BRISKET... wrap in tin at 170 or not?

Wrap it and put a cup of beaf broth in it. Makes a very tender product.

I cook flats, (and am certainly no pro) but I foil between 160* and 165*, with good results.

Somewhere on here is an often recycled pron heavy brisket tutorial. I used it for my first brisket and had decent results. The shortcomings in the final product were my fault. Here is the link. And oh by the way, no foil, no injection, no marinade, KISS (keep it simple, stupid). http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57882

Agreed with 42BBQ, its best to keep it simple and eliminate unnecessary variables until you get the hang of it. With limited variables, its easier to identify where mistakes are made.

To answer your question, I find foil helpful in two areas. Once the bark is where I want it, I might foil to keep from getting excess bark or charring. This is usually if the cook is taking a while. Thus the second advantage of foil is that it helps get the temp of the meat up while retaining fluids and moisture.

BPDC said:

I have two brisket going right now. started at 2 a.m. 230 degrees and fat cap down

I'm wondering what the recommendation is on wrapping then with tinfoil at 170?

I've heard you should in order to preserve the juices and I've heard no.... let it stay in the open smoke

What's the best way?

Click to expand...

I'm sure it's far too late now, but if you have 2 on, wrap one. See what the difference is, and what you like. I know for me, I got better results when I started foiling. That said, there are plenty of cooks out there that are far better than I am, who would never wrap. My 2¢ (now I'm broke)

When I get 18 hours to spend on BBQ, I am going to find the definitive answer to your question. Until then, this is what I understand.

The lower the temperature you cook a brisket, the lower the internal temperature it needs to be tender. The lower the temp under 185 F that you can bring a brisket to tenderness with, the more juicy a brisket will be.

If you are cooking hot and fast, the higher the internal temp needs to be to be tender and foil helps. If you are cooking a brisket at a lower temp, around 225 F, the longer it will take, but it can be ready at around 185 F internal temp. 185 F is the "magic" number. After 180 F - 185 F, brisket begins to dry up, unless you are cooking hot and fast (around 275 F - 290 F) and using foil just as it reaches its plateau.

Hot and fast (which is how I cook brisket) calls for cooking at 275 F - 290 F until internal temp reaches 165. Then foil until internal temp reaches 205 F. Remove from smoker and put in a warming cooler for 2 hours. De-fat the au jus and slice it using the au jus as a sauce. Add whatever sauce you want after that. Using that method, I have NEVER had a dry brisket. Kreuz in Lockhart, TX cooks hot and fast (no foil) and they have some juicy brisket and really juicy boneless shoulder clods, before 2 PM especially.

Good luck.

My vote is for wrapping when the color is where you want it. Then I take to about 190 and cooler for a minimum of three hours... I also agree with the simple concept when it comes to the seasoning. Salt and pepper.

For competition, I cook brisket at 250 in my offset. I foil at 165 with a little beef broth, then start probing about 2 hours later. Unlike pork butt, I believe there is no set temperature for brisket to be done to perfection. I've had the probe slide in like butter at 190 and other times have had to take it to 205. In any case, this method cooks most 15 pound packers in 9 to 10 hours with pretty consistent results.

When I'm not competing, I often cook brisket without foil in the BGE at 210 degrees for 14 -18 hours or even more. I think this method gives you better bark and a more smokey flavor. It's just not predictable enough for competition.

Cooking brisket seems to be a very controversial subject among BBQ cooks, and there are many different opinions about the 'right' and 'wrong' way to do it. The best advice I can give you is to find a method that works for you and your cooker and go with it. Texas crutch or no.