.  There was a chance of one recently, but the Walton's killed it.

[BigDave83]

That looks fantastic.  I wish I had a Costco close by.  There was a chance of one recently, but the Walton's killed it.

I keep hearing about one to be built closer to me, but I think that is just people wishing out loud, I believe  our closest one of maybe 70 or so miles, I have sams with in 30 and a gordons food about the same distance.

[hughver]

Nicely done.