The EASIEST Beginner Brisket Recipe on an Offset or Pellet Smoker! | Beginner Brisket Recipe 2024

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I better get at least one twitch follower from this

[@toranas1500]

I gotchu!

[@Philmoon69]

Or not. 😂

[@grizzle273463]

Wooo Hoooo! Finally a new video from The Brisket Man.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha I'm back!

[@sybrwookie]

Great stuff! One note for pellet grills, coming from someone who primary smokes on one: I don't think it's optional to start on low/super smoke for a few hours. I think it's absolutely required. You just don't get enough smoke flavor without that.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yep definitely need to do something extra to get smoke flavor. Smokin pecan pellets work for that too

[@johnnyz2362]

Well, tried it.... it worked perfectly on xmas. I used a turkey baster to suck up the liquids. Also, used a turkey roaster for the long hold. I tested it like Steve said, mine needed to be at 200 degrees for the 150 range. Put some water in bottom. Thx, Steve for all your hard work

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Awesome!

[@loganc1839]

Man, this is such an extremely helpful video I just sat here taking notes in my phone the whole time. Ready to attempt my first brisket on my new offset now!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Good luck!

[@benjaminl3084]

Always a great day when I see one of your videos drop! Thanks for all you do Steve!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks buddy!

[@benjaminl3084]

​@@SmokeTrailsBBQtrying this today Steve. Any need to Spritz during the cook? Maybe I missed it in the video.

[@scottinman5219]

When I researched brisket cooks, I stumbled onto a guy that was using a beat up pellet grill and fumbled his way through his presentation. One thing I took away from an otherwise bad video, was the fact that he put 2 foil pans with water & ACV under the brisket which was on the top rack. It was the best brisket cook to date for me! Thanks for the confirmation for those same 2 steps! Love your videos Steve!!!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks man!

[@awayforthewin1325]

I smoke a brisket every six months and have to re learn what I'm doing this is perfect timing

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Good luck!

[@slideoff1]

You have come a long way, Steve. I been smokin since 1985. Got 9 different smokers for different 'tastes' for the crowd. scientific!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks! That's 1 year before I was born haha!

[@edwardbailey1743]

It’s nice to see another video from you

[@SaskBryan75]

We have a split oven that I use for holding a brisket. I set the lower oven to 210 degrees and put the brisket in the upper oven which warms from the heat of the lower oven and stays at 150 degrees. Works great. I learned the hard way that the warming drawer turns off automatically after three hours. Had to throw away a brisket in the morning 😭

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Oh no! That's a rough way to learn haha

[@Romas65]

Very nice and detailed video. I've smoked several briskets and I couldn't explain this cook like you did, I shared this channel with friends. Great video.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks!

[@pitis2flie]

Way to go Brock! ( and you!) I hope to one day pass on my bbq knowledge to maybe one of my nephews or a future son.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's awesome!

[@jose_manuel281]

Gracias por permitir la traduccion en español. Usted es el mejor youtuber cocino con el sous vide y ahumado despues. Siga asi amigo y gracias.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Gracias!

[@gusramos0]

For years, I cooked my brisket in a shallow aluminum pan. I cooked it indirectly. I would drain a good portion of the tallow. I would put a foil paper over the top, leaving two sides open so that the smoke could still pass through. Also, if I needed the temperature higher, I would get the pan closer to the heat. No thermometer is needed and ready to eat shortly.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Aluminum pan works!

[@NuarStanger]

Awesome video! Very informative, thank you! I've never seen that lopper saw! I'm definitely picking one up now, I already had my mitter saw bite me once lol. Thank you for sharing that gem!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

It was a game changer

[@CoolJay77]

The Art of The Brisket

[@mattjordan5798]

Steve, always great to watch your very patiently detailed videos. Thank you for that. I wonder if you can share with me the type of holding oven you have. I have seen the larger ones but I really want a smaller one like I see in the video. Again, thank you!

[@mattjordan5798]

Never mind, I found it Vevor correct?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I have a used winston cvap

[@tomroper9867]

Great video!! Thanks Steve. Christmas will definitely taste better!!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Merry Christmas!

[@appleblows1]

my dude is back!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yea buddy!

[@2005Pilot]

Outstanding!!!

[@2005Pilot]

Our Turkey roaster holds +/-3 degrees. Couldn’t believe it is so tight! Way better than our oven. I am going to try your Test method 😊👍👍THANKS!!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's some great accuracy

[@2005Pilot]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I was Shocked!! I didn’t do your accuracy test- just let my inkbird probe rest close to the wrapped brisket

[@HoundStuff]

Nice work, thanks for making it easy!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Cheers!

[@ToolWrangler]

Love that shirt Steve!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes!

[@ToolWrangler]

@SmokeTrailsBBQ You spent 6ish? Years perfecting brisket, testing every aspect, developing techniques and have now distilled all that knowledge into a simple repeatable system... What's next? Would you embark on the same journey with another cut? Ribs for example? I'm assuming it would he much faster this time around with transferrable skills (don't need to re-learn fire management).

[@SchoolHardKnocks]

Steve, thank you for all your testing and explaining. I have a Weber SmokeFire EX6 Gen2 pellet smoker/grill. I use Smokin Pecan Shell Pellets for my low & slow cooks. My question I have is about when meat stops absorbing smoke. Is it true once the brisket reaches 140 internal temperature it will stop absorbing the smoke (flavor)? If it it true, wouldn’t you want to put the brisket on right out of the refrigerator, set your smoker to a low temperature (I do 180 degrees) and wait until the brisket reaches 140 degrees internal then raise the smoker’s temperature to 275 - 300 to finish the cook, render the fat, and continue to build the bark? I love the idea of using the foil boat earlier. Going to try that method but after the brisket reaches 140 temperature internally. Let me know if the 140 temperature is true about absorbing smoke.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

The 140 limit is a myth. I think meathead covers the myth in detail in his book. The brisket will continue to develop smoke flavor at any temperature. but it is true that smoke adheres better to cold and wet meat. That's why pellet grillers do a low smoke for a few hours before bumping temps. There's also the factor that pellet grills produce more smoke at lower temps. Again why pellet grillers do a pre smoke. If you are willing to wait for the brisket to hit 140 by smoking at 180 then that works. I find that takes way too long though (8 hours) and only feasible with an overnight smoke where the first 8 hours of the cook are done by the time i wake up, so I either do an overnight smoke at super low temps, or just a few hours at 180 or lower to get a bit of smoke (and perhaps supplement with chunks in a smoke box on my woodwind pro or pellets in a tray) and then ramp temps to speed things up. With the water pan + 300 method the extra fatcap rendering and browning makes up for the lack of smoke flavor to some extent. A big reason people prefer offset briskets isn't the smoke flavor per se, it's the lack of fatcap rendering and browning you get from smoking too low on a pellet grill. The water pan plus 300 solves for that.

[@foodonfire3662]

Holding oven discovery: My toaster oven's timer will only "bake" for up to 4 hours but.... If I set it to "dehydrate" (which will run at any setting from 100 to 200F) the timer will go for 12 hours! This allows me to use your excellent "holding" method for easy timing for service. 👍

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Ahh great idea!

[@O5c4rM1k3]

I'm adding you this minute on twitch!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

YES! IT WAS ALL WORTH IT

[@yochino615]

I have wireless thermometer. Would you recommend the flat or the point to insert the thermometer?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I put it in the point

[@petergriffinson1907]

Would taking it out at 195 and holding it at 150 for 18hr + still give it that butterfly probe tenderness? Thanks again Steve.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes it does

[@fransstokman3073]

Hey Steve, i'm from Holland and i watched alot of your videos. Now i'm making a brisket but its smaler like 2 kg. And i'm trying one of your older video whit smoking and bake it in the oven whit butcher paper. You got any tips for holding it up for like 24hr? Greatings!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Hi! Just follow the recipe it should turn out great. I might pull it at a lower temp before holding, around 190

[@CarlosNunez-t2r]

Question: So no water pan for offset smoker ?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

You don't need it with the foil boat from the start but if you want to add one it doesn't hurt

[@2005Pilot]

Nailed It!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks buddy!

[@2005Pilot]

@ Thank YOU for your experiments and Great Videos!

[@ashward9390]

Great vid

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks!

[@YkkTJ]

So I use a Lonestarz Grillz pellet smoker and am attempting my first whole brisket about 10 lbs before trimming. After watching a video the technique is no foil or water tray. Just program it to run @ 180° to an internal temp 160°, then 215° to an internal of 170°, then 225° to internal 202°, finally 160° to hold it till you can pull it being an overnight cook. Any thoughts?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

There are many ways to smoke a brisket. My only concern with that method is 225 on the bottom rack = burnt brisket. So I'd use a water pan

[@brandongregory5419]

Im doing a brisket for christmas, i was super bummed when I saw your brisket rub was out of stock

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Sorry bud it's a nightmare. Amazon lost a pallet of 1600 units

[@Jarome004]

hello, im going to smoke a brisket on saturday, any tips in general? mostly so the flat doesn't dry out which is an ongoing problem for me

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Foil boat it from the start and cover the flat in foil half way through the cook

[@Jarome004]

@SmokeTrailsBBQ got it, thx

[@Bloodstryke]

Did you smoke the brisket fat side up or fat side down?

[@Cbbq]

What happened to your long hold of 150f for 16 to 20 hours when pull it off at 195 ? Can I blend these two methods? Thks excellent video

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I mention it at the end. Yes just pull at 195 and hold

[@DeeB17]

anyone use a little chief smoker as a holding oven? Just got a pellet grill and about to try my first brisket. Cant figure out to get oven lower. On warm it fluctuates 170-190 and dont want to dry out. So im thinking either yeti cooler hold or the smoker.

[@2005Pilot]

Cooler work well!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

If you can get the little chef to hold 150. With a cooler just make sure to preheat it with boiling water. And then empty it and put more boiling water in after 8 hours.

[@ricardorodriguez405]

I’m smoking my first brisket for this Christmas, helped me from making many mistakes, quick question though. I’m smoking 2 of them, in a slim offset smoker. One in the middle and one in the far end away from the fire box so they can’t be side by side. Will this cause one to over cook? So should i rotate them? and around what times to rotate?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

It is a good idea to rotate them every couple of hours!

[@lilging4380]

God I love brisket

[@BlackDogBBQ]

HEY Steve!!! Did you go fat cap side down in that foil boat?

[@2005Pilot]

Fatcap up cause you are trying to render the fat and keep the lean moist

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Up

[@onyxdevil26]

Idk about a lot of people but my Traeger doesn't really have a large enough top rack

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

You can just stick a grate overtop of the waterpans in that case

[@billsa-bob8945]

I am still a beginner, but how does the rub on the bottom not wash away if foil boated from the start? I have foil boated before, but after bark was set. The bottom and side bark was still soft, but the rub did not wash away.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

You will lose smoke and rub on the bottom but gain in terms of juiciness and moisture retention with this method.

[@rickmooreEz-2chew-BBQ]

Steve, have you tried this method on pork butts?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yep works great!

[@rickmooreEz-2chew-BBQ]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Thanks Steve...

[@matthewf6227]

does this work well for a webber kettle also?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yep!

[@matthewf6227]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Just did my first ever brisket - turned out ok! My biggest difficulties were trimming and waiting for the point to get tender while the flat was already tender. (which I think lead the flat to be on the dryer end)

[@dennisbower]

I haven’t seen the foil boat done from the beginning of the cook, does it effect the smoke flavor much?

[@dmbsituation]

I’ve foil boated a few times from start - make sure to fold down the boat low enough to allow smoke to move over the meat and you should be good.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

No smoke on the bottom but way juicier

[@dougjones2065]

You’re a BBQ control freak alright. The kid hasn’t touched anything 😂

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha!

[@FakeName39]

i think my biggest issue, is after 6-8 hours of smoking, i hit the stall, okay more heat, but i dont really want more smoke. I love the foil boat method, but then i feel like im using a lot of charcoal to get heat up. Then i run into that issue of getting charcoal going, where i just do another chimney to get the coals good, but if anyone else has ideas I would love to hear it. I guess i could foil boat it into an oven?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

You could just put it in the oven when it gets dark enough

[@Levelity]

Why not just use a foil pan about the size of your brisket?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

They are often too big or too small and not tight enough to the edges to protect them but you can if you fold the edges in

[@Levelity]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ okay so you want foil as close to the meat as possible with the top exposed. Thank you.

[@michaelstewart9366]

I thought 165 is around the stall temp. Yours stalled at 145?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's around where mine stall. It stalls at lower temps as elevation increases due to decreased atmospheric pressure and lower wet bulb temps.

[@michaelstewart9366]

@ ok ok. I’m at sea level so that makes sense. Thanks

[@WillGowKelowna]

Just in time for xmas

[@WillGowKelowna]

PS another milestone 120k subscribers

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

​@WillGowKelowna thanks!

[@ThatGuy-xd5fs]

You are very cool

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I know

[@nwcubsfan]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Modest, too.

[@mackducky]

Why don't just open little holes on the foil so the liquid can drip ?????

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

You can!

[@mackducky]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ thank you for teaching me how to make brisket ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@mannymartinezbustamante8571]

damn you look like a fit jim hopper from stranger things 😮

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha!

[@mannymartinezbustamante8571]

@SmokeTrailsBBQ love the video by the way 🫡

[@minovskyparticles1834]

Wow, surprised to see a filipino condiment in your BBQ arsenal

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I like to experiment with different flavors!

[@geordienufc3132]

I wish briskets weren't so large or expensive because that size of brisket you cooked would do me and my wife all summer if not longer.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

They just turn out better cooked whole. You could portion it up and freeze it. Eat it over time.

[@Jyes12345]

As a Texan, I’ve never heard those words put together in that order in a sentence.

[@ThatGuy-xd5fs]

@@geordienufc3132 it used to be the cheapest meat and hence the popularity but people cracked the code now its pricey Pro tipfind a local meat packer

[@emboe001]

If you buy smaller bits of beef or cuts other than brisket it's likely a lot more expensive.

[@matthewbragg9463]

You're looking a lot more like Barbecue Jesus these days than Aaron Franklin. I'm sure I'm probably not the first person to say this.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha!

[@yochino615]

So fat cap up?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes

[@HungLikeScrat]

I run an OKJ Highland at 225° for hours without adding anything. I hate the "add splits and charcoal every 15 minutes" and/or the "leave the firebox door open" method. Do you people really not know how to use a smoker properly?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

What exactly are you doing to achieve this? Are you loading it up with charcoal and using the minion/snake method?

[@HungLikeScrat]

I'm using a stack extension, exhaust lowering kit, and charcoal basket in the firebox. I light a chimney of charcoal and lump mixed and let it go about 10 to 15 minutes before dumping it in the firebox, where I have a couple chunks of flavored wood. I open the intake damper about 1/4 inch and the exhaust maybe a 1/2 inch. That usually lasts me at least 2.5 to 3 hours, at which point I empty out the ash and add more unlit charcoal/lump/chunk for another 2.5 to 3 hours. Rinse and repeat as often as necessary, except no flavored wood chunks after the 2nd chimney. Edit: I do have gaskets on the firebox and smoke chamber.

[@KGFishyFingers]

This isn't beginner... its all the same basically. The problem is people try and over complicate this.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Brisket ain't easy!

[@JohnLafitte]

Wait was this sponsored by Call of Duty? Might've missed the point of all those references if not lol

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I wish