Brisket - to wrap or not to wrap

[jsaniga]

Getting ready to smoke my second brisket. Well, first full brisket...my "first" was just a flat that came out "okay" but a bit dry. A few hours into that one, I started to question my game plan and whether I should or shouldn't have used water in my WSM and whether to wrap and how to wrap. Looking back, it was comedic.

Anyway, been watching a lot of YouTube and it seems like around 75% of folks wrap their brisket after the stall. But I have seen some great brisket w/o wrapping. I think using water in the pan of my WSM would more easily permit me to leave mine unwrapped for the entire smoke. What do folks here do?​

I have seen the YouTube video where Jeremy Yoder smokes three different ways: Butcher Paper, Foil and naked. Looked like the naked and paper won for bark.

[WayneT]

I've wrapped mine before with good results but never taken one through the stall without some added moisture either in the water pan or as a spritz. I've become a huge fan of the QVQ method where you smoke, sous vide, then sear the brisket. They always come out moist that way. There are far more experienced pitmasters on here than I who can give you more complete info.

[RustyHaines]

jsaniga I SVQ brisket but I separate the flat from the point first. I can then SV both in a 14 QT Igloo Playmate cooler.

[WayneT]

Give this link a look over for med-rare QVQ brisket. Troutman did an outstanding job of documenting his method.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/sous-vide/570575-qvq-medium-rare-brisket-step-by-step

[RlsRls]

What size briskets do you usually use and how long is it the water? Does your family mind tying up the bathtub for such a large cut of beef??

[DennyWoo]

I've used the foil boat method for my last 3 briskets this year, and they've been the best ones i have ever done. I go nekkid till the stall, then finish in the foil boat until all parts are probing tender. Then I wrap in butcher paper with some added beef tallow and hold in my oven set to "warm" for 8-12 hours. This has been producing moist, tender briskets for me.

[hoovarmin]

I wrap. I want to trust the foil boat method, but I tried it on my last brisket and the top became dry. I was cooking at 275. Either way, I wouldn't take a brisket all the way without a wrap. Very risky with an expensive hunk of meat.

[CHNeal]

Ill be honest. After cooking what I really believe to be 40+ briskets I can honestly tell you I have no idea what the correct way is!
I’ve cooked flats. I’ve cooked points. I’ve cooked packers. I’ve trimmed deep. I’ve lightly trimmed. I’ve left untrimmed. I’ve plugged.I’ve wrapped in foil. I’ve wrapped in paper. I’ve left unwrapped. I’ve injected and rubbed. I've just done dry with Dalmatian. I’ve had water pans with water. I’ve had pans with beer. I’ve used mesquite. I’ve used post oak. I’ve used hickory. I’ve used pecan. I’ve basted. I’ve not basted.

I’ve made great brisket and crap brisket with all of these….

These days its medium trimmed and injected with my rub dissolved in beef bullion and Shiner Bock, wrapped in foil at stall, left on the kettle until 203, rested until dinner ( usually 2-3 hours depending on when I got out of bed to start it) sliced as needed and drizzled with the drippings at the table.

Its not bad but it will win no completions. Honestly I cook it because I like the challenge and I like it w/ eggs and on nachos so what do I know.

Good luck. Its a blast to search for your way!

[hoovarmin]

This is an honest post about brisket, CHNeal . Here's my confession. I vowed not to do anymore briskets after my last one, because brisket just doesn't do it for me no matter how it turns out. Even the best brisket is just "meh" for me. But I'm giving my son a kettle as a house warming present and he is dying to make a brisket on it, so I ordered another one from Creekstone yesterday. Go figure.

[Murdy]

CHNeal -- Question: You inject with beef bullion and Bock. Is the salt in the bullion sufficient, or do you add any at another step in the process? Like dry brining?

I've never injected but was thinking about trying it on my next one.

[WayneT]

hoovarmin I've sort of reached that point too with brisket. There's simply too many other meats that attract my time and attention. If I've got a crowd coming over and they're hankering for brisket, I'll QVQ one for them but otherwise, I'll keep looking for the holy grail in other areas, even if I don't know what it looks like yet.

[smokin fool]

I use a water pan and double wrap my briskets in foil, I try to wrap at the stall to power thru it.
CHNeal has kinda nailed it, nothings really written in stone on this site, just try things.
Your techniques can be perfect and sometimes it just the meat that doesn't want to co-operate so you end up beating yourself up.

[CHNeal]

hoovarmin
Preach it Brother! I love the honesty and bet thats a bunch of folks truth! The Perfect brisket has become part of bbq mythology. Its been built up to be the yard stick we are measured with…and it’s just not the greatest even when its the greatest!
Like I mentioned, w/ eggs and on nachos and in chili is how I eat almost all of what I cook and my family couldn't care less if we had it or not.
It can be a fun test of fire and smoke control and I have enjoyed the experimenting w/ techniques. I think the quest has made me a better cook / bbq’r and for that it was worth it.​

[hoovarmin]

Good words, Kemosabe.

[realdocBBQ]

Exactly. I've done it a ton of different ways, including the sous vide que method. I am with CHNeal in that I can't get it to come out perfect no matter what! Although... I am doing one tonight, I might try the foil boat method on that one. I'm really thinking about it. I'm also now a fan of wrapping in butcher paper and coating with wagyu tallow. I was skeptical with that, but the last one I did was probably my best ever, and it was wrapped after the stall with paper and wagyu tallow, so... I'm thinking I'm going that route.

I also think I'm going to do the S&P & Lowry's this time, only. We'll see Saturday night how it turned out. I'll probably take it to 190-195ish and hold for at least 8 hours if I can manage it.


<edit> I'm also with hoovarmin in that it's never blown me away. I've had good briskets, bad briskets and several in between - but never had my eyes roll back in my head like I do with Prime beef dino ribs or with homemade pastrami or even with some really good pork ribs. I don't understand it, but there it is...

[hoovarmin]

Glad I'm not the only one

[rlozinak]

I have wrapped briskets after the stall and I have not wrapped them. Honestly I have not seen a difference. It was my understanding that wrapping was to get it done sooner. So now I don't wrap and I figure an extra hour of cook time. I do cook until the flat read 203.

[bbqLuv]

I vote wrap. I wrap when bark set, internal temp 170*, done at 205* internal. I have received only compliments, no complaints.
I cook/smoke on a pellet grill.

If you believe YouTubers, foil wrap is the most forgiving, followed by paper, then naked.

Keep us posted on what you decided, and how it turns out


Thanks in advance

[DTro]

Somebody here, maybe CandySueQ , wrote about how a brisket loses moisture starting around 160F. Wrapping helps retain that moisture. The first packer I cooked, I cooked it no-wrap until it was done. That gave me a 'control' for my other brisket cooks. The bark of the unwrapped brisket has been unmatched. The foil boat method is a close second-place. When I completely wrapped one in foil, the bark suffered. I like the boating method. You achieve great bark and still capture some of the natural juices for serving.

[RlsRls]

I haven't tried one yet, and reading some of the above posts, not sure I'm missing much! I prefer dino-ribs, short ribs, etc.. with much less effort! However I do have a question. When cooking a brisket to 203 or so, which can take forever! can't you just take it out, unwrap and serve? It sounds like it's probe tender and moist!, why rest it in a cooler for hours?
(I guess that's 2 questions!).

[smokin fool]

I'd try one before you make the, not missing much determination. Even if you have a small miss they are still the bomb.
Time is time, some smoke at 250, I smoke my briskets at 300+ so I can bang one out in 6-8 hours depending.
As far as resting, others may chime in here, to my knowledge it does allow the meat to re-hydrate that much more .

[RlsRls]

Ok! 6 to 8 hours changes things!! 300 degrees, I could handle that. What size brisket? Wrap through the stall? Does that include resting in a cooler?. Inject /not inject? What type of cooker?
Thanks!!

[ecowper]

I wrap if I'm running short on time. Otherwise, I just make sure the water pan has water, the temp is stable, and let it cook :-)

[Hulagn1971]

I keep the WSM between 300 and 325 degrees, empty water pan, double wrapped in HD foil. Smoke for 4 hours fat cap down. Pull and wrap in butcher paper then back on smoker fat cap up for 2 hours. Then start checking for probe tenderness which usually happens at the 3 hour mark. Once probe tender, I set it on the counter for an hour or so, then slice and eat. This method has always worked well for me.

[CHNeal]

Murdy I also add my rub too it which has a good amount of salt in it. I inject 24 hours before for the brine to get in good.

[Murdy]

Thanks for all the info!