My brisket flat turned into a 14-hour project when the point was done in 8

I had a 16-pounder on the smoker, aiming for a 205 internal temp. The point probe read perfect after 8 hours, but the flat was still at 185 and tough as leather. I wrapped it in foil with some tallow and kept it going, checking every 30 minutes. It took another full 6 hours to finally get tender, pushing the whole cook past midnight. I've heard some folks say to just separate the muscles early, but others swear keeping it whole is key for moisture. Has anyone else had a cut stall that badly, and what's your fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlesb892mo ago

Why not just separate them from the start?

wendy_park761mo ago

My last brisket did that, so now I always separate the point and flat before smoking.

patriciasingh2mo ago

A 14 hour cook for one brisket is insane, my dude. That flat must have been fighting for its life. @charlesb89 has a point about separating, but I’m too scared to mess with the whole packer magic. My last one stalled for like 3 hours at 170, but I just cranked the heat a bit and spritzed it. Six extra hours is next level, I would have been convinced my thermometer was broken.