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Smokin' a brisket....tips and tricks accepted here.

Brickhouse

Brickhouse

J.C. Newman owes me royalties.
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
10,176
I'm going to smoke my first brisket on Thursday. 
 
I have the entire day off with little to do because I have to be home while a guy puts in some new flooring in the basement.
 
I have a Traeger Wood Pellet Grill that I use for all smoking.  I have never done a brisket, and am all ears to any tips and tricks to making it easy and tasty.  I'll also accept methods of serving, sauces, and suggested sides.
 
Are you planning on doing a high heat & using aluminum foil for 4-5 hours?  Or going low & slow for 8-10?
 
The one thing I've learned about a brisket is to make sure I check the temperature frequently once I get close to my presumed finish time.  I have dried out a few briskets by not watching it.  And it's no fun trying to eat it like that.
 
Definitely going slow....really slow and low heat.  Like 12-14hrs.
 
Then you should have a pretty laid-back day.  Just get the smoker up to temp & situated, & you should be good to go.  The hardest part for me is always getting it stabilized once I hit the 225° mark.  What rub are you using?  Also, what wood is going to be your smoke?
 
theronray said:
Then you should have a pretty laid-back day.  Just get the smoker up to temp & situated, & you should be good to go.  The hardest part for me is always getting it stabilized once I hit the 225° mark.  What rub are you using?  Also, what wood is going to be your smoke?
Click to expand...
 
I don't have a specific branded rub....I was just going to use a standard rub you can buy in most stores....whatever I come across at the Hy Vee.  I have a bag or two of Hickory pellets....that ok?
 
Here's a rub I use:
 
⅛ C salt
⅛ C pepper
⅛ C paprika (sweet)
1 T chili powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 t dry mustard
 
I haven't smoked a brisket in a while, but I think I cut back on the amount of salt I used last time.
 
Hickory is a good choice.  It goes well with any cut of meat really.  If you have any apple or cherry, you might want to try using a combo of that & hickory.
 
Be sure to save the burnt ends for yourself, or someone you think really deserves them!  They're the best part of the brisket.
 
Thanks a bunch for the rub recipe. I think I have a bag of apple pellets at home too.
 
Enjoy it! I hope it turns out great.  Take some pics & let us see the progression from rub applied to sliced & served.
 
Here is my two cents; When you stop your smoke and wrap, I place mine briskets in oven safe bag and seal it. I then wrap oven bag in foil to finish. 
After you hit your internal temp for the brisket, remove from the heat, wrap in it towels 2 or 3 and place the brisket in a small to med size cooler ( boil a pan of water and add the boiling water to cooler and let set prior to adding brisket).Let it rest there for 3 to 4 hrs.This will allow all the juices to return to the meat . *****REST IT*****
Then remove foil, take the brisket out of the oven bag and serve.
 
There is smoking a brisket, then there is "smoking a brisket" ......
 
Be ready for the best brisket and best of all, it will be yours!
 
Is the brisket finished?  How did it turn out?  Interested parties want to know!!
 
Good luck.  I was nervous with my first one and it turned out fine.  Every brisket is a little different so the cook time may vary.  I too wrap my brisket once it reaches 190-195, or so, in towels and put it in a un-cooled cooler for a couple of hours.  This method has worked for me and they always come out juicy.  Post some pics once it's done!
 
I always rub it with cooking oil and then every time I open the smoker, I spray it with apple juice..........no complaints.
 
Brisket is now tightly wrapped in foil, wrapped in towels, in a cooler for the next two hours.
 
What the heck, if you can smoke a Fuente football, why can't you smoke a brisket? Oh yeah, burnt offerings are the absolute best.
 
Ok boys, it's the day after.  Sorry I couldn't upload anything last night, we had two guests pop in and we had many a beer.  But the brisket turned out wonderfully!  Everyone loved it and it was as tender and tasty as I had hoped.
 
Thanks to theronray for some great tips!
 

 

 

 
 
That looks absolutely amazing!  I think I smelled it all the way down here!! :)
 
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