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[Ralphie]

This weekend I'm planning to smoke a brisket for the first time in a few years.  I know there are other topics addressing how some people prepare brisket but I have a few specific questions/requests for suggestions.

The brisket is an 11.5 lb whole packer.  USDA Choice I believe.

- Pellet flavor?

- Wrap, or no wrap?

- Regarding burnt ends:  separate flat from point before or during cooking?

- Any advice in general on preparing burnt ends?  I've never attempted it before.

- Inject or no?  Any injection recommendations or ingredients to avoid?

Also, it would be great if anybody could share their own general "must haves" or "must do's" when making brisket.

 

[bregent]

Here's my way - not necessarily the best but gives me great results.

If you are going to make burnt ends, then I would separate the flat and point before cooking to get more bark on the point. When the point is getting nearly tender, cut into 1" cubes and put into a pan with drippings/broth and some BBQ sauce.  Dunk the pieces in the broth/sauce mix and you can sprinkle some rub on top. Cover with foil and put back on smoker till fully tender. Remove foil, add a final coat of BBQ sauce if you want and finish them up for another 15-30 minutes on the smoker

I use 100% Hickory - it's the only pellet that gives me enough smoke flavor. 
I only wrap if the color is getting too dark
I don't inject - brisket has plenty of flavor on its own for me
I usually do a dalmatian rub but sometimes Montreal Steak - put the rub on 12-24 hours in advance if you can.

The only 'must have' is to cook the brisket until it is tender - I never cook to temp.

[Clonesmoker]

I will usually use hickory or a competition blend when doing a brisket. I prefer the Aaron Franklin method for seasoning.  50% black pepper and 50% kosher salt and put in on right before I put in on the smoker.  When I first started smoking, I would wrap it. Then only time now I will wrap is if I want gravy for potatoes. I have never injected anything into anything I have smoked. I will dry brine pork butts, pork ribs, but never with beef. I do marinate wings and chicken overnight just due to the skin on it. I will separate the flat and point about half way into my cook or near the end of it. It seems to come apart easier. I haven't done burnt ends before so I can't offer any suggestions on that. Like Bregent said cook until tender. The probe should go in very easy. I always look at like an 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound and then check with my hand to see how it feels. I will use the probe just check to see how close I am to around 195 -200 temp wise. I will always start at around 150 for an hour or two and will have a small pan of water, just my preference as it seems to help with the smoke ring. 

[glitchy]

There's a 1000 ways to do it and they all can work depending on what you are looking for.

Personally, I tenderize mine using one of the bladed tenderizers (which means you cannot inject or it will just leak out everywhere) and smoke around 215-225 until it gets to about 175, then I wrap in butcher paper (peach, non waxed) until probe tender. I also often bump temp up a few degrees after wrapping. Did my best brisket yet this past weekend. I used to foil, but you lose a lot of bark and sometimes get pot roasty.

Update:
And I've found the longer I let it rest, the better it seems to turn out. I let this last one rest triple wrapped in butcher paper (the 2 layers that were already on it while cooking, plus a fresh wrap to contain most of the grease already soaking the first two layers), a big towel, and in a cooler for about 3.5 hours. It was the longest I'd ever rested one just because of when it finished cooking and one of the juiciest briskets I've ever had. It was also Costco Prime.

[Bentley]

Now days its what in the hopper, you can't choose a bad hardwood.

I do not like bark, if you do, do not wrap.  I use a pan with liquid in it to finish my brisket because the small, thin outer portions do not get ruined, I like to have the juice for a sauce, and I simply like the feel of the brisket finished this way.

Whether it is correct or not, my definition of burnt end is when the meat is ready to be pulled from smoker, then separated.  The point then has a liberal amount of rub added to it and is put back on the unit for about 2 more hours.  It is then cubed, tossed in sauce, then back in the pit to set the sauce.

Yes I inject.  But ask yourself why?  I am doing it because I have trouble keeping the inside moist and the inside meat has zero flavor.  Do I think injecting beef stock will give it flavor and keep the meat moist, no I don't.  Do I think adding some sodium phosphate and that stock, or my own mixture of flavor enhancers will, yes, I do.

Good luck with the cook.

...I have a few specific questions/requests for suggestions.

- Pellet flavor?
- Wrap, or no wrap?
- Regarding burnt ends:  separate flat from point before or during cooking?
- Any advice in general on preparing burnt ends?  I've never attempted it before.
- Inject or no?  Any injection recommendations or ingredients to avoid?

[DMAXNAZ]

I recently just started splitting before the cook. It speeds up the cook time and adds bark for the burnt ends. I inject with beef broth and rub with black ops. Since I started using that rub people can only rave for days and weeks on end. I use mesquite pellets. I wrap the flat @ 165. I cut up the point @ 190. Then put them in a pan with more rub and broth or drippings from the flat. I let them go for an hour or so covered. Personally I don't like sauce on my ends. Just the rub.

[Ralphie]

I really appreciate the advice.  There are elements of each post that I like and will use.  I'll be sure to report back on Sunday for this cook.

One last question:  any advice on trimming?  What to keep and what to discard...

[glitchy]

I really appreciate the advice.  There are elements of each post that I like and will use.  I'll be sure to report back on Sunday for this cook.

One last question:  any advice on trimming?  What to keep and what to discard...

Personally, If cap is thicker than 1/4" I trim it down and anything dangling on edges and any hard fat. Other than that, I trim excess when eating or packaging up. I like to leave quite a bit to melt into the cook. Don't know if it really works or not though.

[bregent]

I really appreciate the advice.  There are elements of each post that I like and will use.  I'll be sure to report back on Sunday for this cook.

One last question:  any advice on trimming?  What to keep and what to discard...

I trim all hard fat and the fat cap down to 1/4". I save the fat and when I have enough, I render it into tallow.
I also trim off the thin end of the flat and save it for burgers - it would just dry up in the smoker and not make good slices.

[hughver]

Unlike most here, I separate the flat from the point and trim off all visible fat. I first started doing this when intending to sous vide after smoke but have since been doing it for all briskets. My theory, right or wrong, is that smoke/rub does not penetrate the fat so only half of the brisket is exposed to these influences. As for moisture, there seems to be enough dissolving interconnecting tissue to prevent dryness, besides, I foil at ~160° and add beef stock to the pan. I have never had a dry brisket.   

[Ralphie]

11.5 lb whole packer.

Combination of Lane Bros Brisket seasoning and Plowboys BBQ Bovine Bold.

Lumberjack 100% Mesquite Pellets. Fairly ashy but not offputting.

225 degrees until meat temp around 170ish. Wrapped in foil until 190’s.

Separated point from flat. Rewrapped flat and back in smoker until just over 200. Point was cubed, sauced, and returned to smoker for another hour or two.

Overall cook time was approximately 15 hours and used roughly 12-14 pounds of pellets. 

The wife and I were very happy with the results.

Takeaways:  not a fan of Bovine Bold. Lanes Brisket seasoning is more to my liking. Simple is better will be my approach next time.  I’ll try butcher paper next time for whole Texas style brisket.  If I attempt burnt ends again, I’ll separate the brisket before cooking. 

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[bregent]

That looks real good. Nice job.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Looks great!  I agree with you on bovine bold...very salty imo

do you think it may be good for a jerky seasoning?

[Bentley]

Looks like you had great results!

I would almost swear by the look of your smoke ring that something in your seasonings had some sodium nitrite in it!

[Bar-B-Lew]

Looks like you had great results!

I would almost swear by the look of your smoke ring that something in your seasonings had some sodium nitrite in it!

Haha...looked like lipstick painted on it.