Wanna cook a brisket, but im scared.

Keep the first cook simple. WSM, using the minion method at 250-275 degrees. A basic seasoning, that many members have reported success with. I prefer cooking fat cap down, but that's your call. I'd foil tightly, at around 160degrees. Start keeping an eye on it when the flat reaches 180-185 degrees, and pull it off the cooker when the probe slides in with little to no resistence. Place in cooler for a couple of ours to let the juices rest and redistribute through the meat. Slice across the grain, rather than with it. Sauce is optional.

Once you get the hang of it, and develop some confidence feel free to go wild experimenting. Some days, you just get a brisket that isn't the best before you've done a thing to it. If it doesn't come out perfect each time, don't let that discourage you.

Edit: There are a ton of different methods that can yield amazing results. The one I suggested is pretty basic, but gives you the basics to safely get your feet wet. Good luck!

Why not try just smoking a flat? That is a smaller piece of brisket so your cost is reduced and it is easier since it is more uniform.

Pyle's BBQ said:

Why not try just smoking a flat? That is a smaller piece of brisket so your cost is reduced and it is easier since it is more uniform.

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Yet easier to dry out, especially if it has been trimmed. A packer can be a little more forgiving, due to the mass and time required to cook it. My .02

I only cook packers, and have had great, i guess you can say luck so far. I try to keep it around 325 350, foil around 165, separate the flat from the point around 190 and keep the flat wrapped and on a cooler cooker 250-275 until it's ready, cube up the point, and make some faux burnt ends.

Go for it! They aren't that different from Butts cooking wise. Season it with your favorite rub and throw it on there. Is that the normal price for briskets in your area?

Once it probes like butter, how much time would it take to over cook it? Also probing like butter in the dead center right?

Hey MS, I know it's a lot of money. That's why I don't smoke them very often. You might be able to find a smaller one, But as stated above, it can dry out easier. At the point of foiling, you can put it in the foil with a little beef stock or consume and wrap it tight.

Just follow what Jorge said, keep it simple, watch the temps., and you'll be proud of yourself (and wonder what all the fuse was about) when it's done and you're eating it.

Tried Sam's Club or Walmart? We get 'em for about $2 lb. at either if I remember correctly; the Sam's are choice, but the Walmart ones are "select".

Lots of info here:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102415

The tutorials section is good. You'll see that the main point is to keep it simple & don't overthink (or undercook) it. Jorge basically nailed it, I think. I've only done a few and I've been happy with all of them & it's due to what I've learned here, esp. bigabyte's tutorial.

You must try......And if you follow the sage advice given by Jorge, you wont go wrong. If theres any variations to be had, it will be the meat that does it, not the cook.

I was intimidated before I did my first brisket as well, but followed Bigabyte's excellent tutorial and it was GREAT!

Here's the tutorial:

www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57882&highlight=brisket

And here's how mine turned out following the tutorial:

www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89678

I would try sams or wal-mart for sure. You can get them alot cheaper than than. Around 20ish dollars for a decent sized one. Just rub it with whatever you like and cook it until it hits 160 then foil it and continue cooking to around 180 - 200ish or until it probes like buttah. Drink some beers and relax its not too bad at all. Results are worth it too.

Beef is dang expensive right now. It was 2.29 for bulk hamburger when I bought mine. I just bit the bullet and bought two, one trimmed and one packer. Cost was about $65 total. Wife is taking half the packer to work today so I should hear how it went tonight. Hopefully the prices will come down again soon. Me, I prefer cap up, but that is me. This is my first one trimmed. We even trimmed the packer some. We freeze and reheat in foil at 300* to 140* within a week or so.

You must do a brisket. Done right, and they are amazing. But, I totally understand your fear of screwing up a $50 piece of meat. Way too many posts here about people's first brisket being garbage. You might want to just hold off a month or so until we really get into the heart of BBQ season. I did a lot of searching a while back on the price of Brisket and found lots of people posting that they got theirs for $1.69 - $1.99/# . There were even some posts of people getting them for $0.89/# (but that was in Texas). Some of that depends on whether it is a Choice or Select, I'm sure.

Food prices are going up, so it might not be the same as last year. But, I think if you keep an eye out for a sale, you might get a better deal towards Memorial Day.


BTW, I did my first a couple of weeks ago. I read Bigabyte's tutorial a couple of time, watched Popdaddy's video's a few times, and read a few other threads. Then I seasoned it with a little Bovine Bold and a heavy coat of 50/50 kosher salt and pepper just before I lit the smoker, and cooked it for like 13 hours at 250*. No foil, no injection, nothing fancy and it came out really really good. I was very happy with the results (and I had just got back from Austin where I had some mind blowing brisket). My guests were also really impressed. Beginner's luck I guess.

Good luck. And if you want beef in the mean time, have you done a Chuck Roast yet??? Taste great, and a good way to figure out your rub flavor.

One other thing...if you run your wsm with water in the pan, you can have some real problems with the bark if you pan or foil....at least I do.

When foiling, keep fat side down so you dont lose too much rub seasoning. Have fun and go for, you can always have Ramen noodles on backup.

I agree with doing a flat. If you get it from Sams it won't be trimmed, plenty of fat. At a grocery store, just ask for one from the back still in the cryo pre-trimmed.

Follow the rest of the advice and you'll be fine. Even an ok brisky from home is going to amaze you compared to most you'd get at a restaurant. Give it a try!

ain't no fun if not skeered!

GO FOR IT. Seriously. Start with the KISS rule. Use a very simple rub, not too salty
or sweet (remember, it's beef) and a little heavier on the black pepper than you might with pork. Follow what Jorge said. I actually go fat cap down, but I put it on a cookie sheet. We foil at 160, tightly and pour any drippings over it (the ones captured on the cookie sheet) before it gets real tight. Remove (as he said) between 180-185 (on the flat). I then flip it and let it sit for an hour. Open up and *voila* beef heaven.

Oh, no fruit woods on this one, stick with hickree or oak. It's beef.