First brisket coming up this weekend! Suggestions welcome.


 
M

MattyP

New member
I’m going big to start! 15.7 lbs. packer brisket. The plan is to rub with 50/50 kosher salt and black pepper, use Weber briquettes with post oak chunks and smoke at 250*F. I’m still trying to find but her paper and deciding on what time to setup my WSM 22”. Probably do an overnight and serve for lunch.

Also considering a YouTube idea of removing the brisket from the smoker in the morning and then wrapping in foil and adding to the oven to finish at 225*F. A full bag of Weber briquettes usually last about 9 hours before I have to add briquettes and reason for me considering the oven option. Less adding. What do you think?
 
Last edited:
Thats not that big....id call it medium.

Less is more. Less pepper, less smoke.

I suggest hotter than 250. 265-275 if you can. It cuts time off, less of a stall, better bark imo.

No reason to use an oven. Imo. Just more trouble. Whenever you open cooker, or remove to wrap, the brisket surface cools and adds time. Less you mess with it, faster it cooks.


If you dont get more than 9 hrs....you arent adding enough coals. Pile high to overflowing. At 6-10 hrs you probably have to knock ashes down to keep coals burning and temp up. Add another half chimney of well lit if have issues.

Ive had briskets take from 10.5 to 21 hrs. It takes what it takes. My 2 fastest....were my largest ...almost 18 lbs. Go figure.

Dont wrap until you have bark you want. You might have it at 165, might be 180, but you dont get it after you wrap. Temp can vary depending on thermometer location, so i go by bark formation also. Whens its a mahogany black lump, wrap her up.
 
Last edited:
Pretty much I agree with Martin. I’ve had a 13 pounder decide that it was done at about nine hours, after changing my underwear, I simply foiled it and put in a cooler under double towels and it held nicely all day. Granted we ate a little earlier than originally thought but so what! I tend to plan on an hour +per pound with a brisket but, that can simply be either too much or too little depending on the conditions
The long and short of it is “It will be done when it’s finished.”
 
I agree with Martin. Cook it at 275. Fill your coal ring until it's overflowing. A remote thermometer is very helpful to minimize opening the cooker and to identify the stall and when it exits the stall (the time to foil). It doesn't have to be fancy one; Thermopro sells one on Amazon for $16.

Celery seed in your rub will give a good smoke ring, if that's important to you.

Rest is really important. When it's done, undo the foil and let it sit on the counter until the temp comes down to 170. Then wrap it back up and put it in a pre-warmed cooler for an hour or so before serving.

When you serve it, cut the slices to order; don't slice more than you need right then. Brisket slices dry out faster than you can imagine.

Read this: Camp Brisket 2020 Report. Chris wrote an amazingly detailed report on the famous Texas A&M brisket camp.

Watch Aaron Franklin's brisket videos on youtube.

Have fun!
 
MattyP said:
Also considering a YouTube idea of removing the brisket from the smoker in the morning and then wrapping in foil and adding to the oven to finish at 225*F. A full bag of Weber briquettes usually last about 9 hours before I have to add briquettes and reason for me considering the oven option. Less adding. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Totally fine to do this. I've done it many times, once you're wrapping in foil or butcher paper the brisket has no idea whether it's in the smoker or in the oven, e.g. Brisket – Smoked & Oven Finished.
 
Did one last night. 13.25 lb.
They were $3/lb at costco. Most were 10-12lbs, smaller than i usually find there.

9.5 hrs. My fastest yet.
 
I've done it finishing in the oven and finishing it in the WSM. No difference in taste or texture. As Chris sort of said - once you wrap a piece of meat the cooker you finish in is up to you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top