Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Just put a brisket on the smoker

I'm trying my first brisket with the plan to take it to a holiday potluck this evening.

I've got a Weber Smoky Mountain bullet smoker 14"

I bought a whole PRIME brisket, cut off the flat (about 6 pounds), trimmed it to 1/4" fat (this has a nice cap) and brushed it with peanut oil and then gave it a good rub.

I prepped the coals, poured them into the firebox, added more clean charcoal and 4 big chunks of HIckory (all I could buy by the chunk locally)

I closed up the smoker, ran it up to 225 degrees and then put the flat, fat down on the top rack. After two hours, I'll flip it.

That was at 8:00 am. When the temp gets back up to over 200, I'll add water to the pan.

My plan is to smoke for 4 hours, then wrap and put in the oven to finish it. I may put it back on the smoker wrapped until I start losing heat from the smoker, then transfer to the oven to finish at 225.

I plan to pull it when it hits 190 and then let it rest and wrap it to take the the potluck and slice it there.

Total cook time 8-9 hours. Sound reasonable? Asking cause it's my first try at brisket.

UPDATE: I let it smoke at 225 for 6 hours and it made it to 150 degrees. I wrapped it and tranferred to an oven at 270 degrees. I've only got three hours to get it to 190, so hoping to goose it over the stall in the next couple hours.

Keep us posted. Always thought about trying a smoker.

Franklin smokes his at 275F according to his TV show.
You might find it interesting:
http://www.pbs.org/food/features/bbq-with-franklin-episodes/

When smoking meat I refer to Amazing Ribs for advice.


Amazing Ribs Brisket

Depends on the meat, but I usually do 12 hours at 225. I think that gives time to break down the fiber and render the fat. I look for a 190+ temp, then let it rest with the smoker door cracked.
I thought if I needed it quicker, I would smoke a while, then put it in a pressure cooker with apple juice.
I can't say briskets are hard to do, but they just take different amounts of time to get to 190, and less than 190 is not optimum in my opinion. I would suggest at least 8 hours at 225 and hopefully you can see an internal temp over 170 before resorting to an oven. Good luck.

I think it may take a bit longer if you keep it in the smoker

I like the peanut oil

Prev mentioned apple juice I like to inject mine with apple juice

It's fun to do and when you bring it you become a rock star

I always bring a new hot and mild Uncle Bob's barbq sauce I love it because it's thin not like putting syrup on the meat
Hank

Everything you are doing sounds fine except the time could take 12 hours or a little more. I always pull and wrap mine when it gets to 195 deg internal. Wrapping yours sooner may speed up the process to 8-9 hrs like you said. When it reaches 195, I always wrap it in foil, then wrap in a towel and stick it in a small cooler. That way it stays hot.

It usually takes about 12 hours for me, at about 200 degrees. Taking it off early may not impact the flavor much, but it will be tough.
I usually smoke for 5-6 hours at about 200. Then in oven foil wrapped at 225 or so. I’ll check it every hour after it’s been in the oven for four hours.
Do not stop cooking it until it is tender. It varies by piece of meat, but plan on 12 hours or more.

I've only smoked one brisket on my Traeger. I did it on the Traeger from start to finish and it did finish well. It's not so much time you need to be concerned with but meat temperature. Get it to the right temp and it was be great.

I mix mustard and worcestershire sauce and brush it on to both hold the dry rub and give a nice bark. I like to smoke between 205 -225. I'm usually in the 12 +/- a bit and as other said go by internal temperature. Being you cut the flat off I can see a shorter time.
Best of luck and enjoy.
Go me thinking about doing a boston butt now

Yum and more yum.

At some point your gonna have a cook stall (around 170 for me) and that will add time.
I leave the fatcap topside the whole cook.

also as mentioned when you pull it put it in a cooler it will stay hot for a long time and enhance the flavor quite a bit

I love doing this
in June my Best Bud came up with his tribe and his youngest helped me we had a GREAT time she was a gas

Hank

I cook mine on this. Mesquite wood

I cannot believe you are taking it to a potluck! Can I join your church, family, tribe, whatever???

Well, it's the County Republican Potluck, so everyone is welcome. If I was truly generous, I would have smoked the whole brisket, but I'm saving the point side for this weekend. I'm going to give it a special rub on Thursday and let it sit for 48 hours before smoking.

UPDATE: After 6 hours, it's up to 150 degrees and hasn't yet hit the stall. I let it smoke for 6 hours, then wrapped and put it in a 270 degree oven, with the hope that it will get to 190 degrees in the next three hours. I'll check it hourly and see if it's making progress.

Damn, that sounds good.

Well, not much of a stall. It went from 150-195 in about 90 minutes. I took it out, wrapped some additional foil and put it into a cooler, covered by a folded towel to trap in the heat. Hopefully this will trap in the moisture. I guess we will see!

I'll not slice it until about 6:45.

pics..............

or it never happened.................

Sounds awesome and I bet the people are in for a treat!

Wrapping tends to minimize the stall and it typically blows right through it.....aka The Texas Crutch.