First brisket...Need help!

[twothphry]

I am about to do my first brisket. What is the best temperature to smoke at anf for how long? I have a 10 lb brisket I bought at Costco. I will be cutting it in half and freezing part of it for the next smoke. So we are looking at smoking 5 lbs of meat. What is the best wood to use for a real Texas flavor?

 

[JC in GB]

If I were doing it, I would use only salt and pepper or Jeff's Texas rub and some mesquite and pecan to get a good Texas BBQ. I would run my smoker at 250 F. Cook until probe tender. 190 - 203 IT. Tenderness is more telling than IT. Make sure to let it rest for at least 45 minutes before carving.

 

[Jonok]

It is really hard to cook little pieces of brisket. You might consider cooking the whole thing (which isn’t very big to begin with) as described above, and freezing what you don’t eat.

 

[Nole4L]

sometimes I'll cut it in half and cook the half with the point. I think the point is a lot more forgiving. I like to make corned beef or better yet pastrami from the flat.

 

[HamboneSmoke]

I've only smoked 2 points as I stated in another post but I would definitely recommend wrapping in butcher paper when it begins to stall (probably around 140-150°)....other's may disagree but from my limited experience the stall on brisket lasts much longer than pork, and wrapping will definitely trim down the cook time.

 

[schlotz]

The smaller it is the harder it becomes to get great results. IMO, smoke the whole brisket and freeze what's left over. Time & temps are only a guidelines and not a recipe. Probing for tenderness is the key for a successful smoke. There should be little to no resistance in the thickest part of the flat.