Basic Brisket Smoke

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Im smoking a brisket today using my WSM and its -20 with the windchill. I have used it in the winter but I dont think I have smoked this cold. I should be able to get it up to temp.
 
Ha, I'm in about the same boat, Treeman - doing a brisket tomorrow, when it will hopefully get up to 10 or 15 degrees or so.  I tested my MES at 10 degrees tho and it keeps to within 2 degrees of the thermostat setting, so it's all good.  And BBQ always tastes better, somehow, on a cold winter day - I think because it reminds me of summer. :)
 
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Yeah...I'm really jumpin' right in here. 

Baby brisket (2.8 pounds) is on. Light rub of Montreal Steak seasoning plus a little garlic powder and some cracked sea salt and pepper. 

Apple wood is the choice of the day, Chips and chunks. 

Gonna try my best to hit that 170 then foil, then to 190 and into cooler thingy. 

I popped a heavy foil hand-made tray on the rack under the brisket to catch the juices. 

Will report back in about 7-8 hours. A gorgeous and (thankfully)  not-windy 32-35 degree day today. 

Happy smokin' y'all
 
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4.5 hours at roughly 200 F (interior temp of smoker - not meat)  then wrapped in tinfoil for an hour at 250 F 

Now sitting in cooler wrapped in blankets for an hour. 

Can't wait to unwrap and check this bad-boy out. Pics to follow....
 
Cook it longer.  At what IT did you pull it from the smoker?  I strongly recommend not using IT for when it's done, only for benchmarks in a cook (when to foil- after 160, when to start checking for doneness- after 195, etc.).  After my IT reaches 195 or beyond, I'll start probing all over the surface of the meat checking for doneness.  This can be done with a toothpick or a probe of some sort.  Once the probe slides in easily with little to no resistance, pull it, rest it for an hour or so, then slice, pull or chop and enjoy.  I like my brisket to be near fall apart tender, no tough brisket for me.
 
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Aye...my biggest failing at this moment is a good inplantable meat thermometer with leads out of the smoker. 

I refuse to keep opening door and checking temp. "If you're lookin, you ain't cookin" is the quote I love the best.

I had a relatively small and thin piece of meat. I made a lot of assumptions.

Before I smoke again a good thermometer will be purchased. I promise you that.

Next brisket I buy will also have more fat on her.  That's a promise too.
 
I would like to try this method tomorrow, but what smoker temp should my smoker be at?

I'm finishing up two 13lb briskets now. Smoked at 225 degrees all day. Wrapped at IT of 170. They are now at 189 after 11 hours. Turns out great every time.
 
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I'm finishing up two 13lb briskets now. Smoked at 225 degrees all day. Wrapped at IT of 170. They are now at 189 after 11 hours. Turns out great every time.

That sounds awesome. Mine is a mere 5 lb flat brisket, but my first and I want it to be pull tender. I am thinking apple or cherry wood as I am not a heavy smoke fan. Wish me luck!
 
I have a 12 lb., before trimming , brisket for my first smoked brisket. I would like to do it all at once, but this a lot of meat for just the wife and me. Is it good freeze the leftovers, or should I just smoke half and freeze the rest to smoke latter?
 
I've smoked many briskets and am begged to repeat by friends family. Results are juicy, fall-apart brisket so tender you can barely slice it.

Smoke at 180 deg. for 4 - 6 hours.
Wrap tightly in foil.
Bake in 225 deg. oven for 3-4 hours.

Simple.
 
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All,

The very first post here mentioned a temperature plateau about midway to 3/4 of the was through a smoke with a brisket. I have an 8 Lbs brisket on (whole). I have been at 160 degrees for about...2hrs now (i am going into hour 7). I checked with a meet thermometer an hour and a half ago to make sure the wireless wasn't out of wack, and it matched up. Plus you can see the wireless symbol on the screen.

So... What is everybody's experience with temperature ranges?
 
I'm new to smoking. Question. Why can't I attain the required internal temperature on my brisket with my electric smoker? I have a 5 lb. brisket in the smoker for 9 hours at 225F and the IT is only 145F and won't get any hotter.  Is there something I'm doing wrong? Any insights would be appreciated. 
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I'm new to smoking. Question. Why can't I attain the required internal temperature on my brisket with my electric smoker? I have a 5 lb. brisket in the smoker for 9 hours at 225F and the IT is only 145F and won't get any hotter.  Is there something I'm doing wrong? Any insights would be appreciated. 
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 I can only think of these two things could've happened.

1.  The brisket you have is really dense and that just the way it is.

2.  Your meat thermometer or temp gauge on your smoker is bad. 

Did it ever get to temp?  If so, what did you do?
 
I can only think of these two things could've happened.

1.  The brisket you have is really dense and that just the way it is.

2.  Your meat thermometer or temp gauge on your smoker is bad. 

Did it ever get to temp?  If so, what did you do?
I noticed that the IT climbed to 144 rather quickly (first 3 hrs) but then leveled off and didn't move even one degree for the next 4-5 hours. I had the integrated meat probe inserted and a seperate meat thermometer as a backup to compare and both were reading within a few degrees of each other. But the possibility still exists that the smoker box temp gauge is incorrect. My smoker was a gift and isn't the best one around. I should probably get an oven temp gauge and put it in the smoke box to verify the temp. I wrapped the brisket in foil for the last hour and the IT then started climbing. I had to take it out at an IT of 179 because my guests were just getting too hungry.  It had good flavor and was tender enough but a little on the dry side which I attributed to the fact that the cut of meat had most of the fat trimmed off. My point and question is, I've read about others smoking brisket at 225F and getting the IT to 190. Is wrapping the meat in foil to get the IT up a standard procedure for brisket?  If so, at what point should I wrap it?
 
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