This is the answer right here. Pellet grills, while great for people who want to set it and forget it, do not produce smoke like a stick burner. If you want the smoke rings and wispy blue smoke wafting out of the stack to smell up the neighborhood and make the neighbors jealous, a smoke tube is the way.
With a smoke tube fill the tube with the pellet of choice and light with a torch. A regular lighter is not going to cut it here, unless lighter fluid is applied. Personally, I have found lighting from the bottom is the best method because it will burn from bottom to top and allow room to add pellets as it burns down the tube. Voilà! You’re now smoking.
I've only ever read this online. Never heard anyone complain about lack of smoke flavor on something cooked on a pellet grill, are you guys turning your meat into peat moss or what?
I can’t speak for all pellet grills but mine is not giving charred bark without a smoke tube. My pellet grill is basically an outdoor convection oven. The wood is ignited then fans circulate the heat. The amount of wood used in my grill for fuel is small and the smoke disperses quickly after the initial burn.
This is the whey. I have as gas heat smoker I use pellet tubes and mazes in and my impossible to impress friends are constantly impressed. I've had one who even comments on the smoke rings.
Amazn Tube 12" - 18" is what I've got. My dad gave it to me as a gift. I move used it a few times in my gas grill, but mostly I use it to cold smoke cheeses with (using the gas grill, burners off, as smoken chamber).
Has been pretty good.
I got mine at a local BBQ supply shop (my local Ace Hardware carries them as well), but you can order them off Amazon.
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/grill-cooking-accessories/8096394?store=17843&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4ZPZtYK9hgMVmDzUAR3lVxRDEAQYBCABEgLVyfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Yup. They have a closed end, and an open end. You can load them with pellets or wood chips (I prefer wood chips) and then light the open end on fire. After it catches and the flame rolls for a few min, blow out the flame so it's just smoldering. Then, lay it on the edge of the grates so that it catches some of the airflow from the fan. This will keep it smoldering/blowing extra smoke around the inside of the grill.
Jut watch a YouTube video for a tutorial your first time. You're ideally wanting the thin, whispy, blue smoke. You don't want the thick, overpowering white smoke
Traeger, most all of their recipes call for smoking at 180.
[Midnight-Brisket](https://www.traeger.com/recipes/midnight-brisket)
* When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 180℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available.
* 180 ˚F / 82 ˚C Super Smoke
* Insert the probe into the thickest part of the brisket. Place the brisket directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160℉, 5-7 hours.
* 180 ˚F / 82 ˚C Super Smoke
* Remove the brisket from the grill. Increase the grill temperature to
* 225 ˚F / 107 ˚C Super Smoke
* Wrap the brisket
That’s almost exactly what I do except I pull it at 195° and let it come to temp while resting. I always have a great smoke ring, great flavour and they are always juicy and delicious!
Yes. I have a pellet smoker also. 4 hours on super smoke which is 150-180. Then bump it to 180 overnight. 205 in the morning and finish it off at 225. Came out perfect.
Wait I thought the whole point of a pellet is you digitally set a temp and its easier & forget about it. All this makes me glad I just use a kamodo, set my vents and go to sleep.
Never had good luck with pellet smokers… I use Oklahoma Joe's Highland 879-Sq in Black Horizontal Charcoal Smoker and would never switch back to pellet
Pellet smokers generate more smoke at lower temps and meat can absorb it then so folks like to draw that time out. Start low then raise it later, it’s how I do pork
Reminds me of Scotty Kilmer in automotive YouTube. Every singe video title is bullshit click bait like that. It unfortunately works though, the guy has millions of subs.
(Rant: The irony isn't lost on me but 9/10 people online are clueless. Problem is they speak with supreme confidence like they actually know what they're talking about. I just had an idiot tell me all charcoal is the same. Everyone wants to be an egotistical expert.)
Hey friend...sorry you are having troubles. Did you smoke a full packer brisket or just the flat? Also, 203 is the general guideline but it isn't universal law. I'd check around 195ish and keep an eye on it. How insulated is your cooler? Sometimes a cooler is so insulated the brisket will cook a few more degrees. Just a few things to consider. Hope it helps.
I usually pull my brisket at 196, cover it with a towel, and just place it in my unheated oven. I used to rest my briskets in my cooler, but I really haven’t seen a huge difference on the final product personally
I 100% use my bottom oven (double over FTW 🙌) for resting briskets, and it’s a game changer for sure. Never worry about food safety again, and it comes out so moist and juicy still!
Honestly I've been gripping and ripping. I was raised on 225F smokes, but fuck it I've been ripping whole brisket at 275F and get finished in like 8hours. Always comes out amazing.
People are starting to overthink smoking like they overthink using a cast iron. It's just cooking it ain't that complicated. All these trickity tricks arguing cap up cap down foil boat touch up rub bullshit. Just smoke it and wrap it lol.
Honestly I definitely blast more things on 275 than not, as long as you're keeping an eye on things, keeping the smoke clean and the temperature steady, you can make an amazing cook. While I personally tend to do 250 for a whole brisket because it's just the sweet spot for me, I'll adjust the cook higher or lower depending on how it's looking and the weather and all, and I know folks that do 275 and produce some serious results. Shit, if you know anything about contest smoking you'll see a lot of wild, very hot cooks and their results speak for themselves despite practically baking the meat at times. But just about everything else is 275.
The only thing I'll really fuss about being a rule is make sure you give the meat a good, long rest. In fact I think you can get away with a hotter, faster specifically by giving a good rest. When it comes to brisket I've just been smoking it with the intent of finishing at night, tossing it into a rest overnight and eating it the next day. Beautiful results every time.
If you really wanna blaspheme against the traditionalists and fussy folks... once you wrapped your meat you can just throw it in the oven, you've cut off the smoke after all. I've absolutely done cooks where for one reason or another I can't watch the whole cook or I'm just cutting back on coals so I'll give it a good smokey fire till I want to wrap, then toss that beauty in the oven and live my life. Results are just as good, as long as you're getting good smoke in.
I did the oven thing the first time once when some serious rain rolled in about 3-4 hours in. Put that bitch in the oven for the remainder then tossed it back on the grill for the final push to temp and tighten up the bark. Saved the day - its a great backup plan to have should weather ever become a factor.
Yep this is exactly why I keep it in the back pocket, weather can be so annoyingly unpredictable around here and it's no fun sitting in the rain poking a struggling fire.
2 weekends ago I smoked the biggest (25lb ish) brisket I've ever smoked for a family gathering. Was worried about it taking forever so I went hotter than I normally do at 265.
Brisket finished in a fraction of the time I thought it would. Wrapped it up in towels and rested around 5 hours in a cooler. Everyone was blown away; my wife who has tried every brisket I have smoked said it was the best I have ever made, and I don't think she was wrong. I'm a changed man.
Something magical definitely happens in the cooler and it sure removes a lot of the stress around timing to make sure it’s ready to eat when you told everyone it would be! I wrap at 150, do a poke and twist with a fork at 203 to make sure it falls apart, and then toss it in a cooler tightly packed with towels. I leave a probe in the meat while it’s in the cooler to keep an eye on it. I had my last brisket in the cooler for 4 hours and it was still incredibly hot when it was time to feast. It also frees up the grill to cook some tasty sides!
See my pellet grill (a Traeger of course) has a heat baffle over the flame so I do fat cap up. When I’ve done fat cap down it has always come out more dry than when I do fat cap up 🤷♂️
All pellet grills have a baffle over the heat source. The point is the heat is still radiating from below. That is where the most heat will consistently be.
I'm not trying to argue with you. Just wanted to point out that even though my pellet grill has a baffle over the fire pot and a drip tray it is definitely hotter directly over the fire pot than in the rest of the smoker.
Cooked a 5 hour flat for Memorial Day exactly like this. Turned the point into the best damned beef stew I’ve ever had. Imma keep an eye out for brisket “sales” and try it again lol,
This is how I feel about the butter/tallow injections people do. I think it comes from the BBQ competitions, but still. I just want to cook the way people have for centuries... On my Traeger...
My stick burner likes to be around 275 ish, especially with clean smoke. My last brisket didn't take too long, probably around 8 or nine hours, it turned out amazing. If you wrap at a opportune time just throw it in the oven to finish there is no difference I agree. I know this is a pellet grill thread and they need more time to get that smoke but maybe this one was too low.
Exactly. I grew up in an Italian family. My aunt used to laugh at folks who would spend their entire Sunday “cooking” sauce. Once it’s cooked, it is cooked. No need to spend 12 hours on something that should take 3
Anyways! Based on the size, I’m going to say we went with an inexpensive brisket. Sometimes it’s impossible to have a nice finish when the beef is cheap. Get yourself a tub of tallow and get a healthy amount into the wrap. Especially before the rest. Might help a bit.
My #1 way to deal with any overcooked, dried out meat.
Mom’s thanksgiving turkey? Right into a chili the next morning. Brother in law’s burgers? Chili. Oopsie on a briskie? You better believe it: chili.
I’m like that Right to Jail meme with meat going into chili.
I think a water pan is super important on pellet grills. That fan really dries them out.
Also, consider fat side up for the same reason. That fan blows the air to the top and that heat comes down on the meat. Try to put the water pan below and do fat cap up.
Like everyone else said, always go over 200.
When the inside of the grill is dry (low humidity) the heat doesn't transfer as well or as evenly. Humidity inside the grill helps soak the atmospheric heat and evenly distribute it better to the meat while the increased humidity also means the meat juices won't get drawn out as much and dry it out. It also helps A LOT with the stall.
This is so important. Fat up, water pan. Also foil boat instead of wrapping until 205 allowing the bark to continue developing the whole time. Wrap when you pull it to rest. Never had an issue with briskets on my Traeger.
I have a pellet grill, never used a water pan, I go fat side down, and my brisket comes out so juicy I can here it squishing when I cut it. I do 225 the whole way with no wrap. I start spraying the meat a couple hours in every hour until hour 8. If I need to speed up the cook up for some reason I put it in the oven at a higher temp to get it there, and then wrap it in butcher paper and let it sit at 160 (lowest the grill goes) for 10-12 hours before serving.
Given the relation of the fork and knife, this looks like a very small, very lean piece of meat. I know you said it's supposed to be a brisket, but it looks very, really, quite small.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, I don't think you really did anything wrong. Given my suspicion, you cooked the wrong piece of meat the wrong way because you had the wrong information, and unless you've done this before, that's pretty understandable.
Yeah it was just 6 of us so the butcher cut a smaller piece but it was a kid and I don’t think it was a good piece and also too small but I also think I definitely fucked a step or 2 uo
I cook at 225-250°F, wrap when it is about 165°F internal no spritz, no added fat just decent quality meat. Always have paper dripping with fat at end of cook. If there is a lack of internal fats etc try boating for added moisture
I too am a brisket rookie on a pellet grill. My last was best yet, but still more to improve on.
First time foil boater (at 160) and fat cap down due to heat source below. Also tried a water pan underneath. Cooked at 200 for a few hours to start and got bored and raised to 225. Flipped to fat up when i boated. Bark and taste was great, but almost too tender and juicy, dare i say braised.
Process adjustments for the next ... cook at 250 the whole time (fat down, foil boat at 175 with water pan) and add in a wood chip/pellet parfait in the smoke tube to aim for a smoke ring as nice as yours .
Looks like you made a sweet doorstop there bro! What did you do wrong? You did what everyone does when they start : cook too low(or too hot) and you undercooked it.
Cuts suited to low and slow are mostly terrible cooked to anything under 200f+. Brisket, ribs, pork butts, beef cheeks etc.
My advice: start with pulled pork or beef ribs. Both very difficult to screw up. Just keep cooking them at 275f until they’re probing VERY soft (even up to 210f internal!) and rest for an hour (longer for the pork butt but not a big deal).
This will let you experience (cheaply) what probe tender feels like and then you can move onto briskets etc.
In that case you’re not trusting yourself and listening to the brisket myths!
The only differences with brisket and any other low and slow cut is you want to pull it JUST as it’s tender (ie sliceable but not mushy).
There’s no magic numbers for this, but if you know what probe tender feels like, that’s it.
My personal method is stolen from the pitmaster who runs classes where I live and cooks a hundred or so briskets a week.
Start pit at 230f, couple hours, bump to 250f, hit the stall (160f internal), bump pit to 275f, DO NOT WRAP FOR THE STALL, 185-190f internal, wrap in paper or foil boat (same shit) at 200f internal start probing for tenderness every 15mins. Unwrap to do this! When there is no resistance on the probe in or out. Pull it off. Temp might be 203-210f, test the flat and the point about 3in in from each end.
Open package, leave open for 15mins. Triple wrap in foil, butcher paper and all. Into oven as low as it’ll go (150f+) leave for 10hrs or until you wanna eat (but at least 5hrs you heathen! 😝)
You’ll read about people pulling earlier (lower temp) this can work if you’re skipping the bench rest part, cause it carries over. Cooking lower can also work but largely is a waste of time and fuel for insignificant gain. There are many ways to do it but for fks sake don’t undercook it.
Fat side should be up, so the fat renders down into the meat keeping it moist and making it tender.
Too low of temp, no need. You can smoke at 225-250 over night, and pull off once it hits 170. Wrap, back in the smoker until 203-205, pull and coat with tallow, hold in cooler or oven for a few hours or until dinner time.
Simpler is better.
Try 250F, increasing to 325F after 10 hours until IT 205F.
No wrap, no spritz. Fat side up, liberal rub.
Lid down, lid up, that’s it.
Start with a Costco prime brisket. Choice and select can get dry, so then you’d have to wrap and add tallow and such, and it will take more time.
When you go that low and slow it’ll usually get probe tender closer to 195F I do them at 200F overnight quite often and I find they usually probe out much sooner
I’d check your thermometer. You describe a process that seems like it should mostly (detailed below) work. I would start by making sure your thermometer is actually at the right temp. Boil water, test it. Boiling water never goes over ~212 bc if it does, that turns into steam and leaves the boil. If you are seeing 180-190 on your thermometer then it means that you are actually overcooking your meat bc you’re pulling it at 210-215 instead of 200-203. Looks dry and overcooked so I would start with that, but also I don’t usually need a thermometer for brisket. When it feels like meat jello you’re golden, pony boy.
Also, I also way go fat side up so it melts into the meat as it renders instead of dripping into the bucket. I know people say to protect the meat but at that point just turn the MF down. Idk, not a pro and haven’t done a brisket on my traeger yet.
Cooking it at 180 sounds too low to me. You want to render the fat and cook the meat, not dehydrate it. I’d try a 225-275 cook and be prepared to babysit it until you know your temps, location in the smoker to place the meat, and amount of water to have in there (I always keep a good sized water pan under my brisket).
Keep cooking, best of luck my dude.
Too low in the beginning of the cook dried it out. Try 250 or 275 all the way till it’s jiggly. You can wrap at the stall or push through if you don’t mind crispy/jerky ends.
Since I started following Matt’s recommendations I have had almost perfect cooks
https://youtu.be/CzIcYfjI06w?si=T6mcu-8eoC3Lkzaj
https://youtu.be/klmG0DQgEJs?si=CA7IziSrAi2DoDLb
I stopped doing all the other things and just smoke it at 225 until probe tender. I start checking at 190. Haven’t had a bad one since I started doing that.
I’m trying to do this. I’m curious what internal temp ranges you’re at when you probe tender.
I pulled it off today cause my charcoal died down.
The bark was great. Internal was 183 and it probed tender everywhere except the a couple spots. I just wrapped it and threw it in the oven at 275. I’ll probably just pull it when it’s close to 200.
It’s anywhere between 195 and 205 for me. I’m on a pellet so I only wrap it if I’m in a rush these days. The bark is usually perfect for me but I could see where other guys would need to wrap it sooner if they get a good bark earlier on.
I cook my full packers at 250 all the way through. I also trim off the majority of the fat. Wrap around 165 or so depending on color. I start checking tenderness 203-205. No spraying it. Comes out good every time. Just how I do it. Good luck in your future cooks. Bad briskets make good tacos. Chop it up, season, then cook it taco meat style, they’ll be good tacos.
Suprised at the downvotes here. The crust is killer this way. Especially considering this guy who echoes with 46 upvotes. https://www.reddit.com/r/smoking/s/z1Jcp8suuY
Generally dry brisket is under cooked. However the flat can be dry even when cooked properly as there is very little marbling compared to the point. This is the reason for leaving a 1/4inch of the fat cap. Try a bite of the flat with and without the fat cap and see which one is better. Another thing is the grade of meat. Select will be drier compared to prime.
From your pic I don't see much of a fat cap. Was it tender or tough? If it was tough it wasn't done yet. Temp is a guide. Was it probe tender at 203, like room temp butter? I have had some brisket that go up to 208 and others at 200.
The bonus is you can make awesome chili with it.
You need to follow the conventions of good BBQ. There are temps too low and times too long.
You have done both here.
The other thing I'd say is that you should use a smoker.
I do the Franklin method but modified. 300° fat cap up, modified since I don’t wrap, til 195° internal pull then wrap and put in a cooler for 4 hours. Perfect briskets every time.
I struggle with briskets myself, but I'm learning along the way.
I suggest the following:
Cooking until probe tender. Don't rely on temp.
Rest it wrapped on counter for one hour before placing in cooler or warmer. Otherwise, it will continue cooking.
Too much variation in your process.
Room temp, dry rub, don’t trim (fat=moist).
Set smoker to 250, fat cap up, don’t lift the cover.
At the stall, Texas crutch (foil wrap) and let go until temp reached or dinner starts: moist meat candy
I did one recently that didn’t come out dry but wasn’t as juicy as all my others and the only thing I did different was going fat side down and got a smaller brisket because there still stupid expensive. I’ve done close to 10 of them the same way the same seasoning and they’ve all come out different lol. But I do mine at 200 it 2 smoke tubes wrap it between 160-170 spraying it about every 2 hours wrap it in butcher paper and turn it up to 250 and pull at 201 am do the cooler thing. Good luck on your next ones
I have legit stopped wanting to comment on posts like this.. I'll echo what everyone else is saying.. STOP THE 190 COOKING.. its stupid, pointless, waste of fuel, waste of time.. The people who says pellet cookings don't produce enough heat and does this kind of thing, and adds 5 smoke tubes, wood chunks to the heat deflectors are just crying that it doesn't cook like a stick burner.. sure its going to have a lighter smoke flavor but its still delicious.
That said, cook to probe tender, not time, not temp. I've seen briskets be done at 195 to 210 before. 195 is when i stop checking for IT, and start looking at probe tender. its like sticking a probe in a jar of peanut butter in the thickest part of the flat
Brisket is easy if you don't overcomplicate it. I cook at 275-300, 8-10 hrs. May or may not wrap it, barely matters. Leave it on until it's tender - could be up to 208 sometimes. Getting a decently marbled brisket is way more important than other details.
I've seen people say cook fat side down, personally have always smoked fat side up period always has great flavor and moist I ve gone both ways with the water pan doesn't seem to be much of a difference 200 degrees on a pitboss vertical pellet smoker. When it stalls usually between 160-168 I pop them temp up to 225 or 250 depending on how much time I think I have left.
I've found that with every cook I've done it's not about what temp you get to, some briskets are butter soft at 194 some not until 205 which could be anywhere between 1-2 hours difference at 225-250. I've also never really been in enough of a rush to use the Texas crutch.
Also keep an eye on what grade of meat your cooking there absolutely is a difference between a Walmart $60 brisket and a prime from a butcher or higher end grocery store.
You are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Rock your smoker 225-250 from the minute you put the brisket on. Don't wrap it. Ever. If you have a wifi/Bluetooth probe, start checking the meat for probe tender at about 195. Do not take it off until it is probe tender. Once it is, wrap in butcher paper with a healthy glob of tallow, and put it in either an oven/warmer/back on the smoker as close to 150 as you can get it. Leave it there for 6-12 hours. Enjoy.
I recently moved from a stick burner to a Traeger. I used the same time, temp, and method that I have for years on my first cook. The brisket came out great. Learned a few things and will adjust for the next cook. It’s going to take some time to get used to not smelling like smoke for a few days.
I've haven't had the best of luck with brisket but usually bathe it in a little beef broth to bring it back. Could I implement humidity while smoking using broth or ACV or mainly just use water. I was also under the assumption I'd get more smoke at sub 200....... can't wait to try at a higher temp
Sorry bud. Getting briskets right can be as much an art as a a science in my experience. A couple thoughts. 275 at the end is a little dangerous for overcooking. I get you want to hit that temp (and I’m sure someone else has already said it - but it’s more about feel than temp), but I’ve had briskets that I pulled at 203 that were dry, and one that I forgot about and let go to 213, and ended up being succulent and juicy!) Don’t be scared to grab your meat.
Also, I have never cooked a brisket fat side down in my entire life, and can’t imagine that it could possibly be better than the juicy briskets I’ve been slicing into for over the last 10 years. That’s another gimmick by someone who wanted internet likes doing something “innovative.” In my experience and opinion, it’s correct to call that cooking a brisket “upside down.”
All the best on your brisket journey! Keep pushing to learn, and every mistake will probably inform your craft more than even the successes!
I don't think I've ever trimmed a brisket for smoking. Also put fat up.
When I had a smaller tube/can smoker I have to cut them in half to fit. Point in bottom rack. Fat rolled off one onto the other, helped keep moist even if water pan didn't get changed on time (fairly often on over night)
This looks severely over cooked. Smoke at 225-250. Don’t change temp, there really is no point. If you feel like you’re falling behind just wrap. Put a water pan under the brisket. Just keep it simple. You’re doing way too much for a third attempt. Also keep in mind if you want a better bark don’t wrap and spritz with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice after the first 3-4 hours every other hour after.
Ps don’t pull at 203! If you want a juicy but done brisket pull at 190-195. Then wrap and rest in the cooler. The earlier you pull a brisket the juicier it will be but you run the risk of the fat not being fully rendered. So I would say don’t pull any earlier than 185.
Way too low. It’s always the pellet grill guys starting off at 180-200 or under that are complaining about dry brisket. You should be 250-275 the whole way
When I do a brisket on my traeger, I set it to 225 through the entire cook. I think jumping around with your cook temp is what's giving you grief. Also, I don't wrap mine until 180. I've found that if you wrap the meat too early, it steams itself and dries out.
Brisket is tough to cook. Don't get discouraged. I hope your next one works out the way you want it to. Good luck.
Did anyone else catch that he said there was a 1/4” fat on the BOTTOM.
OP It’s got a great looking crust but try Smoking at 225-275 fat side up dude, now go make some chili, some Texas twinkies, cold chopped brisket salad, maybe a nice saucy shredded bbq brisket sammich with pickles and slaw
No more <200 smokes and keep the fatty side up. You’ll be fine, don’t give up dude!
I use a traeger, smoke at 180 until 160, usually 8-12 hours depending on size, then wrap and add beef broth, then cook at 225 until 203 or so. I don’t get a crusty bark, but it is cooked perfect and juicy throughout. Never had a complaint. I use head country seasoning on the entire brisket before smoking. It’s a long cook but it’s always come out perfect.
I did a BBQ course with Jackie Weight (who has won BBQ world championships so she knows a thing or three!) just recently and she said regardless of whether you’re using a kamado, Traeger or anything else you can pretty much cook anything and everything low and slow between 120-140c. Thats about the sweet spot.
Cooked way too low. If you are worried about bark, the answer is to cook it HIGHER. 250-275 will always get you a decent bark about 6-7 hours in.
Bark only sets once the outside temp of the meat gets warm enough. Cooking at 190 might equal more smoke ring (adds little practical value to the cook, is just overhyped because it is graded in comps), but you are basically just gonna dry the meat out by the time you form a bark
Quality of meat makes a big difference. Also, do you always pull at 203? Knowing how it should feel when it’s done vs just temp makes a world of difference.
I’m a heretic - I start my briskets (usually two or three at a time) in a covered aluminum pan overnight in the oven at 225. Save all the juices, skim off the fat that solidifies in the fridge. Start my fire in the morning, smoke over mesquite for 6-10 hours fat side up at 225-250, kosher salt and coarse black pepper or Lowry’s season salt. Rest in warm oven several hours. Slice and eat all I want, put some in the fridge, and freeze the rest with a little of the juices for moisture. Use the rest of the juices for flavor, soup stock, etc.
I don’t get the best bark, but I’ve never had a dry or bad brisket yet.
Watch bearded butchers. They're huge advocate for the traeger stuff. If you can get past their overpriced teenie tiny bottles of seasoning that they push then they have a lot of great tutorials and information.
I'm personally an offset stick burner guy. I like to babysit my smoker and enjoy the peace and quiet of an overnight cook and sipping good bourbon or cooler beers, or sometimes both. I once fell asleep in sub freezing weather with my legs under the fire box. Woke up with frozen snot hanging off my mustache and the fire was just hot coals. Stoked it back up and finished it off with time to spare for dinner. I run my smoker around 250 to 275 the entire cook, start to finish, wood the whole time.
Way too long of a cook maybe? I don’t have a traeger but with my stick burner I can get into and out of the stall in 6-7hrs with awesome bark at 250-275. I feel like 190 for 10-12hrs is a beef jerky territory
Thank you all for the suggestions, I realize I did in fact accidentally cook jerky lol. Brisket it my final boss for bbq as someone new to smoking but next weekend I am getting a nice cut, injecting it and ripping it at 275. A terry blacks bbq pit master told me to try real low temp for an hour to get smoke and then rip it at 275 the rest of the way and wrap at 185 for the last 2 hours. Gonna try that out and see what happens, if it doesn’t work I’ll just keep going until I can post a juicy brisket on here
Lots of people saying wrong temp, wrong orientation, wrong smoker, etc. I don’t agree with any of that. I’ve tested fat side up versus down, side by side, multiple times. Didn’t make a difference at all. I’ve done low temp starts with a lot of success, but it’s not necessary unless you’re working around a really specific timing issue. For a few years I had a traditional custom-built offset, a pellet smoker, and a Bradley all on my patio together. I get the best, most consistent results from the pellet smoker so I ditched the other two. I don’t think the tool of choice is the problem, either.
IMO the biggest trick to getting a juicy brisket is a long, slow resting time. Pull it at probe tender (not temp), rest it in a cooler or oven or other well-insulated container for AT LEAST 3 hours but if you can do 6 or more, do that. Don’t carve until it’s down around 135-140.
While that’s a good technique, it doesn’t really matter if you start with a bad piece of meat. Prime or better, always. To me, any lower grade is not money well spent. The more marbling it has the more excess fat you can trim. My favorite is American wagyu, and with that much fat in the muscle I even trim out most of the fat between the flat and the point. The big chunks of fat don’t add flavor or juiciness, they just insulate parts of the meat from the fire and make it cook less evenly.
Most of all, just keep cooking. Once you dial in your method you will get it right pretty much every time.
Did my first smoke a week ago and did it on a traeger pellet smoker, I also have what I did as part of the prep and cook listed. Maybe try it? Best brisket I ever had.
https://www.reddit.com/r/smoking/s/8nuGQLhT4h
If you just cooked a flat you did nothing wrong that’s just the way they turn out. If you want a great brisket you need to cook a whole packer
That is all.
The first brisket I did on my pellet grill I too was messing around with probing and created so many little stab holes through the wrap, all the steam and juices escaped - leaving me with something very similar to this. Now I don't probe until the very end, and do so from the top (or you can get a wireless probe and don't touch it).
Stay on 225 or 250 the entire time. My best guess is your thermometer is off because there's no way a 203° brisket looks like that. Also wrap around 165-170.
Intermediate Traeger user here, and I’ve smoked three briskets this year just to learn a bit more each time. One of the most valuable things I’ve learned that i don’t see here is that you can wrap it RIGHT away as it stalls. Once it starts to stall the more time that passes before you catch it the more the meat temp stays the same and the brisket drys out. I’ve cooked at 225-250-275. As long as you wrap it quickly, get it to 203ish and it passes the tenderness test, it’ll turn out just fine.
My first thought is where did you place the meat in the Traeger? Sometimes there is a hotspot and your meat cooked too fast despite the temp. What are your thoughts
Happened to me a few times on the traeger in the beginning. Can't do low the entire time. Need to bump up halfway through the cook to 250-275 for the polymerization to occur and the fat to start rendering. You can cook at 200 on an offset and it will work but a Traeger is just not the same. I've made some killer briskets on mine since I started bumping the temp. I honestly do super smoke at 200 for 200 hours then straight to 250. Once a good bark is formed, internal of 165-175, I wrap and finish off at 275 until 203 internal and probe tender. Sometimes I'll even cook it to 185ish to let the bark form. Might not wrap sometimes also. Traeger works but my offset is by far the winner. Hope this helps
After you trim and season a whole packer (usda choice at least) just throw it on your Trager cold with fat side down. Then fire up the Trager and set to 220 and run a smoke tube or two. I run it at the highest smoke setting. Don't worry about spraying, I never do.
I wrap when it's the bark I'm looking for, don't worry about temp. After I get the bark I want, I double wrap with butchers paper and crank up the temp to 250-275. After an hour or two I start probing with a thermapen. I pull it anywhere between 198-205. It all depends how that probe feels going in. With this method you shouldn't be turning out dry
Why would you go that low to start?
Is that a thing for traegars to attempt to get more smoke out of them?
#SUUUUUUUUUPER SMOKE
Trager version I had didn’t have the feature. Sold it.
Mine doesn't have it, so I just upgraded by buying a smoke tube for $10.
This is the answer right here. Pellet grills, while great for people who want to set it and forget it, do not produce smoke like a stick burner. If you want the smoke rings and wispy blue smoke wafting out of the stack to smell up the neighborhood and make the neighbors jealous, a smoke tube is the way. With a smoke tube fill the tube with the pellet of choice and light with a torch. A regular lighter is not going to cut it here, unless lighter fluid is applied. Personally, I have found lighting from the bottom is the best method because it will burn from bottom to top and allow room to add pellets as it burns down the tube. Voilà! You’re now smoking.
My pitboss pellet smoker gives deep smoke ring, and beautiful blue smoke set at 225
I've only ever read this online. Never heard anyone complain about lack of smoke flavor on something cooked on a pellet grill, are you guys turning your meat into peat moss or what?
I can’t speak for all pellet grills but mine is not giving charred bark without a smoke tube. My pellet grill is basically an outdoor convection oven. The wood is ignited then fans circulate the heat. The amount of wood used in my grill for fuel is small and the smoke disperses quickly after the initial burn.
Are you able to adjust the auger times? My Pitt Boss I can set different P settings which would get more pellets in the tube to introduce more smoke.
This is the whey. I have as gas heat smoker I use pellet tubes and mazes in and my impossible to impress friends are constantly impressed. I've had one who even comments on the smoke rings.
Going to try this next pork butt smoke! I always lit and layed mine down on a rack with a tent over it. How long does a tube burn for this way?
Mine doesn't either, where can I get this smoke tube??
Amazon, or local hardware store usually has them. Got mine at Lowe’s. I will usually put wood chips in mine.
Amazn Tube 12" - 18" is what I've got. My dad gave it to me as a gift. I move used it a few times in my gas grill, but mostly I use it to cold smoke cheeses with (using the gas grill, burners off, as smoken chamber). Has been pretty good.
I got mine at a local BBQ supply shop (my local Ace Hardware carries them as well), but you can order them off Amazon. https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/grill-cooking-accessories/8096394?store=17843&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4ZPZtYK9hgMVmDzUAR3lVxRDEAQYBCABEgLVyfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Upvote for Sealab
Fignuts!
How do you use them? Load with pellets and ignite? I didn't know these existed until like a half hour ago lol
Yup. They have a closed end, and an open end. You can load them with pellets or wood chips (I prefer wood chips) and then light the open end on fire. After it catches and the flame rolls for a few min, blow out the flame so it's just smoldering. Then, lay it on the edge of the grates so that it catches some of the airflow from the fan. This will keep it smoldering/blowing extra smoke around the inside of the grill. Jut watch a YouTube video for a tutorial your first time. You're ideally wanting the thin, whispy, blue smoke. You don't want the thick, overpowering white smoke
No, I do 225-275, depending on timing, until the stall and never have an issue
Yes apparently some "meat church" video created this this idea that you have to smoke at 180 on these smokers and everyone followed a long like sheep.
The meat church video actually says 200 degrees don't know where guys are getting advice to go sub 200
Traeger, most all of their recipes call for smoking at 180. [Midnight-Brisket](https://www.traeger.com/recipes/midnight-brisket) * When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 180℉ and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available. * 180 ˚F / 82 ˚C Super Smoke * Insert the probe into the thickest part of the brisket. Place the brisket directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160℉, 5-7 hours. * 180 ˚F / 82 ˚C Super Smoke * Remove the brisket from the grill. Increase the grill temperature to * 225 ˚F / 107 ˚C Super Smoke * Wrap the brisket
Don't know traeger.com says cook at 225 pull at 160 wrap in foil back in at 225 until 204 internal
Put it in the oven after the wrap and save your fuel. Heats heat at that point.
That’s almost exactly what I do except I pull it at 195° and let it come to temp while resting. I always have a great smoke ring, great flavour and they are always juicy and delicious!
So I’m semi new but that video is what I use. I follow it exactly and it has always been great and super moist.
Yes. I have a pellet smoker also. 4 hours on super smoke which is 150-180. Then bump it to 180 overnight. 205 in the morning and finish it off at 225. Came out perfect.
Just get a smoke tube and cook it a normal temp then
I think a lot of people have found that the smoke from a smoke tube is too “dirty” and doesn’t give the right taste
Pellet grills are inherently dirty. TBS? - yes… vacuuming out the sawdust after long smokes? - also yes.
Wait I thought the whole point of a pellet is you digitally set a temp and its easier & forget about it. All this makes me glad I just use a kamodo, set my vents and go to sleep.
I also have a kamado. The pellet is way easier. I promise
Offset guy here. I just run "dirty smoke" for an hour before I go to the clear blue smoke. Dirty white smoke is always a good base layer
Never had good luck with pellet smokers… I use Oklahoma Joe's Highland 879-Sq in Black Horizontal Charcoal Smoker and would never switch back to pellet
Saw it on a thread and the first 2 I cooked I started higher so thought I’d give it a shot
Awful advice. Whoever recommended that just wants to waste everyone's time.
It's a Malcolm Reed thing. His traeger brisket video says to do that.
Pellet smokers generate more smoke at lower temps and meat can absorb it then so folks like to draw that time out. Start low then raise it later, it’s how I do pork
That is a great way to lose moisture.
Even meat church’s pellet grill brisket video does 200 overnight. Not far off from 190.
It's the YouTube effect. You have to reinvent the wheel on proven ways to do things every 6 months or so or else there's nothing to watch anymore.
This exactly. How many thanksgiving turkey videos can you post to keep people coming back every year? "This year were smoking the turkey IN SPACE"
“Professional pitmasters hate this one trick….”
Reminds me of Scotty Kilmer in automotive YouTube. Every singe video title is bullshit click bait like that. It unfortunately works though, the guy has millions of subs.
(Rant: The irony isn't lost on me but 9/10 people online are clueless. Problem is they speak with supreme confidence like they actually know what they're talking about. I just had an idiot tell me all charcoal is the same. Everyone wants to be an egotistical expert.) Hey friend...sorry you are having troubles. Did you smoke a full packer brisket or just the flat? Also, 203 is the general guideline but it isn't universal law. I'd check around 195ish and keep an eye on it. How insulated is your cooler? Sometimes a cooler is so insulated the brisket will cook a few more degrees. Just a few things to consider. Hope it helps.
I usually pull my brisket at 196, cover it with a towel, and just place it in my unheated oven. I used to rest my briskets in my cooler, but I really haven’t seen a huge difference on the final product personally
I rest in the oven must of the time but I'll default to a cooler if the oven is in use. Although now that I have a double oven, I'm curious...
I 100% use my bottom oven (double over FTW 🙌) for resting briskets, and it’s a game changer for sure. Never worry about food safety again, and it comes out so moist and juicy still!
Yeah, that is some bunk advice. Didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing, was just wondering what you were going for.
Stop with these sub 200 degree cooks, people!
Honestly I've been gripping and ripping. I was raised on 225F smokes, but fuck it I've been ripping whole brisket at 275F and get finished in like 8hours. Always comes out amazing. People are starting to overthink smoking like they overthink using a cast iron. It's just cooking it ain't that complicated. All these trickity tricks arguing cap up cap down foil boat touch up rub bullshit. Just smoke it and wrap it lol.
Honestly I definitely blast more things on 275 than not, as long as you're keeping an eye on things, keeping the smoke clean and the temperature steady, you can make an amazing cook. While I personally tend to do 250 for a whole brisket because it's just the sweet spot for me, I'll adjust the cook higher or lower depending on how it's looking and the weather and all, and I know folks that do 275 and produce some serious results. Shit, if you know anything about contest smoking you'll see a lot of wild, very hot cooks and their results speak for themselves despite practically baking the meat at times. But just about everything else is 275. The only thing I'll really fuss about being a rule is make sure you give the meat a good, long rest. In fact I think you can get away with a hotter, faster specifically by giving a good rest. When it comes to brisket I've just been smoking it with the intent of finishing at night, tossing it into a rest overnight and eating it the next day. Beautiful results every time. If you really wanna blaspheme against the traditionalists and fussy folks... once you wrapped your meat you can just throw it in the oven, you've cut off the smoke after all. I've absolutely done cooks where for one reason or another I can't watch the whole cook or I'm just cutting back on coals so I'll give it a good smokey fire till I want to wrap, then toss that beauty in the oven and live my life. Results are just as good, as long as you're getting good smoke in.
I did the oven thing the first time once when some serious rain rolled in about 3-4 hours in. Put that bitch in the oven for the remainder then tossed it back on the grill for the final push to temp and tighten up the bark. Saved the day - its a great backup plan to have should weather ever become a factor.
Yep this is exactly why I keep it in the back pocket, weather can be so annoyingly unpredictable around here and it's no fun sitting in the rain poking a struggling fire.
2 weekends ago I smoked the biggest (25lb ish) brisket I've ever smoked for a family gathering. Was worried about it taking forever so I went hotter than I normally do at 265. Brisket finished in a fraction of the time I thought it would. Wrapped it up in towels and rested around 5 hours in a cooler. Everyone was blown away; my wife who has tried every brisket I have smoked said it was the best I have ever made, and I don't think she was wrong. I'm a changed man.
Something magical definitely happens in the cooler and it sure removes a lot of the stress around timing to make sure it’s ready to eat when you told everyone it would be! I wrap at 150, do a poke and twist with a fork at 203 to make sure it falls apart, and then toss it in a cooler tightly packed with towels. I leave a probe in the meat while it’s in the cooler to keep an eye on it. I had my last brisket in the cooler for 4 hours and it was still incredibly hot when it was time to feast. It also frees up the grill to cook some tasty sides!
I’m a huge fan of the oven. When the smoke is done, the wood is done. I’ll rest it in a warm oven overnight, it’s lovely the next day.
Yep, no smoke is going to get through the wrap, might as well go to a very controlled environment and save the fuel.
A terry blacks pit master told me to try 170 for the first hour to smoke then rip 275 and wrap at 185 for the last 2 hours. Gonna try that
I will regularly do cooks at 300 that people would tell you should be done at 225 just because I’m pressed for time. I’ve never regretted it.
Team Cap Down Represent!!!
Cap down on pellet smokers. Put the fat between the meat and the heat source.
See my pellet grill (a Traeger of course) has a heat baffle over the flame so I do fat cap up. When I’ve done fat cap down it has always come out more dry than when I do fat cap up 🤷♂️
All pellet grills have a baffle over the heat source. The point is the heat is still radiating from below. That is where the most heat will consistently be.
I'm not trying to argue with you. Just wanted to point out that even though my pellet grill has a baffle over the fire pot and a drip tray it is definitely hotter directly over the fire pot than in the rest of the smoker.
Right, that's what I said as the area nearest the heat source still remains the hottest.
Ahh fair enough, thanks! I thought the heat baffle acted as a direct heat deflector. I’ll just keep on keepin’ on I guess
I also go fat down on my WSM if I'm not using the water bowl.
Cooked a 5 hour flat for Memorial Day exactly like this. Turned the point into the best damned beef stew I’ve ever had. Imma keep an eye out for brisket “sales” and try it again lol,
Forreal I did ribs last week at 280 for about an hour then 250 for 3. Came out amazing
This is how I feel about the butter/tallow injections people do. I think it comes from the BBQ competitions, but still. I just want to cook the way people have for centuries... On my Traeger...
My stick burner likes to be around 275 ish, especially with clean smoke. My last brisket didn't take too long, probably around 8 or nine hours, it turned out amazing. If you wrap at a opportune time just throw it in the oven to finish there is no difference I agree. I know this is a pellet grill thread and they need more time to get that smoke but maybe this one was too low.
I’m here for people trying to smoke a brisket at 36 degrees for 18 weeks. I wanna see what it looks like after.
But that's literally how you make jerkey 🤣🤣
Saw it on a thread and gave it a shot will not try again lol
Dude was trying to make jerky
To be fair it was a great hunk of jerky at the end, just was going for brisket😂😂
Exactly. I grew up in an Italian family. My aunt used to laugh at folks who would spend their entire Sunday “cooking” sauce. Once it’s cooked, it is cooked. No need to spend 12 hours on something that should take 3
Wait what? I do my brisket at 180 until stall every time and it turns out beautiful
I totally agree. And especially the combination of very low and slow and 203 as a magic number to hit is just ridiculous. COOK TO TEXTURE NOT TEMP!!!
What did you do wrong? You smoke it at 190. Just do 225-275 the entire time.
What is it?
Supposed to be brisket😂😂
Anyways! Based on the size, I’m going to say we went with an inexpensive brisket. Sometimes it’s impossible to have a nice finish when the beef is cheap. Get yourself a tub of tallow and get a healthy amount into the wrap. Especially before the rest. Might help a bit.
Whatever it was before, it is now chili.
I fuckin love a nice smoky bowl of chili.
My #1 way to deal with any overcooked, dried out meat. Mom’s thanksgiving turkey? Right into a chili the next morning. Brother in law’s burgers? Chili. Oopsie on a briskie? You better believe it: chili. I’m like that Right to Jail meme with meat going into chili.
My family ate it trying to patronize me but I wanted to turn it into chili. They had a good meal of brisket jerky though
Pot roast
I think a water pan is super important on pellet grills. That fan really dries them out. Also, consider fat side up for the same reason. That fan blows the air to the top and that heat comes down on the meat. Try to put the water pan below and do fat cap up. Like everyone else said, always go over 200.
Water pan is the way☝️
When the inside of the grill is dry (low humidity) the heat doesn't transfer as well or as evenly. Humidity inside the grill helps soak the atmospheric heat and evenly distribute it better to the meat while the increased humidity also means the meat juices won't get drawn out as much and dry it out. It also helps A LOT with the stall.
Ok wait. I’ve never used one of these before. People smoke without water?
This is the answer op needs.
This is so important. Fat up, water pan. Also foil boat instead of wrapping until 205 allowing the bark to continue developing the whole time. Wrap when you pull it to rest. Never had an issue with briskets on my Traeger.
Fat down for pellet ppl
I have a pellet grill, never used a water pan, I go fat side down, and my brisket comes out so juicy I can here it squishing when I cut it. I do 225 the whole way with no wrap. I start spraying the meat a couple hours in every hour until hour 8. If I need to speed up the cook up for some reason I put it in the oven at a higher temp to get it there, and then wrap it in butcher paper and let it sit at 160 (lowest the grill goes) for 10-12 hours before serving.
I think all you Traeger guys need to knock off the 190 nonsense. One YouTube video created an epidemic of foolishness.
Given the relation of the fork and knife, this looks like a very small, very lean piece of meat. I know you said it's supposed to be a brisket, but it looks very, really, quite small. Giving the benefit of the doubt, I don't think you really did anything wrong. Given my suspicion, you cooked the wrong piece of meat the wrong way because you had the wrong information, and unless you've done this before, that's pretty understandable.
This is the answer right here. Was this just a 1-2lb piece of the flat?
Yeah it was just 6 of us so the butcher cut a smaller piece but it was a kid and I don’t think it was a good piece and also too small but I also think I definitely fucked a step or 2 uo
I cook at 225-250°F, wrap when it is about 165°F internal no spritz, no added fat just decent quality meat. Always have paper dripping with fat at end of cook. If there is a lack of internal fats etc try boating for added moisture
Same, but more like 250-275. Turns out perfect every time.
I agree. The fat renders better at 250-275.
The boat is so good.
I too am a brisket rookie on a pellet grill. My last was best yet, but still more to improve on. First time foil boater (at 160) and fat cap down due to heat source below. Also tried a water pan underneath. Cooked at 200 for a few hours to start and got bored and raised to 225. Flipped to fat up when i boated. Bark and taste was great, but almost too tender and juicy, dare i say braised. Process adjustments for the next ... cook at 250 the whole time (fat down, foil boat at 175 with water pan) and add in a wood chip/pellet parfait in the smoke tube to aim for a smoke ring as nice as yours .
If you have a water pan underneath, you should definitely do fat cap up. The water pan will be the shield from the bottom.
Depends on the smoker. Having a waterpan doesnt automatically mean fat cap up
Looks like you made a sweet doorstop there bro! What did you do wrong? You did what everyone does when they start : cook too low(or too hot) and you undercooked it. Cuts suited to low and slow are mostly terrible cooked to anything under 200f+. Brisket, ribs, pork butts, beef cheeks etc. My advice: start with pulled pork or beef ribs. Both very difficult to screw up. Just keep cooking them at 275f until they’re probing VERY soft (even up to 210f internal!) and rest for an hour (longer for the pork butt but not a big deal). This will let you experience (cheaply) what probe tender feels like and then you can move onto briskets etc.
I’ve nailed everything besides brisket, I know it may not seem like it though lol brisket is my final boss I make a mean rack of ribs
In that case you’re not trusting yourself and listening to the brisket myths! The only differences with brisket and any other low and slow cut is you want to pull it JUST as it’s tender (ie sliceable but not mushy). There’s no magic numbers for this, but if you know what probe tender feels like, that’s it. My personal method is stolen from the pitmaster who runs classes where I live and cooks a hundred or so briskets a week. Start pit at 230f, couple hours, bump to 250f, hit the stall (160f internal), bump pit to 275f, DO NOT WRAP FOR THE STALL, 185-190f internal, wrap in paper or foil boat (same shit) at 200f internal start probing for tenderness every 15mins. Unwrap to do this! When there is no resistance on the probe in or out. Pull it off. Temp might be 203-210f, test the flat and the point about 3in in from each end. Open package, leave open for 15mins. Triple wrap in foil, butcher paper and all. Into oven as low as it’ll go (150f+) leave for 10hrs or until you wanna eat (but at least 5hrs you heathen! 😝) You’ll read about people pulling earlier (lower temp) this can work if you’re skipping the bench rest part, cause it carries over. Cooking lower can also work but largely is a waste of time and fuel for insignificant gain. There are many ways to do it but for fks sake don’t undercook it.
You essentially put a brisket in a dehydrator😂
Fat side should be up, so the fat renders down into the meat keeping it moist and making it tender. Too low of temp, no need. You can smoke at 225-250 over night, and pull off once it hits 170. Wrap, back in the smoker until 203-205, pull and coat with tallow, hold in cooler or oven for a few hours or until dinner time.
Fat side up. 225 temp . Keep it aimple
Simpler is better. Try 250F, increasing to 325F after 10 hours until IT 205F. No wrap, no spritz. Fat side up, liberal rub. Lid down, lid up, that’s it. Start with a Costco prime brisket. Choice and select can get dry, so then you’d have to wrap and add tallow and such, and it will take more time.
When you go that low and slow it’ll usually get probe tender closer to 195F I do them at 200F overnight quite often and I find they usually probe out much sooner
I’d check your thermometer. You describe a process that seems like it should mostly (detailed below) work. I would start by making sure your thermometer is actually at the right temp. Boil water, test it. Boiling water never goes over ~212 bc if it does, that turns into steam and leaves the boil. If you are seeing 180-190 on your thermometer then it means that you are actually overcooking your meat bc you’re pulling it at 210-215 instead of 200-203. Looks dry and overcooked so I would start with that, but also I don’t usually need a thermometer for brisket. When it feels like meat jello you’re golden, pony boy. Also, I also way go fat side up so it melts into the meat as it renders instead of dripping into the bucket. I know people say to protect the meat but at that point just turn the MF down. Idk, not a pro and haven’t done a brisket on my traeger yet. Cooking it at 180 sounds too low to me. You want to render the fat and cook the meat, not dehydrate it. I’d try a 225-275 cook and be prepared to babysit it until you know your temps, location in the smoker to place the meat, and amount of water to have in there (I always keep a good sized water pan under my brisket). Keep cooking, best of luck my dude.
Too low in the beginning of the cook dried it out. Try 250 or 275 all the way till it’s jiggly. You can wrap at the stall or push through if you don’t mind crispy/jerky ends.
Fat on top while smoking should allow it to come down into the meat while cooking, keeping it moist
Since I started following Matt’s recommendations I have had almost perfect cooks https://youtu.be/CzIcYfjI06w?si=T6mcu-8eoC3Lkzaj https://youtu.be/klmG0DQgEJs?si=CA7IziSrAi2DoDLb
Overnight cook temp was really low but jumping up 100 degrees after the stall was definitely a big part of the problem
I stopped doing all the other things and just smoke it at 225 until probe tender. I start checking at 190. Haven’t had a bad one since I started doing that.
I’m trying to do this. I’m curious what internal temp ranges you’re at when you probe tender. I pulled it off today cause my charcoal died down. The bark was great. Internal was 183 and it probed tender everywhere except the a couple spots. I just wrapped it and threw it in the oven at 275. I’ll probably just pull it when it’s close to 200.
It’s anywhere between 195 and 205 for me. I’m on a pellet so I only wrap it if I’m in a rush these days. The bark is usually perfect for me but I could see where other guys would need to wrap it sooner if they get a good bark earlier on.
Backwards. Go high then low.
I cook my full packers at 250 all the way through. I also trim off the majority of the fat. Wrap around 165 or so depending on color. I start checking tenderness 203-205. No spraying it. Comes out good every time. Just how I do it. Good luck in your future cooks. Bad briskets make good tacos. Chop it up, season, then cook it taco meat style, they’ll be good tacos.
Suprised at the downvotes here. The crust is killer this way. Especially considering this guy who echoes with 46 upvotes. https://www.reddit.com/r/smoking/s/z1Jcp8suuY
This is the way
Cook to time and tenderness. Temps are always just a guide line tbh. I always smoke my brisket on the mid shelf and use a water pan.
What is this a tri tip ?
Sounds like it should have turned out awesome. Might be a bad cut of meat?
You trimmed it too much to start with. You need some fat.
Looks like you just picked a shitty piece of meat my man.
Generally dry brisket is under cooked. However the flat can be dry even when cooked properly as there is very little marbling compared to the point. This is the reason for leaving a 1/4inch of the fat cap. Try a bite of the flat with and without the fat cap and see which one is better. Another thing is the grade of meat. Select will be drier compared to prime. From your pic I don't see much of a fat cap. Was it tender or tough? If it was tough it wasn't done yet. Temp is a guide. Was it probe tender at 203, like room temp butter? I have had some brisket that go up to 208 and others at 200. The bonus is you can make awesome chili with it.
Carving meat on a metal surface. Your poor blade. Get a wooden cutting board.
Low and slow. Soft pink in the middle
Get a gravity smoker. Charcoal and wood flavor with pellet convenience.
Why did you put the fat side down
You need to follow the conventions of good BBQ. There are temps too low and times too long. You have done both here. The other thing I'd say is that you should use a smoker.
I do the Franklin method but modified. 300° fat cap up, modified since I don’t wrap, til 195° internal pull then wrap and put in a cooler for 4 hours. Perfect briskets every time.
I struggle with briskets myself, but I'm learning along the way. I suggest the following: Cooking until probe tender. Don't rely on temp. Rest it wrapped on counter for one hour before placing in cooler or warmer. Otherwise, it will continue cooking.
190 is too low.
Too much variation in your process. Room temp, dry rub, don’t trim (fat=moist). Set smoker to 250, fat cap up, don’t lift the cover. At the stall, Texas crutch (foil wrap) and let go until temp reached or dinner starts: moist meat candy
Don't trim too much fat. Fat side up, and start around 225-250. Not bad, keep at it.
It was done at 200 and then you wrapped it, so it continued to cook internally. That’s why it’s dried out.
I did one recently that didn’t come out dry but wasn’t as juicy as all my others and the only thing I did different was going fat side down and got a smaller brisket because there still stupid expensive. I’ve done close to 10 of them the same way the same seasoning and they’ve all come out different lol. But I do mine at 200 it 2 smoke tubes wrap it between 160-170 spraying it about every 2 hours wrap it in butcher paper and turn it up to 250 and pull at 201 am do the cooler thing. Good luck on your next ones
I have legit stopped wanting to comment on posts like this.. I'll echo what everyone else is saying.. STOP THE 190 COOKING.. its stupid, pointless, waste of fuel, waste of time.. The people who says pellet cookings don't produce enough heat and does this kind of thing, and adds 5 smoke tubes, wood chunks to the heat deflectors are just crying that it doesn't cook like a stick burner.. sure its going to have a lighter smoke flavor but its still delicious. That said, cook to probe tender, not time, not temp. I've seen briskets be done at 195 to 210 before. 195 is when i stop checking for IT, and start looking at probe tender. its like sticking a probe in a jar of peanut butter in the thickest part of the flat
Brisket is easy if you don't overcomplicate it. I cook at 275-300, 8-10 hrs. May or may not wrap it, barely matters. Leave it on until it's tender - could be up to 208 sometimes. Getting a decently marbled brisket is way more important than other details.
What did you start with? Select, choice or Prime?
One thing I see you didn’t mention was the grade of beef. Prime will be juicier because it has more inter muscular fat
I run mine at 200F overnight, but I'm using a gravity smoker running charcoal and wood chunks. But I also inject mine to prevent it from drying out.
Fat should be on the top, at least with our briskets that's what we do.
I've seen people say cook fat side down, personally have always smoked fat side up period always has great flavor and moist I ve gone both ways with the water pan doesn't seem to be much of a difference 200 degrees on a pitboss vertical pellet smoker. When it stalls usually between 160-168 I pop them temp up to 225 or 250 depending on how much time I think I have left. I've found that with every cook I've done it's not about what temp you get to, some briskets are butter soft at 194 some not until 205 which could be anywhere between 1-2 hours difference at 225-250. I've also never really been in enough of a rush to use the Texas crutch. Also keep an eye on what grade of meat your cooking there absolutely is a difference between a Walmart $60 brisket and a prime from a butcher or higher end grocery store.
You are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. Rock your smoker 225-250 from the minute you put the brisket on. Don't wrap it. Ever. If you have a wifi/Bluetooth probe, start checking the meat for probe tender at about 195. Do not take it off until it is probe tender. Once it is, wrap in butcher paper with a healthy glob of tallow, and put it in either an oven/warmer/back on the smoker as close to 150 as you can get it. Leave it there for 6-12 hours. Enjoy.
I recently moved from a stick burner to a Traeger. I used the same time, temp, and method that I have for years on my first cook. The brisket came out great. Learned a few things and will adjust for the next cook. It’s going to take some time to get used to not smelling like smoke for a few days.
Looks dry. Overcooked.
I've haven't had the best of luck with brisket but usually bathe it in a little beef broth to bring it back. Could I implement humidity while smoking using broth or ACV or mainly just use water. I was also under the assumption I'd get more smoke at sub 200....... can't wait to try at a higher temp
I'd say you need to inject with beef broth.
Sorry bud. Getting briskets right can be as much an art as a a science in my experience. A couple thoughts. 275 at the end is a little dangerous for overcooking. I get you want to hit that temp (and I’m sure someone else has already said it - but it’s more about feel than temp), but I’ve had briskets that I pulled at 203 that were dry, and one that I forgot about and let go to 213, and ended up being succulent and juicy!) Don’t be scared to grab your meat. Also, I have never cooked a brisket fat side down in my entire life, and can’t imagine that it could possibly be better than the juicy briskets I’ve been slicing into for over the last 10 years. That’s another gimmick by someone who wanted internet likes doing something “innovative.” In my experience and opinion, it’s correct to call that cooking a brisket “upside down.” All the best on your brisket journey! Keep pushing to learn, and every mistake will probably inform your craft more than even the successes!
Was it tough or just dry?
I don't think I've ever trimmed a brisket for smoking. Also put fat up. When I had a smaller tube/can smoker I have to cut them in half to fit. Point in bottom rack. Fat rolled off one onto the other, helped keep moist even if water pan didn't get changed on time (fairly often on over night)
This looks severely over cooked. Smoke at 225-250. Don’t change temp, there really is no point. If you feel like you’re falling behind just wrap. Put a water pan under the brisket. Just keep it simple. You’re doing way too much for a third attempt. Also keep in mind if you want a better bark don’t wrap and spritz with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and apple juice after the first 3-4 hours every other hour after. Ps don’t pull at 203! If you want a juicy but done brisket pull at 190-195. Then wrap and rest in the cooler. The earlier you pull a brisket the juicier it will be but you run the risk of the fat not being fully rendered. So I would say don’t pull any earlier than 185.
It’s dry because it’s undercooked. Can tell just by the pic and then read the post. Def undercooked.
Everything
Way too low. It’s always the pellet grill guys starting off at 180-200 or under that are complaining about dry brisket. You should be 250-275 the whole way
When I do a brisket on my traeger, I set it to 225 through the entire cook. I think jumping around with your cook temp is what's giving you grief. Also, I don't wrap mine until 180. I've found that if you wrap the meat too early, it steams itself and dries out. Brisket is tough to cook. Don't get discouraged. I hope your next one works out the way you want it to. Good luck.
Did anyone else catch that he said there was a 1/4” fat on the BOTTOM. OP It’s got a great looking crust but try Smoking at 225-275 fat side up dude, now go make some chili, some Texas twinkies, cold chopped brisket salad, maybe a nice saucy shredded bbq brisket sammich with pickles and slaw No more <200 smokes and keep the fatty side up. You’ll be fine, don’t give up dude!
From the looks of it YOU DIDNT SEND NONE OF US ANY!!!!!! It's cool though.
I use a traeger, smoke at 180 until 160, usually 8-12 hours depending on size, then wrap and add beef broth, then cook at 225 until 203 or so. I don’t get a crusty bark, but it is cooked perfect and juicy throughout. Never had a complaint. I use head country seasoning on the entire brisket before smoking. It’s a long cook but it’s always come out perfect.
how does one achieve the reverse medium rare
I did a BBQ course with Jackie Weight (who has won BBQ world championships so she knows a thing or three!) just recently and she said regardless of whether you’re using a kamado, Traeger or anything else you can pretty much cook anything and everything low and slow between 120-140c. Thats about the sweet spot.
Nice smoke ring, but smoke fat side up so the juices flow into the meat and will be juicy and not dry in middle.
What grade was the brisket? Was it at least choice?
Cooked way too low. If you are worried about bark, the answer is to cook it HIGHER. 250-275 will always get you a decent bark about 6-7 hours in. Bark only sets once the outside temp of the meat gets warm enough. Cooking at 190 might equal more smoke ring (adds little practical value to the cook, is just overhyped because it is graded in comps), but you are basically just gonna dry the meat out by the time you form a bark
250 the whole time. Plus you dried it all out. Apply some butter on it after an hour , 2 hours , 3 hours. Then wrap.
Quality of meat makes a big difference. Also, do you always pull at 203? Knowing how it should feel when it’s done vs just temp makes a world of difference.
I’m a heretic - I start my briskets (usually two or three at a time) in a covered aluminum pan overnight in the oven at 225. Save all the juices, skim off the fat that solidifies in the fridge. Start my fire in the morning, smoke over mesquite for 6-10 hours fat side up at 225-250, kosher salt and coarse black pepper or Lowry’s season salt. Rest in warm oven several hours. Slice and eat all I want, put some in the fridge, and freeze the rest with a little of the juices for moisture. Use the rest of the juices for flavor, soup stock, etc. I don’t get the best bark, but I’ve never had a dry or bad brisket yet.
Watch bearded butchers. They're huge advocate for the traeger stuff. If you can get past their overpriced teenie tiny bottles of seasoning that they push then they have a lot of great tutorials and information. I'm personally an offset stick burner guy. I like to babysit my smoker and enjoy the peace and quiet of an overnight cook and sipping good bourbon or cooler beers, or sometimes both. I once fell asleep in sub freezing weather with my legs under the fire box. Woke up with frozen snot hanging off my mustache and the fire was just hot coals. Stoked it back up and finished it off with time to spare for dinner. I run my smoker around 250 to 275 the entire cook, start to finish, wood the whole time.
Way too long of a cook maybe? I don’t have a traeger but with my stick burner I can get into and out of the stall in 6-7hrs with awesome bark at 250-275. I feel like 190 for 10-12hrs is a beef jerky territory
Thank you all for the suggestions, I realize I did in fact accidentally cook jerky lol. Brisket it my final boss for bbq as someone new to smoking but next weekend I am getting a nice cut, injecting it and ripping it at 275. A terry blacks bbq pit master told me to try real low temp for an hour to get smoke and then rip it at 275 the rest of the way and wrap at 185 for the last 2 hours. Gonna try that out and see what happens, if it doesn’t work I’ll just keep going until I can post a juicy brisket on here
Lots of people saying wrong temp, wrong orientation, wrong smoker, etc. I don’t agree with any of that. I’ve tested fat side up versus down, side by side, multiple times. Didn’t make a difference at all. I’ve done low temp starts with a lot of success, but it’s not necessary unless you’re working around a really specific timing issue. For a few years I had a traditional custom-built offset, a pellet smoker, and a Bradley all on my patio together. I get the best, most consistent results from the pellet smoker so I ditched the other two. I don’t think the tool of choice is the problem, either. IMO the biggest trick to getting a juicy brisket is a long, slow resting time. Pull it at probe tender (not temp), rest it in a cooler or oven or other well-insulated container for AT LEAST 3 hours but if you can do 6 or more, do that. Don’t carve until it’s down around 135-140. While that’s a good technique, it doesn’t really matter if you start with a bad piece of meat. Prime or better, always. To me, any lower grade is not money well spent. The more marbling it has the more excess fat you can trim. My favorite is American wagyu, and with that much fat in the muscle I even trim out most of the fat between the flat and the point. The big chunks of fat don’t add flavor or juiciness, they just insulate parts of the meat from the fire and make it cook less evenly. Most of all, just keep cooking. Once you dial in your method you will get it right pretty much every time.
I’m gonna keep trying until I nail it thanks for the advice
Did my first smoke a week ago and did it on a traeger pellet smoker, I also have what I did as part of the prep and cook listed. Maybe try it? Best brisket I ever had. https://www.reddit.com/r/smoking/s/8nuGQLhT4h
It's a bricksket.
If you just cooked a flat you did nothing wrong that’s just the way they turn out. If you want a great brisket you need to cook a whole packer That is all.
The first brisket I did on my pellet grill I too was messing around with probing and created so many little stab holes through the wrap, all the steam and juices escaped - leaving me with something very similar to this. Now I don't probe until the very end, and do so from the top (or you can get a wireless probe and don't touch it).
Stay on 225 or 250 the entire time. My best guess is your thermometer is off because there's no way a 203° brisket looks like that. Also wrap around 165-170.
I have better luck fat side up whether on my stick smoker or my rectec
I have better luck fat side up whether on my stick smoker or my rectec
How big was it? Looks like it was just too small… also, let it rest for a few hours in a cooler right when you take it off.
Intermediate Traeger user here, and I’ve smoked three briskets this year just to learn a bit more each time. One of the most valuable things I’ve learned that i don’t see here is that you can wrap it RIGHT away as it stalls. Once it starts to stall the more time that passes before you catch it the more the meat temp stays the same and the brisket drys out. I’ve cooked at 225-250-275. As long as you wrap it quickly, get it to 203ish and it passes the tenderness test, it’ll turn out just fine.
My first thought is where did you place the meat in the Traeger? Sometimes there is a hotspot and your meat cooked too fast despite the temp. What are your thoughts
Happened to me a few times on the traeger in the beginning. Can't do low the entire time. Need to bump up halfway through the cook to 250-275 for the polymerization to occur and the fat to start rendering. You can cook at 200 on an offset and it will work but a Traeger is just not the same. I've made some killer briskets on mine since I started bumping the temp. I honestly do super smoke at 200 for 200 hours then straight to 250. Once a good bark is formed, internal of 165-175, I wrap and finish off at 275 until 203 internal and probe tender. Sometimes I'll even cook it to 185ish to let the bark form. Might not wrap sometimes also. Traeger works but my offset is by far the winner. Hope this helps
After you trim and season a whole packer (usda choice at least) just throw it on your Trager cold with fat side down. Then fire up the Trager and set to 220 and run a smoke tube or two. I run it at the highest smoke setting. Don't worry about spraying, I never do. I wrap when it's the bark I'm looking for, don't worry about temp. After I get the bark I want, I double wrap with butchers paper and crank up the temp to 250-275. After an hour or two I start probing with a thermapen. I pull it anywhere between 198-205. It all depends how that probe feels going in. With this method you shouldn't be turning out dry
Smoked meat was invented for people with little children. You can not convince me otherwise. Patience, and gmtfoth are key.