Presented in partnership with MEATER+…
The beauty of smoking a brisket at home is there really isn’t much work involved but at the end of the day, everyone in your life will think you are some sort of master chef. There aren’t very many steps involved, it’s really just a matter of taking your time with it. Anyone who can learn how to smoke a brisket, just like learning the best way to cook a steak.
In terms of equipment, all you really need is a smoker. You can go with something like a Big Green Egg or a hopper-fed pellet smoker which is what I used for this brisket below. You’ll need a sharp knife for trimming the brisket, a pre-made Brisket rub or you can make your own, some tinfoil, and a MEATER+ wireless meat thermometer to ensure you get the temperatures perfect.
If you don’t know how to smoke a brisket, it’s all about nailing your temps just right. There’s the infamous ‘stall’ with brisket that you can power past by wrapping your brisket in tinfoil but we’ll get to that below.
Buy 1, get the 2nd at 30% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG30’
Buy 2, get the 3rd at 60% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG60’
My goal with this article is to simplify this as much as possible so I’ll run through the steps really quickly and then we’ll go into more depth below. First, you purchase A Whole Packer Brisket (12-14 pounds). Cover it liberally in Beef Rub. I mean really get in there and cover that brisket completely. Then wrap it up in a plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours before smoking.
Turn your smoker on and heat to 225℉. Place the brisket fat side down on the grates and let it sit until it reaches an internal temperature of 160℉ (or 6 hours). Insert the MEATER+ wireless meat thermometer so you can keep track of the precise temperature all day long. The ‘stall’ will happen somewhere between 160℉ and 170℉. Once you get 160-165 you pull the brisket out and quickly wrap it in tinfoil or butcher paper then put it back on the grill.
The PERFECT temperature that you are looking for is 204℉. You’ll want to pull the brisket out and let it sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes before you slice it. My suggestion is to remove the brisket from the smoker with an internal temperature somewhere around 200 degrees and wrap it in towels and toss it in the cooler. As the brisket sits wrapped up in the cooler, the temp can rise anywhere up to 10-degrees and this can bring you into the perfect temperature zone without overcooking.
If any of that sounds complicated, it’s not. All you need to focus on is hitting that 160-165℉ internal temp while smoking the brisket fat-side down. Then wrap it in paper or foil and wait for it to hit 200℉ before pulling it off and letting it sit. Thankfully, the MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer takes out all of the guesswork in hitting those temperatures. You can create up to 4 custom alerts on the MEATER smartphone app which allow you to monitor the ambient temperature as well as hone in on very specific internal temperatures.
Buy 1, get the 2nd at 30% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG30’
Buy 2, get the 3rd at 60% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG60’
The beautiful thing about the MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer is the integrated app gives you prediction times on when your brisket will be done based on how quickly the internal temperature is going up.
Now let’s take a visual stroll through what it looks like so you can follow along.
How to smoke a brisket
Step 1: apply the Beef Rub to the Brisket, then wrap in a plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. You want a good ‘bark’ on the brisket and that starts with ensuring your Beef Rub really seeps into the brisket. Coat the brisket liberally in a Beef Rub then wrap it in plastic foil. Then you let it sit in the plastic wrap for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 2: pull the full 12-14 pound Whole Packer Brisket out of the plastic wrap and fire up your smoker. Get that smoker to a temperature of 225℉. As with any smoker, the temperature will fluctuate throughout the day but the 225℉ is what you’re looking for as your base temperature all day long. Some people prefer higher temps but you simply cannot go wrong with 225℉.
Step 3: it will take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to reach the internal temperature of 160℉ depending on the fat pockets inside of the brisket and how quickly the meat cooks.
I’d say you can wait an hour or two before inserting the MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer into your brisket and you’ll want to make sure you insert it into the thickest part of the brisket to ensure you get a reliable reading on the meat. If you’re like me you will check it every couple of hours because the meat looks so darn good.
Step 4: once you’ve reached the internal temperature of 160℉ you pull the brisket off the grill and double wrap it in tinfoil. You can also use butcher paper which is the preferred method throughout the great state of Texas. People who use paper will tell you it’s the only way to smoke a brisket but I’ve had nothing but extremely positive results with foil. Paper is often the Texas way and has been adopted by many across the nation, I think it’s worth experimenting with both options to see which you prefer.
In terms of staring at your beautiful brisket, this is where things get pretty boring. You wrap it to get through the ‘stall’ where the brisket will hover around that temperature and once it’s wrapped it will take another 3 or 4 hours until you reach an internal temperature of around 200℉ to 205℉. Experts say 204℉ is the PERFECT internal temperature and with the MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer you can literally watch your brisket rise in temperature, degree by degree, and time it perfectly so the meat is never overcooked.
Step 5: once your brisket is fully cooked you need to pull it off the smoker and let it sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes before slicing. If you’re planning for it to be done at 7pm but it’s miraculously cooked by 5pm there’s no need to worry. You can wrap it in towels and stuff it in the cooler. It will stay HOT for hours and the meat will set perfectly. With the MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer, you’ll be able to track the temperature all-day long from up to 165-feet away from your smoker.
Just make sure you back in AT LEAST 30 minutes before carving. Also, the internal temperature will continue to rise a few degrees as the brisket sets so if you are shooting for 204℉ you might want to pull the brisket off between 195 and 200℉. Then you just need a sharp serrated knife. Something like a cheap but very sharp bread knife will do perfectly.
You want to slice against the grain and then enjoy with your favorite BBQ sauce. I fancy myself a bit of a mixologist when it comes to BBQ sauces and by that I mean I mix all of my favorites together by the end of each meal like I’m an 8-year-old kid at an AYCE BBQ joint. Why should I have to settle for one favorite sauce when I can mix them all together? It’s all about enjoying the fruits of your labor however you choose.
And that’s all there is to it. 5 simple steps to smoking brisket. And at the end of the day, everyone you serve the brisket to will think you’re some world-class pitmaster when the smoker and MEATER+ Wireless Meat Thermometer really did all of the work for you.
Buy 1, get the 2nd at 30% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG30’
Buy 2, get the 3rd at 60% OFF by using code ‘HOTDOG60’
—
The BroBible team writes about gear that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we will get a percentage of the revenue from sales.