Greetings fellow BBQ lovers, I need help with my first brisket.

I have cooked a lot of great BBQ on my pellet smoker, including pork butts, chickens, turkey, ribs & sausage but never a brisket.

I'm going to purchase a packer cut brisket 10#-12# but with that large a piece of beef I need a lot of extra cook time. I was wondering if I did a overnight cook at 200 degrees then kicked it up to 225 for the balance of the process would it be okay?

For long cooks, such as a pork butt I always use 'low and slow ' @ 225 and my results are always great, but I was concerned if 200 overnight was to low?

I was also considering the Texas Crutch? The TC is simple, when the meat hits the stall, wrap the meat in a double layer of tinfoil and let it steam in its own juices. Does that work with brisket?

Let me know any tricks and tips along with comments about my cook plan.

______________________________________________

Well here are the results of the input from each of you and following some of the instructions in the Meathead book along with Amazing Ribs.

This is a 16# USDA Prime brisket smoked for 16 hours at 225. When it came off I wrapped it in 3 laters of foil and put it in my cooler for a little over 2 hours.

For my first brisket on my pellet smoker it came out pretty damn nice...!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sig229-SAS,

Many cooks use the crutch with brisket. As you know, some people spurn it, but I don't think there is a thing wrong with it. Competition cooks all wrap the meat.

https://amazingribs.com/more-t...becue-stall-bane-all

I copied this from a BBQ forum I frequent. It's very fool-proof, and a GREAT method for your first time out.

BluDawgs Brisket

Some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mother's love, pure beefy smokey goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat & thin the fat cap to 1/4".

Mix your Rub
1 part kosher salt 4 parts Med grind black pepper by volume (this is a true 50/50 by weight).
Apply a coat of rub; you need to be able to see the meat through the rub clearly.

Pre heat the pit to 300 degrees. Place brisket on the pit fat cap down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB.

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner.
Cook brisket 4 hrs.
Remove from pit, wrap in a single layer of butcher paper (NOT foil). Return to pit, fat cap up.
After 1 hr, probe the thicket part of the flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
Once it is probe tender, remove from the pit, keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the internal temp reaches 150. (EDIT TO CLARIFY - The brisket will have cooked until probe tender, appx 195-205 degrees internal temp, and then cooled down, still wrapped, to 150 before slicing). This will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat; big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.

*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Outnumbered,

225 the entire time

Strongly suggest reading and following AmazingRib’s Barbecue Beef Brisket Texas Style, The Definitive Guide

quote:

Originally posted by Outnumbered:
Once it is probe tender, remove from the pit, keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the internal temp reaches 150.

Is 150 a typo? I've never seen brisket temperatures less than 195 (usually 195 to 205).

Set it at 220 and smoke unwrapped over night. I like to get it on the fire around 8:00 PM for lunch the next day. When you get up in the morning wrap it in foil and let it ride until 190 internal temp. Pull it at 190, wrap in a big towel foil and all, and place inside a cooler (igloo type ice chest) for an hour to rest. For a packer cut you will need 14 hours plus so no worries letting it roll all night unattended as long as your smoker will hold temp that long.

I smoke mine at 225 to 250. I don't usually increase the temp unless I am in a hurry. Once finished (195 internal temp) wrap and let rest 1 to 3 hours wrapped in foil and a towel in a cooler. I usually put about 1/2 cup of chicken broth on it before wrappin' in foil.

I would never smoke anything at or below 200. 225 is the lowest I smoke at. Anything under 180 is dangerous so I want to make sure I am always above that a significant amount.

Study the online videos by Aaron Franklin.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU

There is a series of videos from selecting the brisket, trimming, the pit, the fire, the whole works. Do it like he does!

Check aaron franklin ' videos in youtube hr has several brisket. A full packer is a lot of meat. I separated my last one and just did the point today. I have several meals for the 4 in my family. From it. It went almost 5 hours around 250 and was just about perfect. Once done I double wrapped it in foil, put thay inside an insulated bag and then a cooler and it heald at a good eating temp for 5 hours.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Once it is probe tender, remove from the pit, keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the internal temp reaches 150.

Is 150 a typo? I've never seen brisket temperatures less than 195 (usually 195 to 205).

150 is way too low of target temp.
You are correct with the 195 to 205 temp.

I smoke mine at 225 to 250.

I go 235 until internal temp hits 155-160 then wrap until 200-205, then separate and turn the point into burnt ends.

Not sure how to post pics without photo bucket but have some good smoke ring pics.

Here is a video with Franklin showing the different results from no wrap vs butcher paper vs foil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnRRDSYgdmw

I think he means let it rest until it comes back down to 150 for serving temp.

I've never wrapped a brisket. I do all packer briskets in the 12 to 14lb range. I use a wood fired smoker so my technique is most likely different than what you may do with a pellet grill.

Trim the brisket. I like to get it down to about 1/4 to 1/2" fat cap. Apply your rub and let it sit in room temp for a hour or so to let the rub set up.

Run the smoker around 250. Put the beast in the smoker. I spritz mine with a mixture of beef broth and whiskey every so often. Maybe once a hour or so. Once the internal hits around 160-170 I put it in a pan. I do not cover the pan with foil I leave it open and put it back on the smoker. I pour a bottle of dark beer in the bottom of the pan.
I don't foil or wrap because I don't like my brisket to take on that pot roast flavor and texture you get from wrapping it. I want to keep forming that great crunchy bark.
The only reason I pan at all is to catch all the juices once the brisket has reached the right temp. If I want to slice I pull it at 195 if I want pulled I let it go close to 205.

Once desired temp is reached I tent foil the pan and put it in the Cambro to rest for a couple hours.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This ,it usually takes me 16 or so hours at 165 deg in the old country smoker.
I fire with oak wood.
Mine looks like the pic above.

I love Brisket!

I trim fat so it is even.

I mix coarse salt and coarse pepper 50/50, and apply night before.

Warm smoker to 250. Usually put on about 5 am.

Place brisket on rack above a pan filled with water below, and let smoke till it just comes out of stall... Usually climbs to 165 fairly steady and a sits for a few hours. It will actually drop in temp a few degrees.

Once it starts to rise usually 169 for me, I pull and wrap in peach paper, then put back in and let temp rise to 195.

I pull it, wrap in a towel and place in a cooler ( which simply insulates and keeps warm)for 1 hour.

Pull and slice, very consistent results.

I also use probes for my temps, I personally use "smoke" from thermos works. I do not open the smoker to check at all.

Good luck!

Lastmanstanding has it right. Cook it exactly like that.

If I may offer an alternative to the Crutch from the pages of Mr. Franklin's methods that has worked wonders for me - get some brown kraft paper from Hobby Lobby or similar and when you would be wrapping, use 3-4 pieces of that instead. Plain, uncoated brown paper, not butcher paper. This will insulate enough to keep the temp rising but also not hold so much moisture that you are essentially braising as will happen with foil. This gives you reasonable cook times, avoids drying out too much but still gives incredibly bark.

I've been doing this for 4 years now with everything that goes on my 60" Lang or in the BGE for a long cook.

Rest of the recommendations are good, more simpler is better especially on seasoning. I use a lot of fresh ground pepper and a little salt and some paprika. Don't have my ratios with me, but like 1c pepper to 1/8c salt and 1/4c paprika - you can start with a 50/50 ratio (as I did) but IMHO that is WAY too salty and I'm no saltophobe. I trim some of the thicker parts of fat so it's edible with the delicious bark on it after cooking, and also cut out/off all the "heel" fat. That rock hard fat is not what you want, and won't break down while cooking like the rest of the fat will.

The rest in a cooler is key. I mean really key, and I use that as the buffer in my estimated cook time when serving anyone other than immediate family (they understand that "the brisket is ready when it's ready, don't rush it!"). I've held in a cooler for nearly three hours and it just keeps getting better, temps won't keep rising but it will hold at a solid 170-190. Actually makes it best to take out of cooler and rest on board for 30 minutes before cutting.

Welcome to the addiction. Plan on a lot of attempts, some good, some not so much, and some that will have you moaning and rolling your eyes back in your head. When you get to that point it means by TX standards you now merely suck.

Unparafinned butcher paper is much better than foil. Foil will steam your bark and make it soft.

Don't forget a good rub.
My favorite is Amazing Ribs Big Bad Beef Rub .
Wonderful and Peppery.
I salt ahead of the rub.

As you can see, there are dozens of ways to do this and everyone claims there's is the best.

I do have an uncle in Texas who cooks between 200-212 and gets great results. Insists on keeping it lower than 212. Has even won awards with that at local competitions.

But plenty of people love the Mixon hot and fast technique, Franklin's, Big Moe's, etc, etc. and get great results with them.

cc