Is there an advantage to cooking a brisket naked, e.g. no Texas crutch?

[PNWGreg]

I’m a newbie and have cooked a sum of 4 briskets (one point, one flat, a point and flat cut apart, then two whole packers - both injected).
All of the above turned out great except when I separated the flat and point... the flat was dry and only moderately tender.
As I continue on with my experimentations in brisket, I am wondering if I don’t wrap the brisket to power through a stall, will the longer cook help the brisket become more tender or will it have a more drying effect?
If it has a drying effect, would mopping or spritzing help?
Thank you all for any advice.
Respectfully,
Greg

[JeffJ]

If you don't wrap you'll develop more bark. Going naked will extend the cook which will result in slightly drier meat. Brisket seems to cook better at higher smoking temps - 260 - 300 range. When I've wrapped brisket I've always done so after the stall - I like to establish good bark before wrapping.

[Huskee]

I'm with Jeff above. I have tried all manner of wrapping (foil, paper, during the stall, after the stall, not at all) and I have found that I personally didn't care for the flat not wrapped. Thicker bark as he mentions. Thinner overall meat+thicker bark to me equals a drier slice with the flat. To help combat that, I'd recommend leaving the flat's fat cap thicker, say 1/2". That would give you a little thicker edge of soft fat on each slice to add the juicy soft texture back in. I happen to also prefer wrapping w/ foil after the stall. To me, enough bark has built up during the stall so that there's good, thick bark, but softer from the foil. Spritzing won't really add moisture into the meat.

[NapMaster]

I always cook brisket naked. something about that doesn't sound right.

[Huskee]

Even in the winter??

[NapMaster]

Huskee Well I do live in South Louisiana! 😁

[Steve R.]

I tend to separate the point and flat before cooking. Flat kind of bemefits from wrapping, while the point can turn out ok without wrapping. I love me some bark on brisket, so I go with peach butcher paper.

[Jerod Broussard]

Depends on the cooker. A Pit Barrel Cooker with 4-5 briskets might have enough bark when they get to probe tenderness due to all the humidity. If it's pretty cold outside (<30-F) in a pellet grill I've had some big suckers running fat cap up (pit temp 250-F) get done without wrapping in 8 hours.

[CaptainMike]

I'm a big fan of going with what produces the best results for what YOU think is good food. I've done briskets just about all of the ways it's recommended, but have pared it down to what works for me. Select good meat, DB 12 + hrs, leave a little fat, rub, cook nekkid at 250-275 until probe tender. Will occasionally be a little dry right at the end of the flat, but I've started to trim the flats back so they're a little thicker and that seems to work. These used to be an intimidating cook for me until I realized that I, and many others, overthink it.

[Huskee]

+1! That's just it. Takes a few brisket cooks to learn your own preference since there's several ways to skin that cat. Sometimes these questions are as hard to answer as "what should I get on my pizza?"

[JeffJ]

Yep. It takes a few tries and what people like most is subjective.

The only absolute I will humbly offer is the grade of meat - it should be choice or prime. Select and others can produce good results but the margin for error is thin. Brisket is a lot of meat. Buy the good stuff, especially when Costco routinely sells prime at less than $3 per pound.

[CaptainMike]

JeffJ I think meat selection is the key. I'm sure as heck no expert, but I spend a lot of time fondling the meat at Costco. And I'm going to just let that comment die right there.

[Hulagn1971]

I cook mine in the 300-335 range and wrap after about 4 hours with pink butcher paper. Never had an unsuccessful cook.

[Polarbear777]

I’ve run several at 225 the whole way. When done unwrapped it’s a long time like 16+ hours. The bark is Cookie-like crispy and much of the edges and all of the flat is dry. If you value that bark over the meat there is a big advantage to this.

However, I’ve settled pretty well on wrapping around the 12 hour mark at about 175 after the stall. Plenty of bark and softens it just a little, but saves the meat from getting too dry.

Then there are other solutions like trimming the thin parts off, grinding and making brisket burgers , or doing the whole thing QVQ.

[Troutman]

Throw in pastrami on the thin part and I'm with you. I'd say NOT wrapping is a DISadvantage.

[surfdog]

Well...I've never wrapped one. O_o
Not because I don't like it but because until I "really" got into BBQ, I didn't even know that was a thing. LOL

[Mudkat]

Adding to all the suggestions above... Are you dry brining the brisket overnight first? That will pull moisture back into the meat.

[Polarbear777]

I consider dry brining to be mandatory.

[Troutman]

It still amazes me how many so called food scientists, chefs and YouTube wannabes don't understand the science behind salt and topical seasonings.

[ColonialDawg]

I personally don’t dry brine and my briskets taste just fine.

[Oak Smoke]

My journey to the brisket we really like started with low and slow and wrapping at 160, it wasn't what I wanted. I progressed through hotter, faster, and wrapping later. I now trim less, cook at 300, and don't wrap. I do as has been already mentioned above dry brine every time. I also trim the thin part of the flat off. What I get now is really what I was looking for from the start. Jerod Broussard had an idea I want to try. He mentioned stacking a couple of the thin parts of the flat and cooking them together. I'll probably tie mine together with butchers twine. It will solve the debate over fat cap up or down, it'll have both.

[klflowers]

I wrapped the last brisket I did, but only because of time constraints. Usually I go all the way naked. I have had some dry flats and some not so dry, depends on the thickness of the flat I suppose. The unwrapped cooks usually lasts 12-16 hours.

[klflowers]

I cook low at 225, have yet to try the hot and fast method. Maybe when I run out of the last cook.

[jlazar]

Costco Prime, dry brined 1-2 days, seasoned with Jerod's Trifecta rub using the approach he outlines, cooked in a Backwoods Chubby G2 at @250 using KBB and Post Oak chunks with a little cherry. Don't do any spritzing due to the moisture in the Chubby. Usually hit around 170-175 after 6-7 hours. Wrap in pink paper until probe tender or 203, whichever is first. Cambro in a cooler for at least 2 hours.

[JeffJ]

That sounds textbook. The only thing I question is the internal temp. I've been told that prime is typically best at 195.

[Santamarina]

I never wrap to get through the stall, only wrap after brisket has enough bark and smoke (sometimes that’s never!). Wrapping too early and you risk not having enough smoke or underdeveloped bark.

My pit runs 250-275°F and a whole packer is usually done in ~9 hours without wrapping. It’s also very moist. I do not dry brine. Dalmatian rub (50/50 kosher salt and coarse black pepper) just before it hits the pit.

Most of of the time I only wrap for the hold after it’s done cooking.

[JeffJ]

Simple yet effective. There are many paths that get to the same place.