I'm starting to smoke my own brisket. So far I've smoke 2 already. The first one came out great. The second one that I smoked this weekend well didn't come out like the first one. Well the second one I bought once I've smoked it for 9 hrs and let it rest for 15min alot of juice came out of it. Not like my first one. Notice on my second brisket there was more fat. I thought I got a good brisket. I try to at least get a 9lb brisket no more. Smoke it for 9 to 10 hr between 250F & 300F. Is there a good place where I can get a good brisket trim. Got my brisket from Albertson.

You dont want to buy a trimmed brisket. They are too lean and will be dry and not as flavorful.

The way that I have always been told to find a good brisket is to hold it in the package with both hand and try to fold it in half. You want the ends to come close to meeting each other when you fold it. If it doesnt fold much, it doesnt have enough fat.

I rub mine real good with Hoochie Mama, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 12 hours or longer.

I remove it from the fridge and set on the counter for an hour or so. Then I remove the plastic wrap and place it fat cap up on the cooking grate and cook at about 230*-250*. As a general rule, your looking about 1-1.5 hours per pound.

As far as cooking it, are you just going by time or are you using a thermometer to get the internal temperature of the meat? I would recommend using a thermometer.

I cook my briskets to about 195*-200* internal temperature, remove them from the smoker, wrap in foil then in a towel or two and place in a styrofoam cooler for 3-4 hours. Then slice it up and go to town eatin!

A guy here at work was complaining that his meat had a bitter taste to it. I told him to back off on the smoke. He did and he said that was the problem. You want just a little bit of blue smoke from the exhuast stack. You don't need a bunch of smoke.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Check with Hank1951(TL) on this. He won't steer you wrong and as many of us can attest,m he produces some lip-smacking good grub.

There are several ways to cooking all kinds of food, certainly including briskets. I do mine a little like Nascarchuck said (he seems to know what he's talking about).

Like I said, as far as cooking - several different ways. But one thing he said that is VERY true is that when you go to buy a brisket (and most of the brisket's that are packaged in the thick cryovac packaging come from the same place in cases (about 7 to a case) and distributed to all stores. At any rate, pick one up (try not to get one that is a little frozen because this won't work) in the middle and shake it. The one's that fold over much easier than the other's are the one's you want to cook! Guaranteed!!

Nascarchuck nailed most everything I do except I smoke the brisket for 3 to 4 hours, then take it out, wrap it in foil, and cook it another 3 to 4 hours in the oven. I also do not recommend the smaller briskets...I look for the most flexible and largest ones that I can find. You can always freeze leftovers in zip-lok bags.

You can't go by time, you have to let the brisket tell you when it is finished. I've had briskets take up to 17 hours to finish. The connective tissues in the meat don't start breaking down until they reach a temp of about 188. Your brisket won't get tender until it reaches at least that temp.

Be sure to get back with us and let us know what method that you use and the results.

As you can see, there are several different ways of smoking a brisket. Everything that the other guys mentioned was good advice, even cooking some of it in the oven. A guy at work does his similar to that method and his briskets are really good.

Like was said, if you can catch TL, he is a good source of information when it comes to briskets.

I get a BIG one cut in half and freeze what I don't want to cook.

rub it
let it sit for a bit
smoke on 200-250 for an hour a pound
too much smoke can jack it up.....but too little is not good either
keep a can/cup/bowl/dish of water in the smoker near the firebox
wrap it up and take it to the oven after 4 hours or so
finish it there

Check out "Smoking a brisket" It is on page 4.

Thanks Everyone for all the advise. Proable be next month I cook another brisket again. But will let everyone know How it turns out along with Photos.

I have used quite a few different methods but the last couple of briskets I have done ended up being the best. I use Worstechere Sauce and any other ingredients in foil and a dry rub and let it sit overnight. Then I take it back out and my better half pokes a few holes in it and inserts some Habenero Garlic inside the brisket. Then I put on a heavy dry rub which I use mostly Tony Chacere's Creole seasoning along with some Sea Salt and pepper. Then we put in some onion and some of my peppers from the garden which consist of a few Serano's and a few Cayenne.
Then I wrap up the whole thing in the foil with the marinade juices still in the foil. Usually I do about a 9lb brisket. I then let it cook on the smoker with just the water pan and no wood for about 8 hours. Then I take the foil loose leaving the top exposed and add my wood and let it smoke for one hour. Then I flip the brisket over and let that side smoke with the top open for one hour. Then I wrap it all back in foil and pull it off of the smoker and put it in an empty ice chest for about 30 minuites to an hour. Then I pull it out and it is ready to be cut and eaten.
Not only is it great but about a week later I chop up the remaining brisket into little pieces and put it into a crock pot with a beer, worsterchere sauce, A-1 sauce, Mustard, ketchup and some KC Masterpice BBQ sauce and let it simmer for about 4 hours. Makes the best Sloppy Joes ever.

The most important thing is to start with a good piece of meat. Some companies inject a solution into the briskets to, supposedly, make them easier to cook. However, this has an adverse affect on the taste of a brisket. Most folks don't notice because they cook it in the oven or crock pot and then smother it in BBQ sauce before they eat it.

Anyway, get your brisket from a butcher or meat market if you can. If not, I've had the best luck with Costco brisket out of the many stores that I have tried. I've asked the meat department manager at the South Arlington Costco and he tells me that their brisket is not injected. It's also usually a better price than the supermarkets.

I am going to do something this weekend I haven't done in about 20+ years. I had a buddy that used to do some great smoked briskets and he used to marinade them in Orange Kool Aid overnight. I am going to try that on one and then smoke it like I usually do and see how it comes out. I have also decided to try something new this weekend also which is to smoke a meatloaf. I have a good recipe to try.

Concerning your meatloaf, take it real easy on the smoke. You can over smoke a meatloaf real easy.And use a light smoking wood like pecan or something. I wouldnt use Mesquite.

Good luck!

nascarchuck
Thanks for the info, I plan on using Pecan for it and only add it in for about an hour at the end of the cooking. Hopefully it will turn out good.

You should not wrap a brisket first thing. You get all the smoke flavor in the first 1 to 2 hrs of cooking. Hence the pink smoke ring on a well cooked brisket . Never add wood to a fire once you put the meat on, as that is where you will get the bitter flavor . You cook only with red hot coals. A little smoke coming out of the stack goes a long way . You can wrap a brisket or roast after about 2 hours or when your fire goes down and needs to be restoked or add wood. cook on the grill or in the oven at that time. I have a small pear burner type gas burner I'll put into the firebox at this time with a small flame and let it cook for hours on the grill to finish. But next time you want to try a brisket, go to the butcher and ask for a shoulder clod. Its a leaner cut of beef cooked the same way . Less shrinkage , better flavor to me. But to each his own. Saltyvarmintr

Someone else might chime in with their opinion, but I am thinking that you might want to put the wood on from the start. I think thats when you will get the best smoke penetration.

I would add one fist sized "chunk" at the start and leave it at that.

I agree that you should NOT wrap a brisket in foil first thing and I also agree that the wood needs to be put in first, not last.

if you wrap it first,it wont get the smoke flavor.

Smoking a small turkey and a couple of chickens in a Cookin' Cajun Water Smoker today. Been using them for as long as I can remember. 10 hours after I close the lid and I can open it and start eating.

Only way to go......

Thanks for the info guys. I did always smoke briskets this way until a buddy of mine who smokes them all of the time for different functions showed me this other technique opening the foil for the last couple of hours and adding wood. The last one I did turned out great but it may be that my better half and a lot of her family actually liked it because they said it didn't have an overpowering smoky flavor. So I guess I will keep trying it both ways and keep expierimenting differant ways which is a lot of the fun of smoking.
I didn't get to do a meat loaf this past weekend but the pork ribs, sausage filled with cheese and jalepeno and the Raspberry Chipotle chicken breast turned out great. I am still stuffed.

Another tip guys, try using lump charcoal, I like oak best. It's not too smokey like firewood can be, and it burns a long time!
I cook mine on a Big Green Egg these days with great results.
I saw someone mention orange kool aid. Try Coke or Dr. Pepper. It doesnt take alot but will add an interesting sweetness to the meat.
Try adding some Cayenne pepper too!
Wrap in foil the last 2 hours.

We put ours on a water smoker with a dry rub. Let it smoke for 6 to 7 hours. Wrap in foil and put in the oven over night at around 200 degrees. Take the fat off the top and then you will have some of the most tender and tasty brisket ever. It took us about 4 to 5 years to figure out how to get it right. Use to just smoke them and always were tough.

TBass,
Like your recipe. I too, cut little holes in the brisket, and stuff them with garlic. Have been afraid to to put peppers in, too. Because nobody seems to like it as hot, as I do. But, I will have to try it, anyway.

Thanks.