Smoking Brisket for the First Time

In this How to BBQ video, I show my method of smoking brisket on a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) smoker. This smoked brisket for beginners video is a great introductory video on using one of the easiest smokers out there - the Weber Smokey Mountain. People are often daunted by how to smoke a brisket and how to trim a brisket-- since it's such a tough and expensive cut. But follow the these steps and you'll have a great barbecue beef brisket recipe in your culinary toolbox! I often cook in an offset smoker, but relish the opportunity to get the WSM out for single-brisket smoking such as this. I do have a more extensive video on how to cook brisket, which goes more in-depth at trimming a brisket, fire management of an offset smoker, etc. Here's a link if you want a more in-depth how to: • Smoking a Brisket for ... .
Best,
Shane
paynecountyrust.com/
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I'm Shane Lansdown, the owner of Payne County Rust brand seasonings and sauces. I love showing others how to cook, bbq, grill, smoke, craft and build. This KZbin channel is my way of giving back all the knowledge and experience that others have kindly shown me over the decades. I really hope you all enjoy these videos, and please stop by my online store at paynecountyrust.com/ if you're interested in purchasing any of my products used in my cooking or BBQ videos.
Some of my favorite tools:
PK GRILL: The model I cook on is "The Original PK Grill and Smoker"
WEBER SMOKER: Weber 18" Smokey Mountain Cooker
INSTANT-READ MEAT THERMOMETERS: GAISTEN Meat Thermometer (Amazon)
TONGS: OXO Goodgrips 16" (Amazon)
LARGE SPATULA/TURNER: Mundial 8"x3" White Handle Turner
FOOD-GRADE SPRAY BOTTLES: Bar5F Plastic Spray Bottle
BLACK NITRILE GLOVES: KingSeal Ultrablack Nitrile Exam Gloves (Amazon)
LESS EXPENSIVE BONING KNIFE: UltraSource 6" Boning Knife
MORE EXPENSIVE BONING KNIFE: Victorinox Fibrox 6" Boning Knife
CHEF'S KNIVES: Victorinox Fibrox 6", 8", 10" Chef's Knives
LARGE DIGITAL SCALE: LEM Products 1167 330-lb Scale
MEDIUM DIGITAL SCALE: Bakers Math Kitchen Scale - KD8000

[@webmoss]

Love the Ron Swanson Portrait in the back!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks! Here's the drawing! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2XNZJewmd6ip9E

[@sdgoes99]

Just want to say I was blown away by the quality of your video, great job.

[@bojackson5201]

I’m in the midst of my first brisket on my Webber Smokey Mountain right now. I started it at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, brought it off the smoker at 11:30 last night and put it in the oven. It got up to 205 around 3:00 am and has been in there with oven off ever since. It’s now 6:00 am it’s still at 165 degrees. I’ll continue to let it rest for another 4 hours and enjoy. Thanks for this video!

[@wayneprater8960]

Mmmm glad to see you putting an entry level smoker video up, everyone should watch this. Thanks Shane that’s what dad got me started on smoking. You know he was a big fan of your cooking!!

[@gadgetman694]

Excellent video. I love the WSM. I have a 22in unit and I enjoy seeing how different people accomplish a brisket cook. Never stop learning!!

[@LYC54]

Wow! Excellent video. I've done many in my 22.5 WSM and learned some valuable info on the resting process from your video. Thanks so much for your time in making this video, It's a keeper.

[@jeffreyyoung702]

- Another great video. It has been about 8yrs since I gave my BIL my WSM and I regret it. Have given a few grills to family members, BUT none are as missed as the WSM. - Always enjoy your well produced videos. - Stay safe.

[@TnTBLACK95]

I just got Weber mountain smoker and I appreciate the thoroughness of this video!! We live about 8 miles from Butcher's BBQ and will be investing in the injection seasoning.

[@TEDBEEZY33]

Thanks. Finally got a beginner smoker. Going to get started this Saturday. Appreciate this video.

[@johnphillips489]

Solid video. Loved the straight forward yet very informative approach. Great tip about letting it chill in the oven over night. I’ll definitely snag some of your products.

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks for the kind words John, and thanks for watching!

[@BabyDiego10599]

Great video! I don't own the Weber but I do have a drum smoker. I really like how simple you made the trimming the brisket, excellent job! The meat looks awesome, no shame in finishing it in the oven. I'm still trying to get ours to finish on the smoker, very difficult.

[@zachb.6606]

Great tips, thanks!

[@aarongomez5812]

Awesome video thanks! Beautiful yard!!! Wow

[@alexpeaugh2116]

Great video-keep up the good work!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks man!

[@LarryMFjohnson]

Nice work buddy, I haven’t done a brisket in about a year and needed to brush up my skills. Been doing mostly pork shoulders, ribs, whole chix and turkeys on mine. This was just what I was looking for using my WSM 22inch. I have a 14lb that I’m throwing on tmrw evening for Sat afternoon. Still trying to decide if I want to inject tho. Thanks for the bud, new sub.

[@nancyfielden270]

Excellent instruction. Thank you!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks Nancy, I really hope it helps!

[@matthewstall3902]

Awesome video. Thanks!

[@MarkLazzarini]

Great advice!!

[@humbertogonzalez8643]

Thank you so much for the video.

[@BigDaddy-vg3es]

I just got the CharBroil 16in bullet smoker. Put a pork butt on as my first smoke on it. It held at 375 and was done in about 7hrs. Usually do them 12-14hrs in my pellet smokers. I was pretty impressed. I think it was the best one I've ever made. Looking forward to doing a brisket next.

[@JA-wp6cj]

Excellent video

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks J A!

[@dnewman308]

Awesome fantastic job

[@canuckchick8955]

Just bought one and use it for the first time on Thanksgiving and it is amazing on holding temperature. Mine stayed at 225 for five hours straight.

[@PayneCountyRust]

They're such simple rigs to operate-so glad it worked out for you. You'll get decades of use out of it!

[@joecamel8182]

Dam dude you are the man. Just bought the Weber Smokey mountain. Excellent video know I’m not going to match your skills but will refer back to your video. Thanks I’m a real novice lol

[@bellissima3287]

Thanks so much for THIS VIDEO

[@ComradeAlpharius]

Never smoked anything in my life (Well, except....) and I just got one of these because my wife loves smoked meats. Great video for someone like me with 0 experience trying to see what i'm getting into!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Good luck and welcome to the club!! Thanks a ton for watching :)

[@trevorbraden5448]

I know 2 pit masters that use these exclusively and won multiple 1st place awards they sold their stick burner and bought several of the 20 inch.... They said the 1st time they showed up with them all the grill snobs with their extremely big stick burners were smirking at them until they left with the trophies..... but needless to say I bought mine a couple years ago and definitely love it...... I still like my stick burner also but usually use the wsm more than all of the smokers and grills I own.....

[@bentleyfatheree1616]

If you need the oven just set the brisket in a cooler. Great video I learned a few things. I'm thinking about getting the webber

[@mattyb7607]

I just got a used one. I've been smoking on a 26in kettle for a few years now and am needing some more space to cook more food. A decent offset is just too expensive - even a new WSM is expensive rn! I like the idea of finishing the cook in the oven and have it rest overnight there. Thanks for the video.

[@PayneCountyRust]

Good job on finding one! They're really easy to manage--after cooking on a kettle, you'll be an instant pro!

[@mattyb7607]

@@PayneCountyRust Thanks. Is the bottom cooking grate still much hotter if you use the water pan with water or a heat deflector? Basically what is the method to get both grates at the same or similar temps? If that means moving the bottom grate up then thats what I'll do.

[@nickma71]

A couple of things. The GF bought one. Easy of operation as he stated is spot on. You have to learn how far to open your vents to hit the temp spots, but that is it. And as it burns, it changes a little. But don't confuse that with Jeremy Yoder and his offsets that require feeding wood. I'm not knocking him or his channel, I watch it all the time. The other thing I wanted to share is Harry Soo uses this bad boy to win comps all the time. One thing he does is put the wood under the charcoal so it smoulders all the time. On top it will burn up quicker. So, decide on how long you want wood smoke.

[@shawnkincheloesr5192]

I wonder why they won’t just make a larger version of that bullet smoker 🤔 but that looks so so good ✌🏾😋

[@WADYNASTY77]

I really enjoyed your video. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything. When I get my smoker set up hopefully y cook will come out great thanks to you. If I’m using wood chips do I have to soak them?

[@BearzapperBBQ]

Could you have returned this wrapped brisket to the smoker to finish? Is there a reason you put it in the oven instead?

[@RagedContinuum]

thanks I will try this out on a store-bought brisket

[@deminybs]

Yes I plan on getting a WSM very soon for this wagyu brisket I got dry aging

[@AAblade7]

I’ve been buying the coconut hexagonal charcoal. It last longer than the briquettes. Also I keep adding wood every time I spritz.

[@cybat1078]

If it’s cold or windy outside y’all need a lot more charcoal. I learned the hard way 😅. It was still fun. Thanks for the instructional video.

[@johnmike4110]

Thanks for all these deta, just wonder if rubbing the brisket with beef tallow after reaching 170 degrees is a good practice to get higher juicy tender brisket

[@afavic]

great stuff man! what is the protocol on the temp of the brisket when you put it on the WSB? and is it cool to trim (and or inject/add rub) ahead of time and place back in the fridge?

[@jwhome9319]

Nice video. Thanks. Question: do you recommend water in the water pan? Why or why not?

[@darwinawards83]

Can you do the braise in the smoker instead of an oven?

[@matthewjackson1390]

Do you use the water tray in the Smokey mountain?

[@joebrindisi2588]

Did you use the WSM water pan? If so, do you put water in it or just use it as a diffuser?? Great cook. Very informative and one of the best brisket videos I've seen. THANK YOU!!!

[@dank9288639]

most ppl just use it as a diffuser

[@324051806]

Add play sand to the bowl and cover with foil...will add time to your cook

[@thelog86]

I leave the water pan out all together. I feel i get better flavor when those drippings hits the charcoal.

[@peterlai9018]

Great video on cooking a brisket. Did you use a fat separator for the juice in the foil pan?

[@garythorsell5061]

Hi bought one at lowes clearance 🙂 great price 👍

[@oceans_ttv]

What do you recommend for a pork shoulder? Just got my first smoker and pork shoulder butt about 12lbs I heard 275 on the Smokey mountain is good, what rub do you suggest or mix of seasoning?

[@dponzi56]

Hi, I want to try this. Did you put water in the water pan in the smoker?

[@adamUDavies]

Where did you get your firewood rack for your porch ?

[@moviegoer9021]

How do you like to set the vents??Some say bottom 1/4 open and the top wide open? what do you suggest? Thanks my first time , 14lb on an 18 in weber

[@jmarty72]

Thank you for the video. How do you warm the meat back up?

[@PayneCountyRust]

A 350F oven warms BBQ very well-especially brisket!

[@chrisbarber1020]

How do you serve it for dinner and not at 7 am lol great video

[@nickmarkham3743]

There's this idea some offset smoking folks put into my head, called "sugar cookie bark." Basically the texture of the bark should be soft and a little bit crunchy, kinda like crispy melty bacon fat. I'm told the WSM won't do that and you can only get it on an offset convective cooker. Do you have any thoughts on that? And do you think the flavor is significantly different on a WSM compared to an offset? Whenever I have barbecue at a place with an offset, it has this deep leathery mild smoke, whereas smoking on my kettle always has a campfire or bacon vibe to it, and feels like it was tacked on as an afterthought or a gimmick. Less and cleaner smoke helped but I could never get that deep leathery flavor...

[@garrettwiill]

Love the video but how did you get your decal ti stay on?

[@PayneCountyRust]

I use exterior-grade vinyl and it can easily withstand the temps. Probably not down at the fire level, but it sure holes up on the lid!

[@nickma71]

I don't see your bowl. As the water evaporates, the temperature goes up. That is one function of the bowl, the other is heat deflection. Are you running direct heat, just with a large distance?

[@3dock694]

do you have a waterpan in there?

[@ciscochain8038]

Been smoking on 22" WSM for a few years. Brisket is a bit stressful me because of the long cook but your oven method looks intriguing... maybe take some stress out. I'd be interested to know your timeline if you were serving brisket at a 2pm party. Still letting it rest until 7am? Trying to prevent staying up all night

[@PayneCountyRust]

I'd get it cooked, sliced, panned up and refrigerated way before serving time. Brisket warms up in a 350F oven with great results!!

[@ciscochain8038]

@@PayneCountyRust I am finally getting a chance to do this and super pumped. Cooking on Friday afternoon for party Saturday. I'm also smoking a pork shoulder below the brisket. I know you say pork should be served immediately after pulling but I have to come up with different way. Your thoughts?

[@alwash9323]

I had one I fell in love with it was so beautiful so easy to use my ex took it and sold it now I can't afford to get another one maybe I can get some help

[@STSwhisperer]

Did you put any water in water pan?

[@Jaeamythomas]

Hey there! New to the channel. I bought me a Smokey mountain 18 today used. It does not have the thermometer on the lid like yours does. Can you recommend what I should do as far as mounting one? I am not new to bbq’ing, just new to the Smokey mountain world. Great videos, looking forward to watching them all!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Man, I'm not sure!! I thought they all had thermos. Most big box stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, Academy, etc have massive grilling/BBQ aisles now that usually carry smoker thermometers. Thanks for reaching out!

[@dbMammie]

Don't bother with a lid thermometer. Get something like a ThermoWorks Smoke X4 that will let you clip a probe to your grate, so you have that accurate grate-level temp. Your grate is always going to be at least 20-30 degrees hotter than what a lid thermometer would read.

[@gdogg8452]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ-rZYSYqsuUq9E Check this out he is down on WSM history. Info on installing thermometers. Good luck great smokers

[@PayneCountyRust]

@@gdogg8452 thanks!

[@georgecantu8040]

What size was this brisket and is this the. Wsm 18?

[@joshualaird5303]

Did you use the water pan? and what are your thoughts on that? great vid! new Sub :)

[@PayneCountyRust]

Hey Joshua! I have the water pan in place, but I usually don't put any water in it :) I like the cooking environment to be as dry as possible so as not to risk any steam. I'm not sure it makes much of a difference, but many would argue otherwise :)

[@ronmacdougall9612]

Just curious,why not use the charcoal starting fluid instead of the charcoal bucket. Starter

[@gnutz9764]

Many experienced BBQers say it taunts the flavor using chemicals. Best to torch the stack of coals and get it going

[@thelog86]

I trim very little to none high heat fatside down with no water pan at all

[@MrT6bill]

Is bottom cooking grate hotter or cooler in your experience?

[@PayneCountyRust]

Hey Bill! I find the bottom cooking grate to be hotter for sure.

[@alexpeaugh2116]

Bottom grate runs roughly 30 degrees hotter

[@mrjuhbenny]

Umm any tips for people who don't want to make a 2 day brisket?

[@mimichow1966]

Do you but water in the bowl? How long does it take to cook

[@PayneCountyRust]

I use water in the pan sometimes, but usually only if I'm smoking/roasting at a high temperature. Otherwise, I just make sure the bowl is cleaned out and nothing in it can burn :)

[@mimichow1966]

@@PayneCountyRust thanks:) I'll need to make notes and try it again

[@SkinBear1]

What temp did you pull to finish it in the oven?

[@PayneCountyRust]

I usually wrap them between 160 and 180 internal temp. My personal rule of thumb is to wait as long as you can to wrap, so I prefer 180 :)

[@SkinBear1]

Perfect! Mines at 180 as we speak and I started my oven about 5 minutes ago! Thanks for the quick response! I wasn't expecting an answer to this while I was smoking my brisket 😂

[@srvonjr]

You don’t use the water pan?

[@PayneCountyRust]

I try and keep the cooking air as dry as I can manage during the smoking phase. The water pan exists to catch the drippings and keep them from flaming up on the coals. When filled with water, it also acts as a great heatsink to regulate the oven's temperature. I don't believe, however that a moist convective environment is as conducive to pellicle and bark formation as that of a dry convective environment. Even though I employ a wet mop/spray during the middle-to-end of the smoke, it's intermittent and only there to keep the smaller bark pieces from drying too much. Long story short, I do not fill the drip pan with water. Thanks for watching!

[@RH-qk5lt]

I really enjoy your videos. You do a nice job explaining & editing to condense time. But, after decades of BBQing/Smoking/Cooking meats, I truly believe that guys like us have Glorified the Brisquit into this holy grail of smoked products allowing butchers to charge redicoulously high prices for what is, in reality, a real piece of shit cut of meat that we do our damndest to turn into something that we can eat and enjoy. There's many other meats/cuts, I, my family & friends enjoy so much more than a Brisquit. Lastly, I bought the injection in this video and I thought it was terrible. I'm sure this guy that makes it is a great dude, I'll probably order something again from his web site but this injection was just bad. It smelled bad when I mixed it up but I tried it anyway and I shouldn't have. I can't recommend it.

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks for your input RH! You're right that brisket is a very tough cut-but the tougher the cut, the more collagen to turn into unxious gelatin! IMO tough cuts have the most potential for velvety textures when properly prepared--which is why I love Boston butt, ribs, brisket, etc. --lots of gelatin! I'm sorry my recommendation for Butcher BBQ 's injection didn't work out for ya. Thanks for commenting though!

[@RH-qk5lt]

@@PayneCountyRust OH no, no need to apologize or even respond. One thing I've learned over the years about smoking and cooking in general is every one has different tastes and somewhat different styles/methods of completing the task at hand which can generate different results. This particular injection just didn't fit my tastes compared to the many others I've used. As I said, I love your videos, appreciate you taking the time and effort to share them and look forward to your future ones.

[@rogerlaurel2363]

Lost my interest when you went to an internal stove to finish this. My goal is to cook it completely on a charcoal grill/smoker. That is all I have to work with when my wife wants to entertain. When I go into the her kitchen to finish my brisket, there is going to be a fight, which, I am going to loose!.

[@ronaldbeerguy]

I can’t understand why you’d go to an oven when you have all that left over lump just doing nothing. Otherwise it looked just great. I personally prefer a cooler and towels to rest my brisket for about 3-4 hours but that’s just my opinion. I kinda get the impression he wanted to do something to differentiate his videos from everyone else’s.

[@johnsandoval4938]

I agree with you. I have a bullet smoker and when I smoke a brisket, I never wrap, spritz, or trim my brisket. I find it you dry brine for 48 hours, it comes out very good. The reason I don't trim is to avoid the dreaded roast beef effect that can happen with overcooked brisket.

[@johnsonk1d12]

Lose

[@grahamsteel7737]

Harry Soo finished em in the oven. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.

[@michaelwenkman5719]

Great video. Thanks!

[@PayneCountyRust]

Thanks Michael!