Questions about cooking a small brisket on new Weber Smoke Fire

[btuckertx]

It's been quite a while since I've smoked a brisket. Just wondering how much things have changed. The brisket is choice, about 10.5 pounds - perfect for my wife and me.

Usually I trim the brisket the morning of the cook. Slather with mustard or something, apply kosher salt and black pepper, cook at something like 250 to 275 until 170 or so, wrap in butcher paper, finish at ~200-205, let cool as long as we can stand and then dig in.

So, I'm wondering about salting the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Do I rinse/wipe the salt off? Also thinking strongly about using a foil boat instead of wrapping, because bark.

Any other thoughts? Any input on getting enough smoke from the Smoke Fire?

[captainlee]

I'll prep the night before with whatever rub I'm going to use. I don't wipe anything off the next morning. If I think it needs a bit more rub I will ad some before smoking. I have never used the foil boat but lots of people on here have and believe it's the way to go. Your temps are correct but I would start probing your meat at 195 to check for done. I smoke at altitude and 195 is it for me. You may find it done before those higher temps. Each cook could be different so start probing and just don't preset a temperature in your mind.

[Jerod Broussard]

2 days prior trim and salt. Apply rub before putting on the smoker.

[Huskee]

If you dry brine with the recommended 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (1/4 tsp table salt) per pound of trimmed ready to cook meat, then no, NEVER wipe/rinse the salt off. In fact you likely cannot rinse it off since it's now inside the meat. I usually do the night before or 2 days before.

With dry brining, the salt you add is the only salt it gets, ever, so time is irrelevant as far as saltiness. Wet brine, different, the longer it sits in the salty water the more it pulls in.

For better bark you can also try wrapping later, at 180-185 or so IT instead of 160/start of the stall. FWIW that's what I do and it works great. It takes 7-8 hrs, for me, to reach that point though, so plan accordingly time-wise

[RonB]

If you salt the day before, there will be no salt to rinse off. Salt penetrates meat about 1/4" to 1/2" an hour. At any rate, I never rinse salt off protein.

[btuckertx]

I'll prep the night before with whatever rub I'm going to use. I don't wipe anything off the next morning. If I think it needs a bit more rub I will ad some before smoking. I have never used the foil boat but lots of people on here have and believe it's the way to go. Your temps are correct but I would start probing your meat at 195 to check for done. I smoke at altitude and 195 is it for me. You may find it done before those higher temps. Each cook could be different so start probing and just don't preset a temperature in your mind.

Lived in Monument, CO a couple of years, know a little (not much, the neighbors got itchy every time I started the smoker), I'll be cooking near sea level. LOL, will use the thermopen...

[btuckertx]

If you dry brine with the recommended 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (1/4 tsp table salt) per pound of trimmed ready to cook meat, then no, NEVER wipe/rinse the salt off. In fact you likely cannot rinse it off since it's now inside the meat. I usually do the night before or 2 days before.

With dry brining, the salt you add is the only salt it gets, ever, so time is irrelevant as far as saltiness. Wet brine, different, the longer it sits in the salty water the more it pulls in.

For better bark you can also try wrapping later, at 180-185 or so IT instead of 160/start of the stall. FWIW that's what I do and it works great. It takes 7-8 hrs, for me, to reach that point though, so plan accordingly time-wise

I've generally waited until the end of the stall to wrap, thought I'd use the boat just to see what the commotion was all about.

[CandySueQ]

I'd skip the mustard on brisket (love it for pork!). However you wrap, if you put flat side down in the juice, you'll lose bark. If you put that side up, you won't.

[btuckertx]

I'd skip the mustard on brisket (love it for pork!). However you wrap, if you put flat side down in the juice, you'll lose bark. If you put that side up, you won't.

I just use a thin coat of yellow mustard as a binder - think whitewash. Have also used pickle juice and the vinegar from a jar of jalapenos - not together - doesn't impart any flavor to the smoked brisket.

Good point on not dipping the bark in the juice.