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Brisket review

3,714 Views | 26 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by Ag In A Small Town
Fightin TX Aggie
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10:11a, 10/20/25
AG
Bought this prime brisket from H-E-B. Seasoned with coarse pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder and finally some Ranch Rub

Put it in the Pit Boss pellet smoker with "championship blend" pellets for ~11.5 hours at 200

Internal was 153 when I wrapped.

Then wrapped in pink butcher paper and increased temp to 250. No spritz.

What surprised me is that it went another 9.5 hours to finish. I pulled it at 199 and let it rest (wrapped) for an hour on the counter. Then I put it in the RTIC for another 2.

I don't know how well the photo shows, but it was very juicy and almost falling apart.

I pulled and chopped all of it (after much tasting) to use it in a chili cook off.

I'm still a brisket rookie, so any tips appreciated.



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Fightin TX Aggie
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In reply to Fightin TX Aggie • 10:13a, 10/20/25
AG
Also, I smoked it fat side up.
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Furlock Bones
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In reply to Fightin TX Aggie • 10:30a, 10/20/25
AG
looks great. but, i don't think you need to go so low temp.
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DrEvazanPhD
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10:42a, 10/20/25

Well, it looks better than this!
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Allen Gamble
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10:49a, 10/20/25
Just my two cents, but I concur with not smoking it so low, but given you have a pellet smoker I can understand why.

I usually crank it to 250 - 275 all the way through for 8-10 hours max and still get desired tenderness and rendering. Granted I use a traditional offset smoker so I don't want to be smoking all day.

Also, i can't recommend the foilboat method enough. Instead of paper, create a "boat" of foil to let the underside/lean part of the brisket rest in and keep the top half uncovered so you can get a crispy bark while letting the leaner part confit in it's own juices. It's also easier to manage and less messy.

This may be pedantic, but I think the trimming is a crucial step and yours could come out better with better trimming, especially if you're going with a prime brisket. Making it smoother around the edges while leaving 0.25 in of top fat will help it render better and keep the meat from burning on the edges. Ideally, you'll have a juicy brisket end-to-end.
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Fightin TX Aggie
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In reply to Allen Gamble • 10:52a, 10/20/25
AG
Good comments. I definitely need more practice trimming.
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agfan2013
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11:59a, 10/20/25
AG
Looks pretty solid and if you and whomever you are feeding are happy, that's all that matters.

Small tips/constructive criticism I'd mention have really been covered already. Tighten up the trim a little bit, round off the top and bottom parts of the brisket in your top photo, you want it to be somewhat aerodynamic and not have bits that hang off and get blasted by heat and dry out. Go look up how to trim a brisket by Chuds bbq or Mad Scientist bbq on youtube and watch their videos to get a good idea of how to maximize servable slices. Remember to save that trim and use for burger grind, tallow, etc. so it's not just wasted.

I also agree to bump the temp up, there's no trophy for taking the longest to smoke a brisket, some guys get hung up in being able to tell someone they took 18+ hours when the reality is it wouldve tasted just as good (probably even better) if they had cooked it in 10-14 hours instead. Start at 225, then slowly bump the temp up every few hours, dont go over 275 until you've wrapped in butcher paper or foil, but after that no problem to go even higher if you're trying to get it finished by a certain time.
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Fightin TX Aggie
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In reply to agfan2013 • 12:18p, 10/20/25
AG
Much appreciated
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Maximus Johnson
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12:23p, 10/20/25
AG
You need about 5x the amount of seasoning you have on that thing to build a good bark. Pictures below of trimmed/seasoned brisket and the end result

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NoahAg
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In reply to Fightin TX Aggie • 12:25p, 10/20/25
I bet the chili will be excellent. I chopped a couple pounds of brisket a couple of weeks ago and used it in chili. It was great.
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dr_boogs
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In reply to Fightin TX Aggie • 12:26p, 10/20/25
AG
Way to go, that looks fantastic for your first brisket!
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kyledr04
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12:45p, 10/20/25
AG
Good start. Agree with the above. Bump up the temp and add a lot more seasoning. I use mustard as a binder then completely coat it, mostly with coarse salt and pepper.
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Ag83
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In reply to agfan2013 • 1:12p, 10/20/25
AG
Quote:
if you and whomever you are feeding are happy, that's all that matters.

Never truer words spoken/written (beyond The Bible).
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Baby Billy
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9:54p, 10/20/25
AG
Looks good. It took so long after the wrap and was a little "pot roasty" because you didn't let it get through the stall (temp around 170ish) before you wrapped it.

On a pellet smoker be careful with the placement of the brisket on the grates. The area right over the fire box is much hotter than the rest, especially during long cooks. Get the flat of the brisket as far from the fire box and as close to the opening of the smoker (on the same side as the smoke stack) as you can.

Also don't be shy with spritzing. All of the fire is right underneath the brisket on most pellet smokers so it's easy for bark on the bottom and flat to dry out if you aren't spritzing with something every hour or two. I use a mix of water/apple juice but I don't really think it matters too much what you use.

Last thing is wrap the brisket with tallow and don't be shy. Buy it from HEB or put your trimmings in a bowl on the smoker and use that.
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NoVAag91
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In reply to Baby Billy • 8:33a, 10/21/25
AG
Opinions on paper or foil for the wrap? I've only used foil. Interested in your opinions - thanks!
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kyledr04
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10:10a, 10/21/25
AG
I cook on Bge and usually prefer no wrap at all. When I do, I use paper to cook. Then foil when it comes off and into the cooler to rest.
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Baby Billy
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In reply to NoVAag91 • 10:52a, 10/21/25
AG
NoVAag91 said:
Opinions on paper or foil for the wrap? I've only used foil. Interested in your opinions - thanks!

When I wrap I do it with butcher paper. It will keep the bark together much better than foil and prevent the brisket from "steaming".
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CowtownJD
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3:39p, 10/21/25
Franklin has great YouTube's on trimming and seasoning.

Enjoy the rabbit hole!
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fullback44
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3:46p, 10/21/25
AG
I thought this thread was going to be about the ex OU coaches (Dryfits) brisket ...
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theeyetest
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1:55a, 10/24/25
Tastiest and best brisket I've ever smoked was on my 22" Weber with the Slow N Sear insert. 300 degrees for 8-9 hours. It was stupid how fast and easy that cook was. Tender and juicy.

I cook all my briskets hot and fast now. They come out perfect every single time.
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AgNav93
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In reply to Furlock Bones • 1:40p, 10/24/25
AG
Furlock Bones said:
looks great. but, i don't think you need to go so low temp.

Agree. I smoke anywhere from 225 to 250. I also wrap around 165 or so. 153 seems a little early. I go more by what the bark looks like for wrapping.
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dcbowers
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In reply to NoVAag91 • 2:33p, 10/24/25
AG
NoVAag91 said:
Opinions on paper or foil for the wrap? I've only used foil. Interested in your opinions - thanks!


I use foil, too. I've tried butcher paper, but never felt lol I achieved a "tight wrap" with paper. No problem wrapping a brisket with foil.
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Bird Poo
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3:09p, 10/24/25
AG
On my rec tec, I switched to fat side down. The plate underneath produces a lot of radiant heat, and can turn your meat-side-down to jerky.

No issues with it going fat side down and it turns out just as juicy.

I go 200-225, depending on how much time and pellets I have, then crank to 275-300 after the wrap.
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Queso1
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9:16a, 10/25/25
AG
I don't really care fat side up or down. I don't care about out temp (very much). All I care about is the fire in the box. Smoldering is bad and makes your tongue numb. Gotta have a good burn.
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Goodest Poster
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In reply to Allen Gamble • 10:40a, 10/25/25
AG
Allen Gamble said:
Just my two cents, but I concur with not smoking it so low, but given you have a pellet smoker I can understand why.

I usually crank it to 250 - 275 all the way through for 8-10 hours max and still get desired tenderness and rendering. Granted I use a traditional offset smoker so I don't want to be smoking all day.

Also, i can't recommend the foilboat method enough. Instead of paper, create a "boat" of foil to let the underside/lean part of the brisket rest in and keep the top half uncovered so you can get a crispy bark while letting the leaner part confit in it's own juices. It's also easier to manage and less messy.

This may be pedantic, but I think the trimming is a crucial step and yours could come out better with better trimming, especially if you're going with a prime brisket. Making it smoother around the edges while leaving 0.25 in of top fat will help it render better and keep the meat from burning on the edges. Ideally, you'll have a juicy brisket end-to-end.


I will add to trimming...you want no edges. Everything should be rounded, particularly if you have consistent air movement
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AgBQ_95
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1:43p, 11/3/25
This is the best brisket trim video you'll find - at least in my opinion. Of course his trim is very aggressive, because he can take everything that he trims off and put it into sausage. You can be a little less aggressive with something you are cooking for the typical home cook, but the idea is still the same. If you can get the point and flat almost even with each other, you will have a more consistent cook and not have the point/flat done a different times.

Watching this just a few times for me made me much more comfortable with getting a good trim on my briskets.

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Ag In A Small Town
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In reply to Bird Poo • 2:00p, 11/3/25
AG
Bird Poo said:
On my rec tec, I switched to fat side down. The plate underneath produces a lot of radiant heat, and can turn your meat-side-down to jerky.

No issues with it going fat side down and it turns out just as juicy.

I go 200-225, depending on how much time and pellets I have, then crank to 275-300 after the wrap.


I smoke at 250 on my recteq and add 2 smoke tubes for a brisket. I wrap at 170 and turn up the temp to 300. Pull at 203 to 205. Turns out great. I do go heavy with my rub. Use a mix of oak and mesquite pellets. Also use a water pan and place brisket on top rack.
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