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Brisket flat stall at 140
If you have a brisket flat at around 140°F and suspect that it is undergoing the stall portion of the cook, then you have come to the right place. Let’s make some things very clear right off the bat.
Briskets can stall at pretty much any temperature range, but the most common of which is anywhere from 150°F to 175°F.
Sometimes, you will see briskets of all shapes and sizes, such as those that are brisket flats, begin to stall at around 140°F. This basically is where the internal temperature appears to be flatlining over a period of several hours long.
There are a variety of things you can do if you notice that your brisket flat is stalling at that temperature range.
The first thing you can do is either increase the ambient temperature to a degree that is significantly higher than the current ambient temperature. This will substantially increase the internal temperature of your brisket flat.
The second thing you can do, is to simply wrap the brisket flat in either butcher paper or foil, having the effect of rapidly increasing the internal temperature as well.
Brisket flats can stall at 140 or so, most likely due to their small size of weight.
Since most briskets of any size or weight will definitely encounter this phenomenon, it can vary depending on the specific temperature range they happen at.
Let’s take a deeper look into the overall issue of a brisket flat stalling at 140°F.
Can brisket stall at 140
If you are wondering whether or not your brisket can stall at 140°F, it is absolutely possible. Most briskets will encounter this event, where the internal temperature seems a flat line for several hours long.
You should always expect to plan ahead and adjust your way of cooking to handle any variance in internal temperature.
Let’s expand a little bit further on what to do if your brisket flat is stalling.
What to do if a brisket flat stalls at 140
If you noticed that your internal temperature is flatlining at 140° and it does not seem to be showing any signs of increasing an internal temperature, then you should think about wrapping it in either foil or butcher paper. Both will suffice in terms of increasing the internal temperature, and can help you on your way for your brisket cook overall.
For wrapping in foil, it has the unique ability to encase your brisket in an environment that does not let any smoke flavor from hitting the meat. This can be great in terms of rapidly increasing the internal temperature and decreasing the overall cook time very quickly, but you will not get that much more smoke flavor while it is wrapped in foil.
Not only that, but you’ll also notice that the crust and bark of your brisket will be severely diminished, which is also why once you push the brisket past the stall after wrapping it in foil, you should consider unwrapping it to further obtain that smoke flavor and bark for your brisket.
For a butcher paper, it does the same thing as foil, except it does not have that big of an impact on the smoke flavor, nor the bark for your brisket.
In other words, it can be a great compromise between rapidly increasing the internal temperature for your flat, while also allowing for further smoke accumulation for your meat.
Why does a brisket flat stall at 140
In Terms of why a brisket flat would continue to hover at 140°F, you have to understand the general phenomenon of temperature stalls. It basically is a point in the cook, where the internal temperature flat lines for a substantial amount of time. It makes it seem like the temperature readings are not increasing, when in fact they most likely are.
What I mean by that, is that most likely what happens is that the moisture begins excreting from the meat at a certain temperature range that basically cools off the thermometer. This then makes it seem like the thermometer readings are being flatlined.
Let’s now explore a little bit further as to when you can usually expect your brisket to stall at.
When do brisket flats usually stall?
The most common temperature range that briskets of any size or weight, will stall at, is anywhere from 150°F to 175°F.
Sometimes, if you have select cuts of brisket such as a brisket flat or a brisket point, you will happen to notice that the temperature ranges at which they will typically stall at are all over the place. That’s why you are most likely experiencing a stall for your brisket flat at 140°F.
Which types of briskets usually stall at 140?
As noted above, the most common briskets that I have seen stall all over the place in terms of temperature ranges, are either only brisket points or brisket flats. If you have a whole Packer style brisket, then you can most likely expect a stall anywhere from 150 to 175°F.
Final Thoughts
If you happen to notice your brisket flat stalling at 140°F, it is completely normal and to be expected. To know how to remediate this issue, wrap it in either foil or butcher paper to increase the internal temperature at a rapid pace.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.