Brisket question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest

Guest
I'm brand new to this board so please forgive my elementary question. Anyway, I just bought a SMC and was wondering if there was a defined set of standard do's and don'ts when smoking a brisket. There seems to be many posts on brisket but as a novice I can't seem to get a clear picture of the whole process. Are there are definitive rules to this?

Things such as
What should be the targeted internal temp be
Where should temp be measured
What should smoking chamber temp be
What is the ideal brisket size (weight)
How long to cook per pound
Should I wrap in foil for part of cooking process, if so, for how long

I'm totally in the dark and plan to try a brisket tonight (midnight cook)

I would appreciate any help I can get.
 
Hi Mike and welcome. LOTS of GREAT info on these boards to be found. Begin by looking at the Brisket - Midnight Cook page for the answers to most of your questions.

What should be the targeted internal temp be - 185*
Where should temp be measured - thickest part
What should smoking chamber temp be - 225-250*
What is the ideal brisket size (weight) - mine are usually 8-12lbs.
How long to cook per pound - 1 to 1.5 hours
Should I wrap in foil for part of cooking process, if so, for how long - I do not, until I take it off. If you need to speed up the cook for some unusual reason, foiling it will help it along.

But like I said, most of these answers came from the above link Good luck! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
Hello mike!! I enjoy a 5 to 6 pund brisket.. Make sure it has a layer of fat on it. i have used a texas style rub with kosher salt, chile powder, sugar and ground pepr.. email me if you want he rub.. smoke it 250 to 275 degrees for 5 to 8 hours... depending in the heat... good luck
 
185? can be the target temp but at that point start checking for tender. You will find that a select brisket will need to go to a higher finish temp, say 205?. A choice may be done at 188 to 195? and a prime may be done at 185?.
Use temp and feel to tell if it is done.
Jim
 
Hi Mike,

>What should be the targeted internal temp be
I like to pull the brisket when the internal temperature reaches 195-200 degF. This is a personal preference thing. I like my brisket very tender such that it is almost falling apart. This does require you to slice it a little bit thicker to keep it together.

>Where should temp be measured
Measure the temperature in the "flat" and not the "point".

>What should smoking chamber temp be
The temperature at the grate is around 220-235 degF.

>What is the ideal brisket size (weight)
8-12 lbs.

>How long to cook per pound
1-1.5 hours depends on smoker temp

>Should I wrap in foil for part of cooking
>process, if so, for how long
I don't necessarily wrap in foil, but if you do the same internal temperature rule applies. If I smoke the brisket in advance and it needs to be warmed up, I usually wrap it in plastic wrap and foil and heat it up in a 250 degF oven until it reaches 180 degF internal or so.

Since this is your first brisket, before you put the brisket on the smoker, make sure you figure out which way the grain runs on the "flat" so that when you pull the brisket, you can slice it against the grain.

Good Luck!

-mc
 
Mike, as you can see from the posts above, there are no "definitive rules" regarding cooking a brisket, just some guidelines. Brisket is a difficult beast to master. I haven't been able do it. Although my last brisket turned out excellent, it remains to be seen if I can duplicate the success.
 
I have a brisket question. I plan to use a receipe from Steve Raichlen's book that I have done before on a grill. It calls for putting the meat in a tin and mopping it every hour. When I have done it on the grill, it has come out really good. Can I do the same procedure on the WSM?
 
OK, the brisket came out great. I rubbed it with a store bought brisket rub made by Adams spices about 3 hours before I put it on the smoker. I used the minion method to fire up the pit. I started the fire at 11:00 PM, and put the 12.5 lb brisket on at midnight (after it appeared to have somewhat stabilized at 235 degrees). I kept the temp between 220 - 250 all night until the internal temp hit 186 degrees and I took it off the pit, wrapped it in foil, and put it in a cooler to rest for a few hours. It was the best brisket I have ever eaten.

Long live the SMC.
 
That was supposed to read "rubbed". Thanks on for the editing info
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top