By Christie Vanover | Published October 9, 2016 | Last Updated May 18, 2023
Smoked brisket is the king (or should I say queen) of meats when it comes to barbecue. When I first wrote this recipe and brisket smoking method in 2016, I was fairly new to the barbecue game.
Yet, it has been my go-to backyard smoked brisket recipe for years, because it works for me, and it’s worked for hundreds of you.
Fast forward several years, and I’m now a multiple time first place brisket champion on the competition circuit. My competition methods are slightly different, because those judges only take one bite.
But when I’m cooking a brisket in the backyard where I know friends and family are going to dive in for second and thirds, I still follow this tried-and-true, no-fail method for making smoked brisket.
And now, I’ve updated this article to include a complete comprehensive guide from selecting a brisket to trimming and seasoning all the way through the cook with methods for every type of grill.
- What is Brisket?
- What is a Packer Brisket?
- Where to Buy Brisket
- What Grade of Brisket Should I Buy?
- Smoked Brisket Ingredients
- Equipment to Smoke Brisket
- What Size Brisket Do I Need?
- How to Thaw a Frozen Brisket
- How to Trim a Brisket
- Smoked Brisket Rub & Injections
- How to Smoke a Brisket
- What Type of Wood to Use to Smoke a Brisket
- Brisket Fat Side Up vs Fat Side Down
- How to Smoke a Brisket on a Pellet Grill
- How to Smoke a Brisket on a Ceramic Cooker
- How to Smoke a Brisket on a Vertical Smoker or Drum Smoker
- How to Smoke a Brisket on a Charcoal Grill
- How to Smoke Brisket on a Gas Grill
- How Long to Smoke a Brisket
- How to Smoke a Moist, Juicy Brisket
- Smoked Beef Brisket Internal Temps
- Let Your Brisket Rest
- How to Make Burnt Ends
- How to Slice Brisket
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to Serve with Smoked Beef Brisket
What is Brisket?
The brisket is part of the chest muscle of the cow. It’s located just above its front legs. Unlike other primal beef cuts, the cow uses this muscle a lot, which is why it requires a certain cooking technique to break down the connective tissue.
In the past, brisket was a less desirable cut, because it did take more time and effort to cook than a ribeye or filet mignon steak. It’s one tough piece of meat, but when you smoke it just right, it becomes a heavenly slab of beef that yields tender meat slices and melt-in-your-mouth burnt ends.
What is a Packer Brisket?
Technically, the full brisket primal cut includes two muscles: the point and the flat.
The point is the thickest part and its the fattier, more flavorful end of the brisket. It’s where burnt ends come from – which by the way are not burnt – they’re just covered with smoked on rub that gives them a burnt appearance.
Comparatively, the flat is the less fatty portion of the brisket that lays on top of the point. It’s where your traditional brisket slices come from.
When shopping for beef brisket at the grocery store or butcher, you may notice a a variety of sizes to choose from.
A whole packer brisket is the full primal with both the flat and point still connected. These can weigh anywhere from about 10 pounds to 24 pounds.
It’s also common to see just the flat sold by itself. These will weigh anywhere from about 4 to 15 pounds.
It’s much less common to find just the brisket point sold by itself. When I do see these, I grab a few, because they’re the best part of the brisket.
Where to Buy Brisket
Brisket can usually be found year-round at your local grocery store, Sam’s Club or Costco. I have found that most of the time the brisket at the grocery stores is graded as USDA choice; whereas the big box stores occasionally carry USDA prime.
You can also order briskets online from different farms and butchers. When ordering online, they usually arrive frozen, so be sure to work in a couple of days of thaw time when you plan your cook timeline.
What Grade of Brisket Should I Buy?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grades cuts of beef based on their fat marbling. Marbling is the white streaks of fat that you can see among the red meat.
The more marbling a cut of beef has, the more flavorful and tender it will be.
I definitely don’t recommend purchasing a select grade brisket. There is very little marbling in this grade, and it will be challenging to keep that brisket moist.
If you purchase a choice grade, the brisket will have a moderate amount of marbling. And when you smoke the brisket slow and low at 225F degrees following this smoked brisket recipe, you should end up with beautiful results.
If you find a prime grade beef brisket and it’s within your budget, grab it. This will have moderately abundant marbling. When you start the smoking process with a more marbled brisket, you’re already starting out on top.
Not to add to the confusion, but sometimes you can find a choice-grade brisket that has really nice marbling. So don’t just focus on how it’s graded. Take the time to look at the meat and look for one with nice striations of fat.
Angus vs. Wagyu
In addition to USDA grades, there are different breeds of cattle. You have probably heard of angus and wagyu beef.
Certified Angus Beef brand
All angus cattle aren’t created equally, so when I’m buying angus, I always look for Certified Angus Beef brand. Their cattle have to meet 10 standards to earn that certification, among those standards is marbling.
Certified Angus Beef brand beef is graded by the USDA and does come in choice and prime. A lot of my friends who own barbecue restaurants across the U.S. cook Certified Angus Beef brand prime briskets in their BBQ joints.
The challenge with Certified Angus Beef, is that it’s only sold in retail markets in select regions, mostly in the south and midwest.
Snake River Farms
When it comes to wagyu beef, I’m a fan of American Wagyu from Snake River Farms. Wagyu is a breed that originated in Japan. It is known for its intense marbling. It’s so marbled that it surpasses the USDA grading scales.
Instead, their beef is graded as “black” and “gold.”
An SRF black grade brisket will cost you substantially more than a USDA prime brisket, but the results will be out of this world.
If you want to cook top-of-the-line brisket, try SRF gold grade briskets. The marbling is phenomenal, which ensures it will be moist and flavorful. SRF gold is all I use in competitions.
Mind you, these briskets will run you around $200, but Snake River Farms does have occasional 20% off sales, so that’s when I stock up.
Smoked Brisket Ingredients
Fortunately, the ingredients for smoked beef brisket are pretty simple. I’ll explain each component throughout this article.
- Brisket: As explained above, select the best grade of brisket that fits your budget. I’ll talk about size below.
- Beef Broth: This will be used as an injection to add both moisture and extra beefy flavor. You can use beef broth or beef consume. Consume is a little richer.
- Brisket Rub: The Texas standard is kosher salt and pepper. Feel free to stick with that, or try any pre-made beef rub, including my award-winning brisket rub from Spiceology.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This will be spritzed on the brisket throughout the cook to add moisture and help build bark.
Substitutions: You can substitute the apple cider vinegar with water, beer or cola. I prefer the vinegar, because the tartness balances well with the fatty beef.
Equipment to Smoke Brisket
This list can look a little intimidating, at first, but you probably have most of these tools already. I just wanted to list them all in one place, so you could prep for your big smoke day.
- Large Cutting Board: Whole briskets are quite large, so it’s good to invest in a cutting board that can handle that large of a piece of meat.
- Boning and/or Butcher Knife: When trimming a brisket, I use both a Cutco butcher knife and a boning knife. The butcher knife helps to cut off the larger pieces of hard fat. The boning knife has flexibility which aids in removing the thin silver skin.
- Meat Injector: Use an injector to add more flavor and moisture to the brisket before it cooks.
- Smoker or Grill: You can smoke a brisket on any type of grill. Scroll down to see the techniques for a gas, charcoal and pellet grill.
- Charcoal or Wood Pellets: Select the fuel that works with your grill.
- Wood Chunks or Wood Chips: If using charcoal, add a couple wood chunks for added flavor. When cooking on a gas grill, you can create a foil pouch with wood chips or pellets.
- Spray Bottle: Several times during the cook, you’ll spray the brisket with liquid.
- Leave-In Meat Thermometer: As the brisket cooks, monitor its progress without opening the grill using a leave-in meat thermometer.
- Instant Read Thermometer: Not only is a Thermapen handy for testing the temperature throughout the cook, but how it glides in at the end is a key to knowing when a brisket is ready.
- Foil or Peach Paper: One stage of this brisket cook is the Texas Crutch. That’s a technique used to lock in moisture and speed up cooking through the stall.
- Cooler: Once the brisket is done smoking, you’ll place it in a cooler without ice to allow the juices to settle. If you’re interested in upgrading from a cooler, most pitmasters who compete on the circuit use a Cambro.
- Towel: When holding the brisket in the cooler, wrap it in a towel, but be sure it’s one you don’t care about, because it will smell like smoke.
- Serrated Knife: Get perfect brisket slices by using a long serrated knife. This will help you cut through the bark.
What Size Brisket Do I Need?
If you’re smoking brisket for the first time, or you’re still getting the hang of it, I recommend starting with an 11-12-pound full packer brisket.
By starting small, your investment won’t be as large and the time commitment you’ll have to devote to the cook will be shorter.
If you’re cooking brisket for a larger group and you’re still kind of a novice, you could go with two 12-pound briskets versus trying to tackle a 22-pound brisket.
However, if you feel pretty confident about your brisket game, choose the size you need to feed your BBQ fans.
Plan on one pound of raw brisket per person, which will equal about a half a pound of cooked meat.
How to Thaw a Frozen Brisket
If you purchase your brisket online, it will likely arrive frozen. You also may find a great deal on briskets at Costco and decide to buy a couple and store them in the freezer.
Before smoking them, you’ll need to thaw them properly. This means, you need to ensure that the internal meat temperature doesn’t rise above 40F degrees for more than two hours.
The safest way to thaw a brisket is in the refrigerator. A 10-12-pound brisket will take 2-3 days to fully thaw in the refrigerator.
Wet Aging and Thawing in a Water Bath
If your brisket is vacuum-sealed, you can actually leave it in the refrigerator for a week or two to wet age. Just make sure that the package is completely sealed, so no outside air can get inside.
Wet aging brisket adds more richness and umami to the flavor of the beef.
If you don’t have time to wait 2-3 days for your brisket to thaw, you can thaw it in a cooler in a cold water bath. You must make sure that the entire brisket is submerged and replace the water every 30-45 minutes, until it’s thawed.
This process will take several hours, and you’ll need to change the water frequently, so the meat doesn’t surpass that 40F degree mark, because that’s when bacteria can start to develop.
Personally, I find that method a little exhausting leading into a 12-hour cook, so I do my best to plan for the fridge thaw method.
How to Trim a Brisket
All right. You’ve selected your grade and weight of brisket and now it’s time to get smoking…almost. First, you’ll need to trim it.
In the past, I have taken my brisket out of the plastic, rubbed it and thrown it straight on the smoker, but that’s not the best approach.
Fat is flavor, but in the case of whole brisket, there is plenty of fat marbled into the meat. And the hard fat cap will not render down during the cook.
Instead, that cap will actually block the smoke and rub from getting into the meat, so you need to trim it.
This above video will walk you through how to trim a brisket. All you need is a really large cutting board and a sharp knife. I love using my Cutco butcher knife, but a boning knife works nice, as well.
I use the butcher knife to slice off the large chunk of fat that is located on top of the point muscle. This fat won’t render down.
You’ll notice the long sides of your brisket may have some discoloration or hardness. That’s perfectly normal and happens during the processing. You can leave it, but I prefer to shave it off and square it up.
BBQ Competition Secret: Now that I’ve been smoking briskets for a while, I’ve learned that disposable plastic cutting boards work really well. I use them to trim all of my competition meats both before and after the cook.
Give Yourself a Cheat Guide for Slicing Your Smoked Brisket
Next, look at the flat muscle and pay attention to which direction the grain goes.
If you lift the brisket from the bottom and let it lay over your hand, you’ll see where the meat starts to separate. Those strips of separation are the grain.
When it’s time to slice the brisket, you need to slice the meat against the grain for the most tender bite. However, once the meat is cooked, it’s hard to remember which way the grain was running.
I slice a little notch in the corner to help me remember where to start slicing the brisket.
Remove any noticeable pieces of silver skin from the top. Then, flip it over.
Trimming the Brisket Fat Cap
When you flip the brisket over, you’ll notice a very thick cap of fat on the bottom. Shave this off, so that it’s only about 1/4-inch thick.
Don’t try trimming the fat layer all off at once. Work in stages. If you find that you’re starting to cut into the meat, just remove your knife. Press the fat back onto the brisket and adjust your knife, so you’re not as close.
What To Do With Leftover Trimmings
The leftover hard excess fat can be rendered down to make beef tallow, which is a tasty fat substitute for making tortillas or biscuits or for cooking foods in a skillet or on a griddle.
For the meat trimmings, cut them into cubes and save them in the freezer. When ready, you can grind them up and make beef sausage or ground beef for burgers or spaghetti.
Should I Separate the Two Muscles?
That’s completely optional. When I’m cooking in a barbecue competition, I do separate them every time, because I want to focus diligently on each muscle to create the best, winning bites.
The flat muscle will finish a little bit more quickly than the point muscle. By separating them, you can make sure the fat in the point is fully rendered without overcooking or drying out the flat.
I find this is really important when I’m cooking hot and fast brisket at around 300F degrees. When I’m cooking low and slow at 225F degrees like this no-fail smoked beef brisket recipe calls for, I leave the two muscles connected.
Smoked Brisket Rub & Injections
The prep is probably one of the most debated topics when it comes to BBQ brisket. Some swear by injecting their meat for tenderness; others prefer to keep the meat “au naturel.”
You’re welcome to go either way, but I recommend trying an injection at least once. I think you’ll taste the difference. If you want to start simple, just inject the brisket with beef broth.
If you want do what the competitors do, combine 1/3 cup of phosphates with 1 bottle of water. Phosphates help retain moisture.
What’s an Injector?
It’s an oversized needle that you can pick up online. You fill a cup with your injection liquid, stick the needle in the cup and pull up on the plunger to fill the vial with fluid.
Then, just like giving a shot, pierce the brisket meat, and slowly push down on the plunger to inject broth into the meat. As you press the injection into the meat, pull the needle out, so you hit more surface area.
Before starting the injection process, place your brisket in a large disposable aluminum pan.
Inject the meat from the top side every inch or so across and down the meat, using up most, if not all, of the liquid.
If excess liquid collects in the pan, carefully pour it out into the sink.
Should I Use a Binder?
If you inject your brisket, you don’t need to use a binder like mustard or oil. The liquid of the injection will help the rub stick.
If you don’t inject your brisket, I’m still not a fan of using a binder. But if link binders, apply a very thin coating of vegetable or olive oil or yellow mustard.
The Best Smoked Brisket Rub
If you want to get into an argument with someone that’s almost as controversial as politics, talk to them about the best brisket rub.
My Award-Winning Brisket Rub
Personally, I like a hint of sweetness and heat to my brisket rub. And plenty of barbecue judges do too. My Brisket Rub has earned me multiple first place brisket wins and is available from Spiceology.
It includes a balance of salt, pepper, garlic with a light touch of chiles, cumin and sweetness.
Texas Brisket Rub
In Texas, they don’t mess with their beef. The go-to rub is simply a blend of kosher salt and 16-mesh ground black pepper.
For Texas-style smoked brisket, combine these two in equal amounts in a shaker that has a lid to allow course grains to evenly flow through it.
SPG
In the world of barbecue, you’ll often hear people use the term SPG. This simply means salt, pepper, garlic.
This is also a very popular brisket rub. It starts with the Texas brisket rub foundation and adds granulated garlic or garlic powder. I use the Spiceology SPG on so many different proteins.
Sweet Brisket Rub
When people start to add sugar to their brisket rub, that’s when the Texans chime in to let you know that you’re doing it wrong.
But hey, if you like a little sweetness with your beef, go for it. This is your brisket, after all.
For a good sweet brisket rub, combine 1 part kosher salt, 1 part 16-mesh ground black pepper, 1/2 part sugar in the raw or pourable brown sugar and 1/4 part granulated garlic.
How Much Brisket Rub Is Needed
When applying your brisket, start by sprinkling the rub on the bottom side, which is where the layer of fat is. Hold your bottle or shaker up about 6-12 inches above the brisket and shake it in an even layer.
You want to cover your brisket to a point where you can barely see the whiteness of the fat.
Let that rub rest for 15-30 minutes. It will start to glisten.
Next, flip the brisket over and apply the same rub to the top and sides. Use the same technique. Keep adding it until you can barely see the meat.
The amount of rub you’ll need will depend on the size of your brisket. I don’t actually measure my rub before I apply it. I cover it until I can’t see the grain.
But a good rule of thumb is to plan to have about 1/2 tablespoon of rub available per pound of untrimmed, raw brisket. If you’re cooking a 12-pound brisket, plan on having 6 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of rub.
After you’ve (maybe) injected your brisket and rubbed it all over, rest your meat 6-12 hours in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. This allows all of that flavor you just added inside and out to really marry up with the meat.
If you don’t have room in your refrigerator, you can also keep it cold over night in a cooler or Cambro. Layer the bottom with ice and set the pan on top. There’s no need to cover it in cooler, since there is no circulating fan.
How to Smoke a Brisket
I’ve smoked brisket on a Big Green Egg, an offset barrel smoker, a vertical barrel smoker, an ugly drum, a PK Grill, a Weber Kettle and a pellet smoker. One of the easiest methods is on a pellet smoker, purely because it allows me to get on with my day without having to nurse the firebox for 8-12 hours.
Some may consider this a lazy approach, but honestly it’s a fail-safe way. There are so many distractions in life. When smoking a brisket, you have to be committed to it.
But don’t worry. If you don’t have a pellet grill, you can still create a no-fail brisket. I’ll walk you through the technique with each type of grill below.
The basic steps to smoking a brisket include:
- Trimming
- Injecting
- Rubbing
- Resting
- Smoking
- Wrapping
- Resting
If you’re short on time, you may want to try the hot and fast brisket method. This is when you cook brisket at a higher temp. I usually only recommend this method if you’re using a high-quality grade of beef.
What Type of Wood to Use to Smoke a Brisket
You’ve completed the trimming, injecting, rubbing and resting stages and now it’s time to get the grill going.
Your fuel will either be charcoal briquets, lump charcoal or wood pellets.
If you’re using charcoal, I recommend adding 2-3 chunks of hardwood wood chunks on top of the coals once they’re ashed over and ready.
My favorite wood blend for smoking brisket is post oak, pecan wood and cherry wood. If you can’t find post oak, hickory is a nice alternative.
When smoking with a pellet grill, you can usually find pellet blends with this variety or you can mix up different pellets to make your own blend.
If you plan to use mesquite, do so in moderation. Mesquite has a tendency to be more bitter than other woods. Start with only one mesquite wood chunk and balance it out with milder wood like pecan and cherry.
Brisket Fat Side Up vs Fat Side Down
When I first published this post in 2016, I recommended smoking the brisket fat side up. However, I have now evolved my method and I smoke it fat side down. Here’s why.
As mentioned above, the flat muscle is less forgiving than the point muscle, because it contains less fat.
There’s a myth that smoking the brisket fat side up will allow the fat cap to drip into the meat and flavor it as it cooks, but that just doesn’t happen.
So instead, the fat cap acts as a great shield to protect the flat muscle from intense heat.
Take a look at your grill and determine where your heat is coming from. Most likely it’s from the bottom, which is why you should place the brisket with the fat cap down.
If however, you’re cooking with an offset smoker where the heat is rolling over the top of your brisket, place the fat side up.
How to Smoke a Brisket on a Pellet Grill
One of the easiest ways to BBQ beef brisket is on a pellet grill, like a Traeger or Green Mountain Grill.
Before getting started, make sure your grill is clean. Empty any ash from your fire pot and clean out your grease drip pan. It doesn’t hurt to add a sheet of clean foil on top of your deflector plate either.
Then, simply load your hopper with wood pellets – I prefer a blend of post oak, cherry, pecan and/or hickory. And set your smoker to 225F degrees. This is a long cook, so make sure your hopper is full.
Once your brisket is trimmed, seasoned and rested, place it on the pellet grill with the fat side down. Place the point end of the brisket toward the hopper.
Spritz it with apple cider vinegar every two hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165F degrees. Then, wrap it in foil or peach paper.
Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and let it continue cooking to a final temp of 200-205F degrees.
Check your hopper occasionally to make sure you have plenty of pellets.
How to Smoke a Brisket on a Ceramic Cooker
If you have a ceramic cooker like a Big Green Egg or Kamado Grill, plan ahead before selecting a brisket. These grills aren’t as wide as other grills, so make sure the brisket you buy isn’t going to be too long.
Light lump charcoal or charcoal briquets using either with a charcoal chimney or following the pyramid method.
Once the coals ash over add 3 wood chunks on top. Place the diffuser plate in the grill and add the grill grate. Adjust the top and bottom vents, until the grill stays steady at 225F degrees.
Add the prepared brisket to the smoker with the fat facing down. Spritz with apple cider vinegar every two hours and smoke to an internal temp of 160-165F degrees.
When you remove the brisket from the smoker, check the coals. Add more if needed, because you still have a few hours of cook time to go.
Once you wrap the brisket, return it to the smoker and continue cooking it to a final temp of 200-205F degrees.
How to Smoke a Brisket on a Vertical Smoker or Drum Smoker
If you’re using a vertical smoker like a Weber Smokey Mountain or a Hunsaker Drum Smoker, the technique is similar to the ceramic cooker (above).
However, instead of adding a diffuser plate, you’ll add a water pan. The Weber Smokey Mountain comes with a water pan in the middle level. Fill that with warm water.
For the Hunsaker, place one rack lower in the grill and add an aluminum pan filled with warm water. Place another grate on the top level.
It’s important that you use warm or hot water. If you use cool water, you’ll bring your grill temp down too low.
For competitions, I smoke my briskets on my Hunsaker using the hot and fast method.
How to Smoke a Brisket on a Charcoal Grill
If you’re using a charcoal grill like a classic Weber kettle or a PK Grill, you’ll need to create an indirect heat zone.
When you light your coals, they’ll be pushed to one side of the grill and the brisket will be placed over the side without coals. Because of this, you’ll need to make sure your brisket isn’t too large.
Once the coals ash over, add 3 wood chunks and adjust the vents, so the grill hums at 225F degrees.
Add the brisket to the grill over the side without coals with the fat side down and the point facing the coals.
Smoke spritzing every two hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165F degrees. You’ll need to keep an eye on your grill temperature and add more coals as they start to burn out.
Wrap the brisket and return it to the grill, cooking to an internal temp of 200-205F degrees.
How to Smoke Brisket on a Gas Grill
Believe it or not, you can actually smoke a beef brisket on a gas grill. It won’t get the same amount of smokiness, nor will it get a smoke ring, but it’s still possible.
This works best if you have a 3-4-burner grill. Start by turning one of the edge burners on medium-low. Close the lid. Monitor the temp of your grill. You want it to reach 225F degrees. Adjust the dial, as needed.
Create a foil pouch filled with wood chips or pellets and place it on the side of the grill where the burner is on. It will start to smoke. Have a few pouches on stand by, because one pouch won’t last the full cook.
Add your brisket to the grill over the burners that are turned off with the fat side down and the point end facing the side of the grill where the burner is on.
Cook spritzing every 2 hours with apple cider vinegar. Add more foil pouches as needed.
Once the brisket reaches 160-165F degrees, wrap it and return it to the grill. You don’t need to add any more foil pouches at this time.
Continue cooking to 200-205F degrees and let it rest.
How Long to Smoke a Brisket
One of the most googled brisket questions is, “How long does it take to smoke a brisket?”
The answer for cook time will vary, depending on how much your brisket weighs, what temperature you’re cooking at and even your altitude and outside temperature.
I’ve had some briskets take 12 hours and some take 20. When you decide you want to smoke a brisket, I recommend adding it to the smoker early in the morning or even the night before.
For a general rule of thumb, an 11-pound brisket smoked at 225F degrees takes around 12 hours. That includes 6 hours before the wrap, 3 hours wrapped and a 3-hour rest.
I’ve included an infographic with a helpful timeline at the bottom of this post, so you can plan your cook step-by-step.
Temperature is more important than time
When smoking a brisket, it’s more important to focus on the color and temperature than it is to focus on the time.
If you simply add your brisket to the smoker and set a timer and then move onto the next step without checking the temperature or bark formation, your results may not be as enjoyable.
Use a meat thermometer to monitor the temp of your meat throughout the cook instead of a timer. This will tell you when it’s time to move onto the next step.
Where you put the temperature probe matters
The point part of the brisket will show a higher temp than the flat, because it’s fattier.
If you undercook your brisket flat, it will be dry; if you undercook the point, it could be chewy. When the flat is overcooked, it will shred apart like pot roast. If the point is overcooked, it will honestly still taste awesome.
So you can see the challenge. You can either insert two probes: one in the flat and one in the point.
Or you can insert one probe in the flat about an inch from where the point and flat meet. I have found this to be the ideal spot to get the best reading.
How to Smoke a Moist, Juicy Brisket
Several steps in this smoking process will lead to a moist, juicy brisket.
- The higher the grade of brisket you choose, the juicier your brisket will be
- Inject your brisket with broth or phosphates to help tenderize the meat
- Place a pan of water on the grill if you live in a dry climate
- Spritz the brisket throughout the cook to aid moisture
- Once the meat reaches the stall, wrap it to lock in moisture
- Allow your brisket to rest after the cook so the juices redistribute into the meat
I live in the desert at a fairly low altitude, so I always place a disposable pan of water in my grill while I’m smoking a brisket. This creates steam in the smoker.
I also spritz the brisket throughout the cook with apple cider vinegar. This not only helps to create a flavorful bark, but it also introduces additional moisture in the grill.
Smoked Beef Brisket Internal Temps
There are two main temperature goals that you’re looking for:
- Wrap Temp: 160-165F degrees
- Finish Temp: 200-205F degrees
When the brisket reaches 160-165F degrees, you’ll notice that the temperature will stop increasing as quickly. This is called the brisket stall.
At this point, water is evaporating from the brisket. The evaporation process takes precedence over the cooking, so the meat temperature won’t rise as quickly.
As long as you’re loving the color of your bark – it should be a dark mahogany – then, you can use the Texas crutch to break through the stall.
Spritz the brisket one more time and wrap the brisket tightly in two layers of foil or peach butcher paper.
Foil vs. Peach Paper: Foil is easier to come by and does a great job at locking in moisture, but people enjoy using peach paper because it allows some moisture to escape, preserving the beautiful bark you created.
You want to keep that thermometer in the meat, because this next temp is the most important part.
Continue cooking the brisket, until your meat temperature reaches 200-205F degrees. Some competition diehards swear by 203F degrees, to be exact. For an 11-pound brisket, this can take another 3 hours.
The best way to test the doneness of your brisket is to pierce the probe into the meat in multiple spots. If it glides in like butter with little resistance, it’s ready.
Factors That Can Effect the Best Final Brisket Temperature
The goal of 200-205F degrees works for most people cooking choice or prime briskets at average altitudes.
If however, you are cooking a highly marbled brisket like a Snake River Farms gold, I recommend increasing that final temp to 207-214F degrees.
If you don’t allow the internal fat to completely render, your bites can end up a little chewy, especially in the point.
Another factor that impacts the final temp is your altitude. If you live at a higher altitude, your brisket will not only cook faster, but your final temp will be lower.
Let Your Brisket Rest
After all of that hard work, I can’t stress how important this step is. You have to rest your brisket. Just think of this as part of the cooking process.
There’s a whole lot of science behind why this step is important, but to keep things simple –> this helps lock in the juicy flavor. Any step that locks in flavor is a good one. Right?
Remove your brisket from the smoker. Wrap it in one more piece of foil. Then, wrap it in a towel, and place it in a large cooler (without ice) for at least 3 hours.
Do I Have to Rest It for 3 Hours?
Well, you don’t have to do anything, but you want an awesome brisket right?
Seriously though. If you only rest it for 1-2 hours, your brisket will still be good. It’ll just be a little better if you go the full 3 hours.
And bonus, you can rest it for even longer than 3 hours, if that works best with your schedule.
I’ve smoked a brisket and let it rest in the cooler overnight. You just have to be sure that the internal meat temperature doesn’t fall below 140F degrees for food safety reasons.
I recommend keeping your leave-in thermometer in the meat, if you plan to go more than 3 hours.
How to Make Burnt Ends
Okay. At this point, you’ve been so disciplined and patient, but there is one more magical step for the best bites of brisket. Reheat your smoker to 275F degrees.
Remove the brisket from the cooler and foil, and cut the flat end off. Wrap him back in foil, and return him to the cooler.
Cut the point end into one-inch chunks. Throw them in an aluminum pan, and gently toss them with more rub and your favorite BBQ sauce.
Place the pan back on the smoker. Smoke for 1 hour to set the sauce.
How to Slice Brisket
During the last 15 minutes of smoking the burnt ends, pull the flat out of the cooler, and slice it against the grain, using a long serrated knife.
Remember during the trim section of this post we created a little notch in the corner. That was our guide. Just continue slicing the meat following that guide.
A sign of a well-cooked brisket flat is it’s flexibility. If you can bend sliced smoked brisket over your finger, congratulations!
If it feels a little tight, that’s okay, just make your slices a little thinner.
For a finishing touch, sprinkle the slices with more rub and brush with remaining juices.
Finally, remove the burnt ends from the smoker and serve the crowd.
If you follow these smoked brisket recipe tips and techniques, you should end up with the juiciest most flavorful brisket you’ve ever smoked.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Choose the highest quality brisket you can afford
- Maintain a steady grill temp throughout the cook
- Use a meat thermometer to manage the critical temps
- Wrap the brisket to speed up cooking and lock in moisture
- Don’t skip the rest step
- Don’t get discouraged; you’ve got this
Frequently Asked Questions
If you followed all of these steps, you should end up with a moist brisket. If it is dry you probably didn’t cook it long enough or with enough moisture. If you use a lower-grade beef, injecting your brisket will help, as will spritzing it, wrapping it and letting it rest. Another method you can use to add moisture is to pour a liquid mop (like beef broth or tallow) into your wrap. If you have tried all of this and are still having problems, leave a comment below and I’ll help you troubleshoot.
Well, you can cook a brisket in the oven, but you can’t get smoke flavor in the oven, because your oven doesn’t have a smoke source. Follow the same steps as the recipe outlines, setting your oven temperature to 225F degrees. Use a leave-in meat thermometer in during the cook. When it reaches 165F degrees, follow the Texas crutch method. Then, continue cooking it and resting it following the rest of the recipe.
Technically, a brisket is done smoking at the wrap stage. So if you want, you can start by smoking it on a grill. Then, once you wrap it, you can finish cooking it in a 225F-degree oven.
USDA recommends eating smoked brisket within 3-4 days, if it’s kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you freeze it, it will taste best if eaten within 3 months. If you are serving it and it’s sitting on the counter, it shouldn’t stay out for longer than two hours.
If you’re just reheating a couple of slices of brisket, place them on a plate, cover them with a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals. If you’re heating a large batch, place the slices in a pan, add a bit of beef broth, cover it and place it in a 250-degree oven until warmed through.
What to Serve with Smoked Beef Brisket
Honestly for me, the best sides to serve with smoked brisket are a couple slices of white bread and some pickles, but if you’re serving a crowd, here are some of my other faves.
If you have leftover brisket, you can shred the meat and serve it in tacos, on nachos on loaded baked potatoes or even fried up in an omelet.
Smoked Brisket
Ingredients
- 11 lb brisket
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/3 cup Brisket Rub
- apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Trim: Trim excess fat from the brisket.
- Inject + Rub: Inject the brisket with beef broth. Rub it liberally with brisket rub. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat Smoker: Set the smoker to 225F degrees with your favorite charcoal, wood chunks or pellets.
- Smoke: Smoke fat side down, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every two hours, until a thermometer placed in the flat end of the meat measures 160-165F degrees. Make sure the smoker maintains a steady temp.
- Wrap: Spritz the brisket one more time, and tightly wrap it in two layers of foil.
- Finish Cooking: Continue smoking until the brisket is around 203F degrees.
- Rest: Wrap in another piece of foil and a towel, and place it in a cooler (without ice) for at least 3 hours.
- Slice: Slice the brisket against the grain and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This estimate was created using an online nutrition calculator
Hi Christie..Thanks for the nice detailed instructions. I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker so it’ll be interesting to see how this turns out? I’ve smoked several Pork Shoulders that produced some yummy pulled pork sandwiches for friends & family. I have to give kudos to Masterbuilt for their well insulated smokers and maintaining cooking temps. I’ll let you know how it turns out.. Best regards, Sid
Sid,
My father-in-law uses a Masterbuilt and he loves the results. Best of luck!
Christie
Can someone help me better understand how to measure cooking temperature? When the instructions say smoke at 225 degrees. Is that measured at the grate where the meat resides, or at the thermometer that protrudes through the lid. For my pellet smoker, the grate temperature at the side next to the hopper is higher than at the other end and the temperature at the grate is lower than at the lid thermometer, since heat rises in the smoker.
Yes. The 225 should be about where the meat sits. You can get a thermometer that connects to the grill grate to measure the ambient temp. For pellet grills, the heat will always be more intense near the fire pot, which is usually located near the hopper. If you place the brisket in the middle, you should get more even hit. With this recipe, it’s okay to smoke it between 225-250F degrees. It doesn’t have to be exact. 250F will just take a little less time for the final cook.
Get a Thermpro digital thermometer. I have the TP20. Don’t trust a smoker attached probe. Been electric smoking for over 10 years and I have always used an aftermarket thermometer. Don’t ever go by time always temp.
This is precisely what I have been looking for. I too love Code3 they are a local company to me here in St. Louis. This will be a cook next week as I have two 10lbs pork butts in my smoker currently
Definitely sounds like your grill is loaded up today. I’m glad this post is what you were looking for. Enjoy.
This was an amazingly detailed post! I can’t wait to try!
Thank you Lauren. I’d love to hear how it goes.
Why are you scared of higher temperatures for cooking? Myron mixon does all of his briskets hot and fast at 350°
I just haven’t had great results with high temps yet. I’ve tried it a couple of times, but the fat in my point didn’t get fully rendered.
If I recall from his book Mixon always uses Waygu beef which is fine if you want to spend $200 + for a packer… It probably starts out tender enough to eat blood rare. I’ve always gone with low and slow.
Best brisket I have ever made. Loved the detailed instructions
Way to go!
Thanks, your recipe has been very helpful and I’ve been successful several times
Enjoyed reading your method of smoking Brisket! I’ve always done a flat and want to do a whole Brisket. What are your thought about wrapping in the Franklin butcher paper method?
Thanks. The point tastes so much better than the flat. That’s where all the fat and flavor is. Sometimes, I split the flat from the point when smoking it, but not always. I go back and forth between using foil and using butcher paper. I like how foil locks in the liquid, but it can steam off your bark, if it’s not wrapped too tightly. I find the butcher paper isn’t always as moist, but the bark is solid.
Thank you so much for your detailed information on how to do a brisket!!! I purchased a Green Mountain Jim Bowie smoker end of the last year. Done ribs, but I’m still learning how to do them. I’m going to try to do a brisket next.My question is where can I find the rub Code 3, Rescue rub or Grunt rub?
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on smoking a brisket!!! Any help with ribs, would be great to!!!
You are so welcome. You can find the rubs at code3spices.com. Check out my rib post at https://girlscangrill.com/featured/three-ways-to-cook-competition-ribs/
I followed most of your instructions, I had to make a few adjustments. I had smoked 1 other brisket before. It didn’tturn out very well. This was the by far the best brisket I’ve ever eaten, let alone smoked. It was so tender and moist it was falling apart. Thank you so much for
Can apple juice be substituted for the vinegar ? Not many people in my family like vinegar in general and worried about the taste it might leave, sour? I’ve substituted for marinade mixes before but was with pork. Hoping to do my first brisket this weekend. Got my hands on a prime grade brisket and don’t want to waste the opportunity.
Yes. You can definitely use apple juice. You can also use some vinegar and some juice or some water. Stick to what you know your family loves. Best of luck. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this post it made my 1st brisket amazing !! I am now on my second brisket and I am back to this post to ensure it’s done right. Thanks again
Awesome! So glad to hear it was a success.
What if I go to pull it and one end is registering 185 and the other 203? Do I split it then?
No. Just let it ride. The point end can keep going. It’s much more forgiving. The flat is the end you’ll need to focus on.
Tried it and all I can say is incredible. It was by far the best brisket that I have ever made or tasted. I wrapped it at 155 and pulled it out to rest at 190.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.
I purchased my first pellet smoker and being the brave (and sometimes stupid) guy that I am…I tried a brisket as my first experiment on the new smoker. I followed these directions and it was FANTASTIC! Okay…maybe I made a mistake? So, I did a 2nd brisket and it was as good as the first. Hmmm…maybe I’m not so smart (well, I did find this website so maybe not?) but the pellet smoker is definitely the way to go. As I am writing this, my 3rd brisket is on it’s way to be devoured!
Cooking a brisket and my flat says 197 and my point says 180 for temp what should i go by
I like to put the probe in the center and aim for 205. The main thing though is to make sure the probe goes into the meat like butter. If you feel resistance, keep smoking.
I very much like your article, thank you for sharing. Is the reasoning for having the thickest part pointed toward the pellet hopper because it is expected to be the warmest spot or because it is closest to the pellet grills controlling thermometer and therefore expected to maintain the most consistent temp?
On my grill, that’s the warmest spot. Find the hot spot on your grill, and place your point toward that side. The point has more fat, so it can handle more heat.
Absolutely amazing recipe! I did a 12 pound prime brisket on a camp chef pellet grill and actual cook time was 9 hours. I let it sit in the cooler for 4 hours and then refrigerated overnight as it wasn’t being eaten until the next day. If you plan on re heating it, set an oven for 325 and warm up until internal temp reaches 140. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! Thank you for these detailed instructions. Very juicy and tender with lots of flavor!
So i have been smoking for about 10 yrs and I have always been hit or miss on brisket…which is terrible based on how much brisket costs I don’t mind spending the cash, as long as it comes out great. Followed the recipe one of the BEST BRISKETS ever …Thanks for the tips!!!
Wow. I’m so touched that my instructions helped put your brisket game over the top.
Best brisket I’ve ever tasted! Fed everyone around me- work and extended family – and all in agreement. Great instructions-l, thank you for sharing!
Theses instructions are so good, wow thank you! Helped me a lot understand more and get better! Thanks for sharing!
worked great
Hi Christie:
Thanks for the great instructions. I’m using a Pit Boss vertical smoker. First brisket came out damn near perfect. Second and third not so good. I’m in Denver at altitude, and wondering how much that might impact cooking. Using a two-probe thermometer setup on brisket #4 to also see if that helps. My question is on a water pan, and how much you use? Or do you just use the spritzer to keep things moist? Can too much water in the pan prolong the stall at altitude?
Thanks in advance!
If you’re in a drier climate, a water pan is better than a spritz. I usually try to keep at least an inch of water in there. When I add water, I make sure it’s hot. If you add cold or room temp water, it will cool your grill down and make your cook take longer. Also, at high altitude, figure out what your boiling temp is. Then, aim for your brisket to be done a few degrees below boiling temp for your area.
I followed your recipe for my first ever full packer and we could not be happier with the results. The only deviation I made was to cook it at 180° before wrapping it. I did a 16 pounder, put it on at 11 pm, as I wanted to be able to sleep without worrying that it would hit temp or run out of pellets as it was a cold night. After 9 hours at 180° I wrapped it and went up to 225° for another 5 hours. I will definitely do it again.
First I give your rating at 5 stars, but it will only let me do three stars. I have looked at several websites on cooking brisket an yours looks like the one. I just purchased a Pit Boss upright smoker and an Oklahoma Joe’s grill/smoker. I have a 23# brisket and twelve racks of ribs. I am using the Oklahoma as my smoker for the brisket as I have more racks in the Pit Boss for the ribs. I have been using an old Brinkman that I have been using for 20+ years but I am tired of charcoal/wood, and then trying to control the heat. For the most part I like the charcoal grill as I built a rotisserie in it.
I just tried a couple of real small briskets ( 2# and 5#) in both units and they came out fair, but did not have time to prep them. Soi this Thursday I will prep for Saturday cooking for a large group of family and friends. I will let you know how it turns out.
I tried to leave a 5 star rating and it only allowed me 3. This is the BEST recipe rule of thumb there is. My brisket was voted the BEST amongst 12 entries. I now do it once a month for my family and they love it too. Greatly appreciate the advice and assistance. Pete Niagara Falls Ontario Canada
Awesome! Congrats on being a brisket champ.
Today is my second smoked brisket ever, I have followed your instructions to the letter wit my masterbuilt gravity series 560 and it comes out AMAZING my bark never gets a deep mahogany color by the time to wrap but in the end the bark is amazing, and the smoke ring is out of this world pretty. I use Hickory to flavor and my rub is just salt paper and a teeny tiny bit of garlic powder. The men I feed are in heaven, than you!
What if you can only find the flat? How does this change the process?
You can follow the same process, but the time will shift a little. Once you see it form the mahogany bark, wrap it up. Then, cook it until the probe goes into the meat like butter.
My husband has a Camp Chef pellet smoker and we have cooked everything and everything has come out great thus far, except for brisket. I found this article/recipe and you weren’t joking, it’s truly no fail. The brisket came out so incredibly delicious and the burnt ends knocked it out of the park. This recipe was easy to follow and we will definitely be saving it for future briskets!
The hard part sometimes too is cutting it correctly. I’ve cooked a few and didn’t cut it right, very disappointing. I’ll be trying this next time! Thanks!
First time smoking a brisket on a pellet grill and it came out amazing!! Followed your steps but made a few tweaks. Thanks for sharing and posted up on Instagram.
So, you advise fat up, not down? I’ve always heard you want the fat closest to the heat source so if my pellet grill heats from below I should go fat side down. Love the recipe, just checking if that makes a difference, heat above or below. Thanks!
Great question. When you’re smoking slow and low, I honestly don’t find that it matters. However, when I cook hot and fast, I do cook fat closest to the heat to protect the meat.
I followed this recipe and this turned out to be the best brisket I ever cooked! I’m 63 and have been grilling and smoking for years so that says a lot! I’m waiting right now to take my Thanksgiving brisket out of the ice chest for the burnt ends step. Thanks for such a great recipe. Also, using these digital thermometers takes all the guess work out of smoking.
That’s so awesome to hear. Thanks for sharing.
I just used an offset smoker for the first time. This recipe was absolutely amazingly delicious and I’ve made many slow and low cooked brisket before. I saved this on my pinterest board because I definately will make this again. I used sour orange juice because we live in Florida and it was a nice tenderizing addition!!
I have an offset smoker & the temp gauge seems to run at 200 -to- 210° [unless I really load up the firebox with Wood & it starts to flame up- then it will get up to the 250 -to- 280° Range- the last flat brisket I did took 14 hours & I still needed to finish it in the oven?? What’s going on here….
Your grill is running at a really low temp. My guess is that the walls are thin. My first offset was like that. I recommend trying lump charcoal in your firebox. Let the coals start to ash over, before you start cooking. Add a generous amount and use your intake and exhaust to control the heat. More oxygen = more heat.
I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker, and this will be the 1st time doing an 18lb brisket I always use 225 to smoke, what is your best estimate for a time including the rest in an ice chest which I do with all of the meats I smoke
Thank You
Probably around 18-20 hours.
Have you ever separated point from flat prior to cooking for increased bark area? If so, did you notice and difference in tenderness or moisture?
Absolutely, I separate them all the time in competition. Both muscles cook a little differently, and the point is more forgiving. I don’t find it makes a difference in the tenderness or moisture at all.
I’m doing a roughly 6lb flat, put it on at 6:30 am at 225. I’ve heard the PB meat probes aren’t too dependable. Any tips on when I should wrap?
Once it forms a mahogany bark, you can wrap it.
What is the difference on smoking the brisket with fat side down instead of fat side up?
The fat works more as a protective layer than it does a flavor enhancer. I place the fat down toward the heat source to protect the meat, so it doesn’t dry out.
Is there any way to tell if you over cooked a brisker before you slice it?
Also if probing the brisket for tenderness can you tell if it is over cooked?
At what temp is a brisket over cooked?
3 words A MA ZING!!! Never smoked a brisket before and this was sheer perfection! Used a Master Built electric smoker. I will most definitely be following you and trying more of your smoking recipes! Thank you!
I purchased a 21 lb brisket, has anyone tried following this recipe on that large of a brisket? If so how long did it take?
I have purchased 5 briskets and all failed. I used a masterbuilt electric smoker. My husband got me a traeger pellet grill and frankly I am still afraid to try again. I have spent a lot of money and ended up throwing it all in the trash being so tough as shoe leather. My son told me to try a better cut of beef, as I bought selects and one choice grade at Walmart. Now I am thinking of purchasing some wagyu packer brisket but the price is way higher. Do you recommend this type of grade I should try, or where should I purchase the meat online as my smoker anxiety level is high as I have put hours into doing this. I am afraid to try but I want to at least try one more as per your instructions. I hope and pray this will work. I was introduced to brisket by my son and he told me to try a better grade of beef. There is so much info out there for brisket that hasn’t worked for me. I have cooked at 225 degrees did the foil the timing, wrapping and other things. If you have any info that comes to mind please let me know. I don’t want to fail again because if I do I will never do it again and probably get rid of the smoker. I am going to try to inject and prep the meat a day ahead in the fridge and then bring to room temp and cook at 225 with point end closer to the fire pot. I want the meat to be moist and very tender that will pull apart easy. Any info or encouragement you have would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Sherry
The quality of beef can definitely play a factor in the results. I recommend trying a prime-grade brisket before advancing to a wagyu. You can usually find them at Costco. When you do the wrap stage, I recommend adding some beef broth in with the brisket. This will help braise it, so it’s moist. You can either double wrap it with foil, or place it in aluminum pan with the broth and cover it with foil. It’s also very important to pull it at the right time. When you stick a probe into the meat, it should feel like butter. That’s when you know it’s done. And then, let it rest in a cooler without ice for 1-3 hours. This helps the juices recirculate back into the meat. Best of luck!
Also a big thing people do not mention is let the brisket cool down to like 180-170 internal temp before putting it in a cooler or warmer. If you throw it in right away it will over cook and dry out since it will still cook inside the cooler if put in too hot.
Do you replenish the wood pellets during the entire several hours of cooking to keep smoke flowing? That seems like an awful lot of smoke. Anytime I’ve smoked ribs or chicken and provided more than a couple of hours of smoke, the food has been basically inedible.
Thanks for the detailed instructions. How does the timing change when the brisket is smaller? Is there a smoke-time per pound calculation I should do?
How do you cook this and get sleep in?
I put it on the smoker at 4 a.m., so I try to go to bed early. You may be interested in my hot and fast brisket. It doesn’t take as much time: https://girlscangrill.com/recipe/hot-and-fast-brisket/.
I have followed your instructions twice for full brisket and amazing results both times. Next I am going to smoke just a flat. Why should I do differently when just smoking the flat?
I’m so glad the other briskets turned out great. For the flat, Follow the same steps, but stop before the burnt ends stage.
What are your thoughts on separating the point from the flat after the resting period, refrigerating the point to make the burnt ends another day?
I’ve never attempted that, but it’s worth a shot. It may take just a bit longer though, since the point will be cold.
I have an upright electric smoker. Do I need to continue to add more wood chips at the beginning?
Thank you, brisket turned out moist and tender
Way to go, Roy!
We stayed up all night (we’re night owls anyway) to put it in at 4AM, but it started to rain during our cooking time, smoker temp dropped, and it took an extra hour and a half to get to 203° For me to take out and rest. At this rate, we won’t be eating dinner till 8 PM. I’m wondering if cutting an hour off the rest time would ruin the recipe?
Hi Marissa,
You’ll be fine to cut off some of the resting time. Even just an hour in the cooler would be fine.
Excellent post! I find myself revisiting this one every time I make a brisket and looking for other recipes on GCG as well! Excellent resource by girls who can out-grill me any day! Please keep the great instructions coming!
No matter how many of these recipes I try, they all seem to be over cooked. 203 degrees is absurd. I just did one and ran it to 170 degrees and it was tough. I may be doing something wrong but if this were a steak I wouldn’t eat it. I placed a 6.5 pound brisket on the pellet grill at 225 and 4 hours later it was at 170 so I killed the heat and let rest for 45 minutes. I also read that you should let rest for 2 hours. Sorry but that makes dinner cold. What is the secret that is not being discussed here?
170 degrees would be very undercooked for a brisket. Technically, the meat is safe to eat, once it hits 135; however, brisket is a very tough muscle. You can’t cook it like a steak. It needs to be cooked to 195-210 (depending on your altitude) in order for the cartilage to fully break down, so it’s tender. I’m not sure what you mean by it being overcooked at 203. In brisket terms, overcooked means that it’s mushy and the meat doesn’t have good texture. That happens when you cook it too long in too much moisture. If you mean that the brisket was well done, and not medium rare, you’re never going to want to cook brisket to medium rare. At that temp, it will be very tough. As for the rest, I recommend wrapping it in foil and then in a towel and placing it in a cooler without ice. It will stay warm for hours.
at 170 you hit the stall where there is little to no rise in temp for several hours. Just wrap it and let it ride and the stall will end and you will get to 203. Like Christie said, you have to take it to 203-205 for tenderness. Trust the process and don’t give up.
I was totally stressing about how to cook my first brisket, so I went to where I knew I could trust the instructions – HERE. And dang, the brisket came out perfect. Tender, juicy, and crazy good. I trust Christie for her expertise in barbecue as my go to source!
I’ve made several brisket’s and they didn’t turn out well, after reading your way, my 1st one came out perfect!! Cooking my 2nd today using your method and I know it will be amazing!! Thanks!!!
Best I ever made, by far. Just started the 2nd one, have been afraid the one I did months ago would never be equaled. Fingers crossed, always been good at all but brisket. Thanks so much for detailed guidance
thank you unfortunately i just finished a brisket before i got the email. and it was dry .I think i know my mistake .i cooked the entire brisket until i reached 190 .i took it out at this time and cut the point off .then rewrapped and put back on the until it got to 203 took the wrapped brisket off the grill and wrapped it in a towel then to the cooler for 2 hours .it was very juicy when i pulled it took cut the point off for burnt ends but when I went back to take the flat out of the cooler it was dry
It sounds like you may have pulled the flat too soon. If you try my method next time, please let me know how it goes.
Just tried my first brisket on the Kamado grill using this recipe. Was pretty successful keeping the heat on the grill down. Got through the stall fine using Texas crutch but then my coals went out and I lost a lot of internal temp until I got the coals going again. Rested for only about 1 1/2 hours but still came out amazing!
That’s the sign of a great pitmaster. You adapted and overcame. Great job!
Thank you so much for all the great infomation on Smoking Brisket.
If I don’t have a cooler how else can I rest the brisket?
You can place it in your oven with the door closed. Just be sure the oven is turned off.