Brisket wrap or not?


 

PaulBz

TVWBB Fan
I am thinking about wrapping brisket in peach paper. Do you all like that it not? And when you do that isn't it harder to check for doneness since you have to unwrap and rewrap to check it? And it changes the smoker temp constantly opening and closing it. Thoughts on this?
 
I only have basic--or intermediate at best--smoking experience and have done only five briskets. My first time wrapping was during my last smoke in October with an 8 lb flat, choice from Kroger. I loosely followed Chris' experience in this thread: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?72045-Brisket-a-la-Franklin-BBQ&highlight=brisket. My first four briskets were enjoyable but this last one, which I wrapped in butcher paper, was impossibly perfect. I mean that baby was AWESOME. I changed more than one variable and I know enough to know that one success doesn't merit a ruling but I will definitely wrap my next one.

I wrapped it at 171, at which time the bark was set, and stuck a permanent probe in, puncturing the paper. I pulled at 205 and as I neared that temp I simply began probing several areas without unwrapping (when I do brisket I determine doneness by temp rather than by visual or feel, whether right or wrong). The only visual I do on a brisket [now] is to determine when to wrap.

Good luck!
 
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I’ve made brisket several different ways. I find that wrapping in paper is much better than wrapping in foil but I don’t find wrapping in paper to be much better than not wrapping at all. The only time I wrap anymore is if the brisket appears to be getting too dry which I only seem to have happen with the lower cuts of meat. I generally smoke the prime packer briskets from Costco.

I smoke at 235 degrees. I don’t smoke to any certain internal temperature but rather start probing the brisket for tenderness every half hour starting at 190 degrees internal temperature. I’ve had some probe tender at just over 190 to as much as 205. I get my best results this way. I get many requests for my brisket and pulled pork!
 
I'm a firm believer in not wrapping anything. But that's just a personal thing. Plenty of people wrap.
 
Since Aaron Franklin wraps in butcher paper, you can expect that others will pick up on the idea. As I understand him, Franklin does it primarily to preserve the look of the finished brisket. He's not a fan of the meteorite look and doesn't like his bark too crunchy. He wraps when it looks perfect and then lets it cook in paper until it's done to his liking. As mentioned above, the butcher paper isn't nearly the same as the foil Texas Crutch and doesn't change the cook time significantly.

I've used the Crutch a couple of times when I needed to hurry things up, but I usually go Commando for brisket.

On the other hand, I use foil almost all the time with pork butts. I wrap at the stall and leave it in foil until done. The bark is usually a good dark brown by then and the foil captures the juices and rendered fat that make pulled pork nice and shiny and slippery.

Jeff
 
And I'm the opposite. I always wrap brisket (in foil, thank you) as I'm interested in a tender, juicy finish in 4 hours, not more, but never wrap butts as I like barky butts that have been well rendered. Different strokes...
 
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I bought this one. Comes with a good durable carry tube, also this seller was the only one able to provide the FDA letter from the manufacturer, rest of them didn't. Going to try it this weekend...
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B073G9QYNW/tvwb-20
81MaqVI2diL._SL1500_.jpg
 
I want to try wrapping. Which item on Amazon is the best to get? I see 2 widths with 18" being most frequent. I probably do 4 to 6 briskets a year although that is increasing...
 

 

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