I've been blessed with an amazing gift of a brand new Traeger smoker and I'm looking to start off my new hobby with a brisket. I've watched many videos and there are a lot of differences...
1. Dry rub
2. Marinade
3. Kind of wood
4. Temp and time
5. What to wrap it in
Here's my thoughts so far(I've yet to smoke anything!)..
I plan on keeping the rub simple, kosher salt and corse pepper. Maybe a little garlic. I don't want to marinade because I feel like the flavor of the beef is perfect as is. Pecan wood seems to be the wood of choice amongst the professionals. I bought bbq paper as opposed to tin foil because all the videos I've watched, the meat looks so much juicier with the bbq paper.
Time and Temp? This is where I'm stuck. I've seen some that last 8 hours and some 12. Any reco's here? Anyone point me to a good recipe online that they've used?
I usually wrap around 170-175 degrees.
Do you separate the point from the flat before smoking? I've seen some that separate it a bit just so they can season the whole thing. They don't cut it completely, just enough so they can season the top of the flat.
Yeah I figured. Do you wrap it in paper or foil? Looks like the paper is much better because its permeable. What about wood chips, any preference there?
Could much longer like 24 if you don't wrap.
This is a 225 degrees.
Ideal internal is 200 degrees and cut it when it drops to 140.
I don't know if brisket is where you want to start if you are new to smoking meat.
Do ribs or a pork shoulder first.
There are a lot of different ways with a brisket
Go big or go home!
Give yourself enough time. You can always pack it in a cooler with towels if you finish early to maintain the temperature.
Amazingribs.com is a pretty good BBQ community for tips and reviews
Good luck your sunday's will never be the same.
You cannot rush perfection.
Anyway, I used an asian style marinade that came out really good:
ketchup
soy sauce
seasoned rice vinegar
sriracha
molasses
deli mustard
liquid smoke
worcestershire
dry garlic and onion
pepper
I suppose the liquid smoke would be unnecessary if you have a fancy new smoker though... good luck.
Peter in Atlanta advised me on most of this, but other pieces came from my own experience or others here on BBI.
I use a dry rub, pretty basic.
Keep the dry rub on over night in the refrigerator
can let get to room temp or not (I've heard both)
I use the minion method for lighting the charcoal
I use warm water in the water pan
I estimate an 1.25 - 1.5 hours per pound but Robbie is right, watch the temperature.
Once temp gets to 150 and you hit the stall wrap in foil, with some marinade (or apple juice/cider if you want)
once brisket internal temp reaches 195 or so, remove from smoker wrapped tightly in foil and wrap a towel around it and place in cooler for 1.5 - 2 hrs.
I just got tired of battling things like the wind like Robbie mentioned. Getting up every hour to stoke a fire. For something that needs to smoke for longer than 12 hours I will usually get it going at around 10 or 11pm. Maybe wake up at 3am to add more chips then back to bed.
low and slow --- 225 is the magic number -- no higher than 250, but bring temp down when it pushes 225 -- yeah - do not marinate -- but do add a little wet flavorful addition when wrapping
by all means trim some fat -- it does not need a lot of fat to be flavorful
I like rub with salt, pepper, paprika, rosemary, garlic and onion, power and brown sugar
I've never done a brisket, but good luck. I was in North Carolina last week and went to a place called "Mac's" and the brisket gave me knee wobbles....
I've been doing both butts and brisket in parchment paper for awhile now. It's a little different from foil in that it allows the bark to form because more steam escapes, but you still get the braising effect that breaks down the collagen more effectively.
Just be sure you're wrapping later in the game, otherwise the brisket won't get enough smoke.
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I was in Texas recently and I have not stopped thinking about the brisket. I'm trying to recreate that Texas syle brisket. I really think the key is wrapping it in paper as opposed to foil(obviously not speaking from experience, just some research that I've done).
I've been doing both butts and brisket in parchment paper for awhile now. It's a little different from foil in that it allows the bark to form because more steam escapes, but you still get the braising effect that breaks down the collagen more effectively.
Just be sure you're wrapping later in the game, otherwise the brisket won't get enough smoke.
Do you still wrap in parchment when you hit the stall? I always read the wrapping in foil as the "texas crutch" to help push the stall when the fat stops melting/breaking down and the internal temp stalls around 150-160 or so.
Is parchment use for the same purpose?
Does anyone seperate the flat from the round before putting it on?
Used to foil, but went with paper after seeing someone do it in a competition and the results were better. Not night and day different, but a significant difference in texture.
On a side note, the other day I'm in my office at home clapping and my wife runs in and says...what happened? She then realized that I was clapping for the final result of a brisket that looked really freaking good. Sometimes you gotta give it up to these guys.
Does anyone seperate the flat from the round before putting it on?
I don't remove the point before hand, but I've removed it after and made burnt ends with it.
I see some guys seperate it before, not completely, but just enough to season everythign with the dry rub so when you do completely seperate after it's done, there is bark all over.
On a side note, the other day I'm in my office at home clapping and my wife runs in and says...what happened? She then realized that I was clapping for the final result of a brisket that looked really freaking good. Sometimes you gotta give it up to these guys.
It is - a lot less moisture is allowed to escape (if juicy is your #1 objective, then foil would serve you best since it basically traps the moisture in entirely, the folds in the paper allow some of the steam to escape).
I prefer some balance, which is why I was initially reluctant to foil. I'm sure there are pitmasters who can pull off a perfectly moist, tender brisket without the aid of foil, but I wasn't one of them. I went the foil route and traded off a nice crisp bark for a tender, juicier brisket. When I went the paper route, I got a hybrid, got some of the bark back and got a juicy (if not as much as the foil) brisket.
Trial and error. The only thing I'd suggest is that you add more depth to your rub. Salt and pepper isn't bad, but that's generally applicable to grilled meat that doesn't have smoke applied to it. The smoke brings an entirely different flavor, which IMO benefits from the extra spices (I would never dream of doing the same to a good steak).
I like rub with salt, pepper, paprika, rosemary, garlic and onion, power and brown sugar
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I try to run the smoker at 225 degrees, the internal temp of the finished product in usually a little over 200.
Yeah I figured. Do you wrap it in paper or foil? Looks like the paper is much better because its permeable. What about wood chips, any preference there?
On my last brisket, I used foil. Seemed to finish quicker than paper, it did make the bark softer. I prefer Pecan or Hickory chips (well pellets) with beef, but I don't hate Cherry, Oak, or Apple.
First time I used a lot of wood (hickory and apple - I read with beef it's good to mix a wood wood anda fruit wood), and the brisket was definitely smoky, not what I'd call too smoky, but you got more smoke flavor than brisket.
Second time I used less, like a couple small handfuls of wood chips (and more apple than hickory but still a mix), not chunks, and I never added more wood the entire smoke.
And I think the second time it was perfect.
pj, to your point, i put the wood chips into the compartment to the left. Should I fill it with wood or just put some in. How do I know how much wood to use?
pj, to your point, i put the wood chips into the compartment to the left. Should I fill it with wood or just put some in. How do I know how much wood to use?
I'm not sure with that style smoker, I used a WSM and just put the wood right on the coals.
Maybe jcn or another expert can tell you how much wood to use, but Peter in Atl and others warned me about how easy it is to "over-smoke" with too much wood and it ruins the flavor.
so in my experience even a little wood (like the second time I mentioned I used only a couple handfuls of wood chips), provides plenty of smoke, I'm not sure what the "right amount" is.
But you don't want to put in so much that you'll have a roaring fire - you want a steady medium to low flame that spins off smoke
pj, to your point, i put the wood chips into the compartment to the left. Should I fill it with wood or just put some in. How do I know how much wood to use?
Keith, isn't this Traeger a pellet smoker?
They are different, but if you have a pellet smoker, you can only use pellets. You also don't have to worry about the amount of wood chips you use, you have to use pellets throughout the whole cook. I have a Yoder pellet grill, and can only use pellets.
Can you buy flavored pellets? Is a pellet smoker worse/better? What do you mean I have to keep using pellets for the whole cook?
Can you buy flavored pellets? Is a pellet smoker worse/better? What do you mean I have to keep using pellets for the whole cook?
Nothing to forgive! Some pellet cookers use the pellets for both heat source, and flavor. Others use pellets for flavor, and electric for heat, by utilizing an electric heating element, usually in the bottom. I'm pretty sure that your Traeger (Pro Series 34?) uses pellets as it's heat source. It's electric, but the electric is for controlling the thermostat, ignitor, fan, and the auger. The auger feeds the pellets into the firebox, which causes the smoke, and provides the heat. Pellet cookers like yours (and mine) will not work with wood chips or chunks.
I don't know where you are located, but I had to order pellets online, because I couldn't find any stores near me that sold them. Pellets come in all wood flavors.
Link - ( New Window )
Link - ( New Window )
I wouldn't bother with the extra pan of chips, on your first cook. Just try the smoker first, then decide if you need the extra pan.
Here's a video featuring a Traeger, not sure if it's the model you have, but still pretty informative.
Texas Style Smoked Brisket - ( New Window )
I watched this one the other night, but thanks! Few things he does that I won't be doing.
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on a Traeger Link - ( New Window )
I wouldn't bother with the extra pan of chips, on your first cook. Just try the smoker first, then decide if you need the extra pan.
Here's a video featuring a Traeger, not sure if it's the model you have, but still pretty informative. Texas Style Smoked Brisket - ( New Window )
Ok, so the delivery of the wood came in, I was happy to see that I ordered the pellets. Pecan flavor.
I watched this video last night, it was great. Obviously this guy is a beginner like me and I saw some mistakes that he made which I'll be able to avoid. This video was exactly what I needed to watch. Shows all of the details that I needed. Thanks for sharing.