How to Smoke Beef Brisket | Kingsford® (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to smoke a brisket? ›

For a 12- to 14-pound brisket, allow anywhere from 9 to 12 hours in the smoker. Here, you'll first smoke the brisket for 6 to 8 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Then, you'll wrap the brisket in unwaxed butcher's paper and return it to the smoker for 3 to 4 hours, until it reaches 203°F.

Place Brisket on the smoker fat side up. Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 180 degrees. This typically takes between 6-8 hours. Remove from smoker, double wrap in foil, and place back on the smoker until the internal temp reaches 202, usually about 1-2 more hours.

Preheat your smoker for 250-265F with some added Post Oak wood chunks or chips for extra smoke flavor. Add the brisket on to the smoker fat side either way. Cook the brisket until it reaches about 165-170F at the thickest and fattiest part (about 7-8 hours). Once it has hit 165, get ready to wrap in butcher paper.

Often used for other meats that require long, slow cooking on the barbecue, such as ribs, the 3-2-1 method essentially involves firstly smoking the meat as it is for three hours, wrapping it for the second two hours, and finally finishing the cooking unwrapped for the last hour.

Wrapping the brisket will prevent what's called "the stall" — when evaporation from the surface of the brisket halts the cooking process. It also gives you more control over the final appearance of the bark, and can help lock in moisture that would otherwise be lost as the brisket cooks.

After two or four hours of cooking, you can lightly spray your brisket with water, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, or apple juice. You can do this every 30 minutes or every hour, based on preference.

Contrary to some sources, you do not need to flip your brisket at any point during cooking. Flipping can disrupt the smoking process, as you are repeatedly lowering the temperature every time you open the grill, extending your brisket cook time.

Slow-smoke at a temperature of 250˚F, allowing about one hour of cooking time per pound of meat. So, if you have a 10-pound brisket, expect to smoke it for about 10 hours. Keep the fat side up so the juices can drip through the meat. Wrap in foil.

Set the temperature to a low heat, around 225°F to 250°F (107°C to 121°C), and cook the brisket slowly. You can wrap it in foil or use a roasting pan with a lid to help retain moisture. Slow Cooker Method: Using a slow cooker is a convenient and hands-off method.

Brisket can be done in a range of 200-210°F (93-99°C), but as a general rule, it's safe to bet on 203°F (95°C). Brisket should be tender but not so tender it's falling apart. You should be able to slice it into pieces that can just hold together, requiring a little pull to come apart.

Can you overcook a brisket when smoking? ›

Occasionally you will run across a stubborn brisket that might feel firm while using a probe even after your brisket temp gets up in the 208+ range and if that's the case, you need to remove the brisket from the smoker, or it will overcook.

While smoking meat, you should pay special attention to the temperature danger zone because there is a higher chance of bacteria growth in the meat. Therefore, you need to find the optimum temperature for meat. As mentioned above, the temperature danger zone is 46°F -140°F (8°C-60°C).

Experts suggest that the ideal internal cooking temperature of the brisket should be between 195 and 202 degrees F.

Cutting brisket in half is the most logical thing to do. You may not need the whole primal cut, or the size can be too big for a smoker. If you cut it in half you'll also speed up the cooking process, and you can still cook it to perfection.

Close the lid on the smoker and, maintaining 225 degrees F, continue cooking until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 202 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat (takes anywhere from 5-8 hours). Remove the brisket to a large cutting board and allow to rest for 1 hour before slicing.

Brisket is done when it reaches 203° internally. Smoke a 10 lbs brisket for 6-9 hrs and then rest for at least 1 hour. Smoke a 15 lbs brisket for 10-12 hrs and then rest for at least 1 hour. Smoke a 20 lbs brisket for 12-16 hrs and then rest for at least 1 hour.

Smoking the Brisket

Place the brisket directly on the grate and let it smoke cook until it reaches about 160°F. You are probably looking at about 3 hours. At about the 2 hour mark, I insert a digital probe meat thermometer into the brisket so I will know when it has reached temperature.