Smoked Brisket: A How-To Primer

[GrillMeister]

Another great read from the ThermoWorks ThermoBlog on Brisket.

Smoked Brisket: A How-To Primer

There are as many methods of cooking brisket as there are pitmasters. Here, we break down some of the methods so you can learn the basics of brisketry.

blog.thermoworks.com

 

[Timmy]

Another great read from the ThermoWorks ThermoBlog on Brisket.

Smoked Brisket: A How-To Primer

There are as many methods of cooking brisket as there are pitmasters. Here, we break down some of the methods so you can learn the basics of brisketry.

blog.thermoworks.com

This is a real goof read GM! Thanks!

This explains why my briskets get done so fast, as opposed to what the veteran smokers have been comment on.

 

[Slimpicker]

This explains why my briskets get done so fast, as opposed to what the veteran smokers have been comment on.

Which part are you referring to?

 

[Timmy]

Which part are you referring to?

Wrapping in foil as opposed to peach paper or “ letting it ride”.

 

[RemE]

Good stuff, I may try a bare one. But I've been doing the meat church method, 190F so lower. Maybe do some spritzing on the flat in the morning. Should be fun.

The secret is having the Fireboard, temp knowledge is power! Armed with that, you can safely pilot most any cook to a sweet landing.

 

[JamesB]

Here is a bare one I did last week. Using overnight method. 180 overnight on super smoke, using mesquite. Upped the temp to 250 when it hit 160. Pulled at IT OF 201. Tender and very juicy. Rested 3 hours wrapped in paper...

 

[Timmy]

Here is a bare one I did last week. Using overnight method. 180 overnight on super smoke, using mesquite. Upped the temp to 250 when it hit 160. Pulled at IT OF 201. Tender and very juicy. Rested 3 hours wrapped in paper...
View attachment 5571View attachment 5572View attachment 5573

Nice bark! What rub did you use?

 

[JamesB]

Nice bark! What rub did you use?

Holy Cow/Holy Gospel

 

[JamesB]

I usually don’t wrap, but if I do, I use paper.
IMO, foil steams the meat, and changes the flavor significantly. IMO, makes it taste like pot roast.

 

[JamesB]

Forgot to mention that there is 0 juice drippings in that pan below.. It is entirely rendered fat.

 

[Slimpicker]

IMO, foil steams the meat, and changes the flavor significantly. IMO, makes it taste like pot roast.

That's a pretty good observation there James

 

[RemE]

I have loved my foiled briskets, did paper once but before I really had a handle on the process. I think the Mad Scientist tried all three and liked paper. I'm thinking that it would be easier to pull off a bare brisket in a Traeger since we can control the temps better. Stay lower for longer.

But I didn't have loose bark with foil, and they always have great flavor kick with Meat Church rubs.

 

[JamesB]

I have loved my foiled briskets, did paper once but before I really had a handle on the process. I think the Mad Scientist tried all three and liked paper. I'm thinking that it would be easier to pull off a bare brisket in a Traeger since we can control the temps better. Stay lower for longer.

But I didn't have loose bark with foil, and they always have great flavor kick with Meat Church rubs.View attachment 5577

Here is another thing to keep in mind also.
The temp that most people wrap at is 165, and that is really not some magic number like 195-205 is. The stall starts around 150, so that would actually be the time to wrap. However most competition pit masters cook at 250 or 275, and the meat will get to 150 IT in about 4 hours. And there in lies the problem. 4 hours is not enough time to build a good bark and have it set properly, so they take it to 5 or 6 hours, and the temp will be close to 165 by then. That’s really where that recommended 165 temp comes from.

Since many in this forum use Matt Pittmans overnight method, it isn’t necessary to wait until the IT is 165 to wrap. When that brisket has cooked overnight, even at a low temp, the bark is gonna be set in the morning, and you can actually save yourself some time by wrapping immediately.
If you watch Matt’s video, you will see that he wraps at 7 am, without knowing what the IT is, and he comments that the bark looks good, and wraps it. No probes in the meat, and he doesn’t use a Thermapen either. In his follow up comments he mentions that he wrapped at 165 IT (or whatever).
Any of us that have done the overnight method and started at 7 pm at 190 degrees knows there is no way the IT of that 15 pounder was 165 at 7 am.
Sooo, if you use the overnight method you can probably have that puppy ready for a late lunch if you want to. And, that’s using low temps (180-190 overnight, 225-250 after the wrap). Especially if you are gonna use foil...

 

[JS2021]

Here is another thing to keep in mind also.
The temp that most people wrap at is 165, and that is really not some magic number like 195-205 is. The stall starts around 150, so that would actually be the time to wrap. However most competition pit masters cook at 250 or 275, and the meat will get to 150 IT in about 4 hours. And there in lies the problem. 4 hours is not enough time to build a good bark and have it set properly, so they take it to 5 or 6 hours, and the temp will be close to 165 by then. That’s really where that recommended 165 temp comes from.

Since many in this forum use Matt Pittmans overnight method, it isn’t necessary to wait until the IT is 165 to wrap. When that brisket has cooked overnight, even at a low temp, the bark is gonna be set in the morning, and you can actually save yourself some time by wrapping immediately.
If you watch Matt’s video, you will see that he wraps at 7 am, without knowing what the IT is, and he comments that the bark looks good, and wraps it. No probes in the meat, and he doesn’t use a Thermapen either. In his follow up comments he mentions that he wrapped at 165 IT (or whatever).
Any of us that have done the overnight method and started at 7 pm at 190 degrees knows there is no way the IT of that 15 pounder was 165 at 7 am.
Sooo, if you use the overnight method you can probably have that puppy ready for a late lunch if you want to. And, that’s using low temps (180-190 overnight, 225-250 after the wrap). Especially if you are gonna use foil...

Hi, I am going to cooking my first brisket on my Traeger this weekend and I was going to follow the meat church recepie they recently put up. A few questions I wonder if you could help with. I was going to get it on at midnight to ensure I was up and checking on it for temp and wrapping and pellet levels around 7am. Is this too late to put it on? Should I be starting the cook much earlier the evening before?

also I have been using the gospel and holy cow rubs. As it’s a blend anyway do you reckon I can get the desired results without ordering the holy gospel rub for use on the brisket?

Finally I’m planning to use hickory or signature pellets, do you think i will get enough depth of smoke flavour with these?

Thank you.

 

[JamesB]

Hi, I am going to cooking my first brisket on my Traeger this weekend and I was going to follow the meat church recepie they recently put up. A few questions I wonder if you could help with. I was going to get it on at midnight to ensure I was up and checking on it for temp and wrapping and pellet levels around 7am. Is this too late to put it on? Should I be starting the cook much earlier the evening before?

also I have been using the gospel and holy cow rubs. As it’s a blend anyway do you reckon I can get the desired results without ordering the holy gospel rub for use on the brisket?

Finally I’m planning to use hickory or signature pellets, do you think i will get enough depth of smoke flavour with these?

Thank you.

If this is the video where he is using a stick burner instead of his Traeger, you just have to remember that you aren’t going to get as much smoke as he did, by starting out at 225-250. Have you seen his “weekday brisket” video? That’s the recipe that I like to use on the Traeger..It’s almost a “can’t fail” way of cooking brisket on a Traeger, especially if you have a set of good leave in and instant read temperature probes.

And no, the probe that comes with the Traeger is not accurate, no matter how many times you calibrate it. The ambient probe in the Traeger is not very accurate either. A good probe set like FireBoard II or Thermoworks Signals, and an instant read like a Thermapen is a necessity if you want good results.
What kind of brisket are you cooking? Whole packer, flat, point? How much does it weigh?
As for the rubs, I’ve never used his Gospel rub, that he refers to as his “all purpose” rub. I suspect there is a reason why he likes to use Holy Cow/Holy Gospel on beef. I know the Holy Cow has lots of pepper in it and Holy Gospel doesn’t. I think Gospel has quite a bit of pepper in it also, so combining Gospel and Holy Cow might be a bit over the top. I’ve not tried it, so I really can’t comment.

Hickory should work fine, but “depth of smoke flavor” is very subjective, and you won’t get as much smoke flavor on a Traeger starting out at 225-250 as you would by starting at 7 pm and cooking overnight at 180-190. I like to use mesquite for any whole muscle beef, and hickory on pork, but again that is very subjective.