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Brisket Smoking Folks, Some Questions....
Horse Plains Drifter
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 40,252 ***** Forums Admin
How long do you guys actually smoke the brisket?
What temperature(s) do you smoke/cook at?
Do you cook to a certain internal temperature? If not how do I tell when it's done?
Smoke with hickory, mesquite or ??
TIA for any input.
Comments
No higher than 225 as FCD said, I try to maintain about 220 F and will smoke a minimum of 4 hours with just a dry rub and I use a Char-grill smoker with the side fire box, as far as kind of wood, traditionally done in Texas with oak, but that can be a little harsh, I use charcoal brickettes or lump charcoal with pecan wood that I gather from fallen branches from the tress on my property as long as it isn't rotten. I've heard that apple, peach and other fruit trees are also good but I only have pecan available to me and mesquite (I use the mesquite for fowl and steaks) Pecan I find is the smoothest tasting with a great smoke ring. After the first 4 hours, I will then wrap it in foil to cook an additional 6-8 hours either on same smoker or you can even do it in the house oven at about 190-200 F for the rest of the time even overnight... depending on the weather its not always fun to be outside if the weather isn't good even with the required beer drinking. Oh yeah, when you wrap it in foil you can also add some butter and/or BBQ sauce, but by wrapping it, it won't dry out even if you get the smoker a little to hot (hard to keep an exact temp with wood and charcoal for that long of a time), I guess that is why those self feeding pellet smokers are catching on so much, but I'm parcial to the old fashion way. and as FCD said "Low and Slow"!
Ruger4me said:
"....After the first 4 hours, I will then wrap it in foil to cook an additional 6-8 hours...."
You got it!
Smoke for flavor then cook for tenderness, is my rule.
18 hours for a true brisket. Not a tip. Salt, pepper, dijon mustard and dill pickle juice.
225 for six to ten hours using Hickory and Apple. I brine it and occasionally brush a little sauce towards the end. I hang it in my smoker on wire hooks
Thanks guys! Yeah I plan to smoke it for a while, and then put it in the oven. My reason for the oven is twofold. First it is hard for me to maintain an even temperature in the smoker without constant babysitting. I am inexperienced, and to me a "constant" temp is +/- 25°. Second, I have other stuff I need to be doing, so I do not have time to continually babysit the thing. The oven will maintain temperature better, and my wife can keep track of it.
I looked on the internet and the people who are doing the "brisket in oven" thing are doing them at 300°, which seems way to hot to me.
It is a 3-3/4 pound piece of brisket FYI. My plan is to smoke it for a while then put it in the Dutch oven and into the oven.
for that size and using a Dutch oven, try to keep it between 190 and 225 for 2-4 hours in smoker, you will get a nice smoke ring then put it in the oven but not a 300! 190-225 for 5-8 hours and it should be great and smoke it fat side up even if you trim of a lot of the fat, 300 will kill it...
This is a thread that is truly worthless without pictures.
You folks are so disappointing....
I like to smoke... (mesquite)...4-6 hours at 225...Wrap it and put it back in the smoker or oven...You will most likely hit a temp stall around 190...Just be patient...I like to shoot for a final internal temp of 206...
Good luck!!!
Combat Vet VN
D.A.V Life Member
I enjoy eating good brisket. I leave the cooking to the experts!
The proper wood is post oak.
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