For those of you that rest brisket wrapped in towels, do you find that it softens the bark?

[brad611]

Hi everyone,

Im going to be cooking my first brisket soon, and am planning on cooking it very early so that it is done in time. I know that some people wrap the brisket in towels while it's resting, but I just want to make sure this wont soften the bark or anything. I want to keep it hot for as long as possible, so it is an appealing option.

Thanks

 

[retfr8flyr]

Hasn't been a problem for me. I usually rest mine at least 3 hrs and the bark come out just fine.

 

[fivetricks]

Acheiving bark will also depend on how you're cooking it and what you're cooking it on as well

 

[brad611]

Hasn't been a problem for me. I usually rest mine at least 3 hrs and the bark come out just fine.

Do you find that the towels are necessary? Or do you just leave them in a cooler?

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you smoke, unwrapped, start to finish you will get a heavier, crispy Bark. Especially at temps over 250. There is NO WAY to maintain this if you Wrap and Cooler rest. The Steam generated by the hot meat and sealed in by the foil, will soften this bark.
Smoked at 200 to 225 with or without Foiling at the stall, will give a nice color and bark, but will be less firm than the previous method. This, Low and Slow Brisket can be wrapped and held without a major loss of bark texture. You need to set your priority. Execute perfect cooking and timing for max Bark and serve when the meat is Done with only a 15 minute rest, uncovered, on the counter, or use any cooking method you like, Wrap, Cooler and Hold X hours but sacrifice some Bark Crispness. Same goes for that Crisp Skin Turkey that you wrap and Cooler and travel to a families house for TG Dinner. You want Crispy Skin or Bark on any meat, arrange to Cook and Serve while it's perfect...JJ

 

[schlotz]

JimmyJ beat me to it... what he said!

 

[Jonok]

Worrying about that at this point, is akin to saying “should I close the patient’s skin with braided or monofilament suture after having done a quadruple bypass, in order to have an optimal cosmetic result”.

Lie, cheat or steal to learn the basic skills it takes to cook a brisket that makes people REALLY want some more.

Use every dirty trick or crutch in the book while you are doing so, and only then, when you are really confident that you can consistently make the meat do what you want it to, should you can concentrate on the vagaries of bark perfection.

There is SO MUCH of a difference between a really well-cooked brisket, and stuff that some of the highly regarded BBQ restaurants around here try to pass off as good, that you shouldn’t even be worried about crispness of bark until you’re bouncing off the glass ceiling.

 

[sky monkey]

I gladly sacrifice some of the bark crisp for the ability to hold it in a cooler for a loooong time. I've held one in a Coleman 5-day cooler with a couple towels thrown on top (none on the bottom, just foil) for 8 hours and the IT was 141 when it came out of there. I usually start a brisket between midnight and 2am and some of them are done around noon depending on the cut. Some take until 2 or 3 but at least my dinner guests aren't waiting at 6 to find out what time dinner might be ready. Plus I can hang out with them instead of fretting over the smoker still.

 

[schlotz]

Be careful about holding meat IT. The safe food zone is 150° ie keep it above this point.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Realistically, unless you are serving KCBS Judges, No One, will care or notice the Bark has softened. They will rave and suggest you go Pro, as long as the Brisket is, Juicy, Tender and Ready to Eat when all are seated...Foil that Bad Boy and enjoy the Party and Guests rather than pulling an long smoke and sweating getting it to the Table on time with Crisp Bark...JJ

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

The ONE time I have put a brisket in a cooler to sit I wrapped it in foil, and had a bunch of towels in there. The bark went away and it somehow seemed like a pot roast texture. It was odd. I wouldn't do it again - but hey, maybe I messed it up.

I have put brisket in foil into a cooler to transport it and that was fine.

 

[Jonok]

Sometime, just for giggles, take (especially an injected) brisket and smoke it with your method of choice to around 145f. Double foil wrap it snug and liquid tight.

Make really sure that you have it wrapped tightly enough that the rendered juices are forced to be surrounding the brisket, rather than just sitting in a puddle under it (like in a pan.

When it’s done (probe tender) carefully open the foil(so that you can still do a hermetic job of closing it.

Note how much juice the just-finished brisket is swimming in.

Carefully (and tightly) wrap it back up (no leaks) and stick it in an insulated cooler or a warming oven for 4-6 hours.

Open it back up, and marvel at how much liquid has redistributed back into the meat.

 

[retfr8flyr]

Do you find that the towels are necessary? Or do you just leave them in a cooler?

I forgot to say that I always smoke at 225° without doing any wrap. I will pull mine, wrap in foil and then stuff towels, to fill the cooler. The bark will soften a little but it still stays nice and crunchy.





This butt had been in the cooler for 4 hrs.

 

[jokensmoken]

I agree with Jonok.
There is SOooo much more to learning to smoke a brisket than the bark...
Concentrate on techniques for flavor first then figure out the bark...
But...to answer the question directly...YES the bark will soften some when you foil wrap and rest for any length of time.

Walt

 

[hardcookin]

When I pull my brisket I like sitting it on the table unwrapped for 10-15 minutes.
Then I pan it and cover with foil. Stick it in oven to rest, or stick it in cooler with a couple towels.
I usually don't do heavy bark.

This is coming out of the rest.