Brisket help please

[jfv316]

Hello pros.. need help with my favorite bbq food and don’t want to mess it up.. I need help across the board.. got about 4-5 lb brisket.. I need all the details.. how much fat to score, rub, temp, time, fat up or down, etc..I have an electric smoker, so wood preference is needed as well.. I’ve asked about ribs, chicken, pork butt and you pros have led me to hit home runs and I’m sure the brisket will be no different.. Thanks in advance guys

 

[dcecil]

Some of your questions pertain to personal preference so what I do might not be what you care for. With that being said, everyone on the this site is going to tell you to use salt and pepper. That’s pretty much universal. From there I add onion and garlic powder. I spritz with apple cider when ever I add a new split. Approximately every 30-45 minutes. I cook with oak or hickory and toss in small chunks of pecan. I cook at 275 and I use a reverse flow and that seems to speed up the cooking process. You can go as low as 225 and with that size cut you will probably be done within six hours at low temp and earlier at the higher temp. Internal temp is a guide at when to start probing for tenderness. I start checking for tenderness at 195. You do this by using a therm probe or tooth pick. Some even use an ice pick. Insert into brisket in multiple locations making sure that it slides in without resistance. Hot knife through butter effect. Once you find you are there simply pull, wrap and store in a cooler or oven. You can set the oven at 170 if you like. With a cut that small I don’t think you will need more than an hr of rest before slicing. Keep asking questions. Lots of people here to help

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

If it is only around 5lbs I’m guessing it’s only a flat. They tend to dry out easily. I like to inject mine with low sodium beef broth and smoke it around 225. Use a simple rub maybe salt pepper onion garlic or SPOG as it’s called. I would also suggest to wrap it once you hit the stall around 165 or so. Make sure you start to probe it around 195 with a toothpick and see if it is butter tender. Could be anywhere from 195-210 just depends on the cut of meat.

SmokinAl has suggested smoking it in a pan with French onion soup to avoid it drying it. Sounds great but I’ve never tried it so I can’t attest to how good it is. I’ve actually got a couple small flats in the freezer I’m thinking about doing that with.

As for wood its really preference. I like hickory with brisket but also mesquite is great with beef.

Also make sure you let it rest for a couple hours in a cooler full of towels once it’s done.

Let us know how it turns out and take some pics!

 

[TomKnollRFV]

All I can say is make sure you trim the fat down to under 1/2 inch, about 1/4 inch. I didn't do this well and some pieces made me gag and give them to the dogs basically. <Also having a good knife helps, unlike me>.

As for wood; beef is a pretty robust flavour, you can pretty much toss any smoking wood at it, and it won't overpower it. I wouldn't use straight mesquite, I prefer to blend mesquite with apple or cherry, for a lighter flavour.

 

[dcecil]

Just went back and reread your questions, I cook fat side up. Just my preference

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I cook fat side down always with great results. I put the fat I trimmed off on a rack above it. It’s really about personal preference I’m sure it will turn out great. Just make sure you got some cold ones on hand

 

[SmokinAl]

Well as you can see there are many ways to smoke a brisket.
I am going to do a thread in a few minutes detailing how to smoke a small, well trimmed brisket flat.
Check back around 9:00 AM on Sunday morning.
Al

 

[jfv316]

Here is the finished product.. couple of tweaks will be made next time, but still pretty damn good for my first time

 

[dcecil]

Great job, did it pass the taste test because it looks great

 

[jfv316]

It sure did, and I know it will be even better with a couple of minor adjustments

 

[jaxgatorz]

That looks a heck of a lot better than my first brisket ever did :D... Great job !

 

[jfv316]

That looks a heck of a lot better than my first brisket ever did :D... Great job !

Thanks man.. much appreciated

 

[mike5051]

That is a great first brisket! I'm still tweaking my briskets, always looking for that perfect slice.

Mike

 

[SmokinAl]

Your brisket looks fantastic!
Great work!
Al

 

[gmc2003]

Nice job on that Briskie, look wonderful.
Point for sure.
Chris

 

[GATOR240]

Looks tasty from where I'm sitting!

 

[illini40]

Here is the finished product.. couple of tweaks will be made next time, but still pretty damn good for my first timeView attachment 370130 View attachment 370129

Looks great! How long was it on the smoker for?

 

[jfv316]

Looks great! How long was it on the smoker for?

6 hours