elyuI wish I had taken pictures of the finished product. I've smoked probably 50 Briskets so far and have learned that each Brisket is different. Each Brisket has its own make up. some cook faster some slower. I always start them off at 225 for approximately the first 3-6 hrs to induce the smoke flavor and get the bark to set. Time and internal temperature doesn't matter as much as look and feel at that point. Ill temp it to just see it the stall has began. Ill poke my finger in the fat and if it makes a hole without bounce back that tells me the fat has hit the temp of rendering and is a good thing. If the fat bounces back and the color isn't right Ill let it ride and 225 for another hour or so. 225ish allows the smoke and fat to slowly render and keep my Brisket from burning and not create bark. When the fat and Bark change color them ill temp it and 99.9 % of the time the Brisket is between 165 and 175, that tells me its time to wrap. NOT in foil, but pink butcher paper to keep the bark and not steam it like foil does. Ill wrap it tightly with 2 full rotations in the butcher paper and kick the smoker up to 265 to 285 to help push through the stall The stall can last several hours but patience is key. Yes you can get a Brisket done in 8 to 10 hors but SLOW and LOW is way better. Once the Brisket temps around 195 Ill began to check it for resistance and tenderness. If I'm 3 to 4 hrs from service time. Ill Burp the Brisket and let it sit on the counter in Butcher paper only for about an hour or until it drops to around 180 then place in the oven that's been off and at normal temp for resting till service time. Getting it to cool down and stop the cooking and reduce heat slowly. If the Brisket finishes early like 6 to 8 hrs away from service then I'll burp the Brisket to release the heat from the grease soaked paper then rewrap it immediately and place it into a cooler with several towels on the bottom and several on top. Ill also stick a meat probe to watch for that 140 temp of bacteria formation. If the Brisket begins to cool to fast around the 4 to 6 hr rest time. Ill boil a pan of water and pour it on to the towels to get it to hold. this will usually buy me and extra 3 to 4 hours. You can also put it back on the smoker and Get the Smoker Temperature to around 150 to hold your Brisket without Cooking it further, Otherwise you'll end up with Pot Roast and an Over cooked Brisket. A lot of Variants play into this and things are never the same due to Weather Wood and Briskets make up so I always need to be flexible but after do at least 50 with 2 that had to be turned into Chili due to Trial and Error Ive Learned what Works for Me and I'm still Learning. Everyone at Grandmas Birthday Party Loved it. It fed 30 people with not leftovers plus i smoked 3 racks of spares and 30 links just incase more people showed up. While sitting enjoy my alcohol beverage and after cutting and serving I received 2 offers to do the same menu at Wedding Rehearsal Dinner and a Baby Revealing Party. Best advice is Rest that Brisket as long as you can at least 2 hrs 6 is better. Watch temperature swings in the smoker and burn a clean fire. This is my experience.
