Bull What side of the grill for the brisket?

[Djmthr33]

So, I did my first brisket about a month ago. It turned out ok. Bark was nice, but flat was super dry, point was ok. Started at like 3am at 225. I positioned the brisket towards the center of my bull (point in the middle, flat towards the right). I think this is where my problem was. But what do I know? Lol. I wrapped at 165 with butcher paper and pulled at 203, but wanna try to wrap with foil and pull at 195. Thoughts?

My question: what side of your 700 runs hotter and where do you typically position your brisket? Center, right or left?

I plan to do another brisket cook for Easter. I don’t wanna mess this one up so I’m coming to you experts for advice. Thanks in advance!

 

[PRC]

So, I did my first brisket about a month ago. It turned out ok. Bark was nice, but flat was super dry, point was ok. Started at like 3am at 225. I positioned the brisket towards the center of my bull (point in the middle, flat towards the right). I think this is where my problem was. But what do I know? Lol. I wrapped at 165 with butcher paper and pulled at 203, but wanna try to wrap with foil and pull at 195. Thoughts?

My question: what side of your 700 runs hotter and where do you typically position your brisket? Center, right or left?

I plan to do another brisket cook for Easter. I don’t wanna mess this one up so I’m coming to you experts for advice. Thanks in advance!

I have a 1250 but it should be the same as the 700 for smoking. I always inject the flat part of the brisket with beef broth. I place the flat closer to the left side, fat down. I also do not smoke on the bottom rack but that is not an option on the 700 unless you buy a second shelf upgrade. I usually smoke at 200 until the bark gets where I want it, about 170 degrees. Then I wrap in butcher paper coated with beef tallow and wrapped very tight and smoke at 225 for the rest of the cook. (Sometimes I bump it to 250 depending on when I need it to be finished. The one I did yesterday took about 18 hours to finish, it was about 15 lb trimmed.) Once wrapped, I place it in a foil pan, again fat side down, which collects all of the juices and render fat. Sitting in the juice helps keep the point from drying out but the bark stays nice and dry. I pull it when it is probe tender, usually about 200-203 degrees. I let it rest for 1-4 hours before cutting it.

 

[PRC]

I have a 1250 but it should be the same as the 700 for smoking. I always inject the flat part of the brisket with beef broth. I place the flat closer to the left side, fat down. I also do not smoke on the bottom rack but that is not an option on the 700 unless you buy a second shelf upgrade. I usually smoke at 200 until the bark gets where I want it, about 170 degrees. Then I wrap in butcher paper coated with beef tallow and wrapped very tight and smoke at 225 for the rest of the cook. (Sometimes I bump it to 250 depending on when I need it to be finished. The one I did yesterday took about 18 hours to finish, it was about 15 lb trimmed.) Once wrapped, I place it in a foil pan, again fat side down, which collects all of the juices and render fat. Sitting in the juice helps keep the point from drying out but the bark stays nice and dry. I pull it when it is probe tender, usually about 200-203 degrees. I let it rest for 1-4 hours before cutting it.

I correct the above, I place the flat not the point on the left side of the smoker.

 

[SmokeOCD]

The big bulbous part goes to the left in my 1070. The naming of the parts kind of suck. The pointy part is flat, the bulbous part is point. Just make toast on your grill and wherever it burns first is where the thickest part goes.

 

[Waterboy]

flat was super dry, point was ok

A couple of different things may have been going on. The particular piece of meat may not have been the best. It may have been under cooked (even at 203) or it may have been over cooked.
Did you pull it when it probed tender or just when the temperature hit 203? Was the flat tough at all? Did the flat and point pass the bend test? Was either crumbling apart when you sliced? Some more details might help uncover the issues.

 

[Djmthr33]

Thanks for all the input, fellas! Also, I will add that i absolutely hacked away at the brisket when I trimmed it. Definitely had those Noob vibes. LMFAO.

@Waterboy
Did you pull it when it probed tender or just when the temperature hit 203? I used the two probes, "Flat" probe was at 209 and "Point" probe was at 197. So I made and executive decision and pulled at these temps. LMAO
Was the flat tough at all? Flat was extremely dry pulling at 209 didn't help either I'm guessing. Haha.
Did the flat and point pass the bend test? It was not that floppy like I see on others cooks
Was either crumbling apart when you sliced? Point was a bit crumbly but not too bad

@SmokeOCD "Just make toast on your grill and wherever it burns first is where the thickest part goes." - I really like this. I'll do this the next time so I know. Thanks for the advice!

@PRC "Once wrapped, I place it in a foil pan, again fat side down, which collects all of the juices and render fat. Sitting in the juice helps keep the point from drying out but the bark stays nice and dry. I pull it when it is probe tender, usually about 200-203 degrees" - I'm gonna try this (putting it in a foil pan). Makes a lot of sense.

 

[Waterboy]

@Djmthr33 if the flat was dry and didn’t bend there is a good chance it was undercooked. 209 seems to high for that to happen but that could have been from where you placed the probe.
I undercooked my first couple of briskets and the flats were dry and didn’t bend like they should. It’s really important to probe the brisket for tenderness in the thickest part of the flat. When there really isn’t any resistance it’s done.
Also to more directly answer your original question, wherever you place your brisket if the temps are wide apart in the flat and point just reverse the orientation after you wrap and things should equal out.
Good luck with the Easter brisket. I’ll be doing a brisket for Easter too.

 

[agaffer]

Assuming all 700's are similar, I have not found a big difference in mine. When fired up the first time I did the biscuit check and they all pretty much cooked at the same time.
I cooked a 14 pound brisket two weekends ago. I put it on at 225° at 9pm and finally wrapped it at 11:00am and raised the temp to 250°. It wasn't probe tender until 3 hours later, 17 hours total.
To keep it moist, don't get carried away trimming the fat side. Cook fat side down to help insulate from the heat coming up from the bottom. While smoking have a pan in with the brisket that contains all the trimmings. When you take the brisket out to wrap, also take out the pan and filter the rendered fat through a strainer. Pour some of the rendered fat over the brisket and then wrap. Continue to cook fat side down.

With brisket time to cook is never the same, temp. tends to be close to the same times for stall and end of cook. Start probing at around 190-195° and keep checking often until the brisket is like butter, no matter what the temp is.

 

[DenStinett]

If you bought one, try cooking your Brisket on the Large Interior Shelf
Great all around exposure to Even Heat and Smoke

 

[WooPigFoodie]

The big bulbous part goes to the left in my 1070. The naming of the parts kind of suck. The pointy part is flat, the bulbous part is point. Just make toast on your grill and wherever it burns first is where the thickest part goes.

The point is like a mountain point. The flat is flat as a plain.

 

[SmokeOCD]

The point is like a mountain point. The flat is flat as a plain.

Never looked at the brisket from your angle.

 

[Drake]

I’ve never tried a brisket, I’m cheap and pull chuck roast instead for beef.
<ducks waiting for ppl to throw pellets at him>
I found that for any pull, trimming too much is bad. You need that fat when you wrap to braise and make it tender. I typically add some butter, wine and bone broth when I wrap also. I save the butcher paper for ribs and things I’ll slice and use foil for pulls.
I take it off at 195, leave it wrapped and stick it in a cooler piling towels on top to fill the extra space and close the lid for an hour to rest and reabsorb som liquid. Then after I pull I strain the fat out of the liquid from the wrap and add it back in with the pulled meat until it stops absorbing and freeze any excess to use for other things.

 

[cooleybird]

The inside... duh.

 

[WooPigFoodie]

Never looked at the brisket from your angle.
View attachment 18943

Don’t eat the rope brisket.