Might attempt to make my first brisket on the electric smoker. With all BBQ, most agree there's three maintenance requirement...Heat, wood and mop sauce. With the electric, I got the heat. Heck, if you had a bradley or traeger, it would take care of the heat and wood. But I'm not in that boat. Again, there will be heat during the entire time. Which brings me to my question, which of these three senarios would you assume to be the lesser of all evils?

1) No smoke or mop in the beginning. Midnight, put the brisket on. Smoking and mopping will resume at the 8th through the 18th hours.
2) No smoke or mop in the middle. 7pm put the brisket on, go to bed, wake up and resume smoking and mopping.
3) No smoke or mop in the end. Smoke and mop for the first 10 hours then stop. Worst option IMO as if it's somehow done at the 17th hour I'll still be asleep. 2ndly, it'd be ready first thing in the morning. However, will that taste the best?

Most briskit should be done in about 12 hrs @ 225F. Most of mine weigh in around 12-15#

From most of what I read, Smoking is only done the first few hours also no moping the first 3-4 hrs.

Most of the smoking sites I looked at states "DON't PEEK for the first three hours"

How can a crust develop if you are mopping the briskit?

Mop at the end after the crust is develop and do it lightly- once an hour during the last three hours.

I throw mine on around 10:pm or Midnight,

IMHO

Hike

My experience parallels Hike's, regarding cooking times and smoke. Wood used for smoke (amount and type) has almost as much impact on taste as a rub or mop. Too much, especially with mesquite, and the brisket can be bitter. I'd suggest using something like a tuna can (or larger if you have room) with smoke wood and a small quantity of water in it, in addition to the initial load of smokewood chips/chunks. The second can won't smoke until the water evaporates so you can go longer without having to open the cooker to add smokewood.

I don't mop though, I do a dry rub (my own recipe) and then rest in double wrapped foil in a warmed cooler for at least an hour or two once the brisket reaches fork tender. I add an eighth to quarter cup of beef broth, or apple juice (doesn't affect taste) before foil wrapping. This usually softens the bark on the bottom, but the moisture from the foil (after the rest period-strain off the fat) is drizzled over the top of the sliced brisket and tastes fantastic. I don't use any sauce on my brisket and my guests have also stated that no sauce was needed.

Huck

interesting. Thanks for the tips. I thought brisket took a lot longer...It looks like it's going to be a few weeks before I can attempt this...

bought a PIECE of brisket...2.65lbs to be exact...No idea how long to cook it...Americas test kitchen also recommends the wrap in foil...Does internal temp have anything to do with knowing doneness?

I use internal temp as a way of knowing when I'm in the "done" ballpark, but the ultimate test is the fork test. If the fork slides in and twists pretty easily, its done.

Huck

Which piece, flat cut or point cut?



Remember this quote



Yes, internal temp is important, but much more important is the speed at which you get there, too fast and the fat and collagen will not have time to break down and render into the meat leaving you with a touch piece of pretty much shoe leather.

Here is one of the best overall descriptions on brisket and everything about on the web.

Have fun!

Bluesin

yes - low temp 225-250F, until it reaches about 190F internal. or use Huckelberry fork technique (which I have not tried, just use a digital probe to get there, and confirm with a hand unit.
It's fun watching it stall on the way to 190, The stall is when its converting all the nasty to good stuff.:-D


Hike

Just thought about this, I don't do the fork methods, because the last few briskit I did, it was with the Ole Smokie technique. It is full of juice when you take it off, and punching a hole in it will let a lot of juice leak out. I normally let it rest from 30 minutes to an hour, if I can.
edited.

Bacardi ...

I've been outta town ... but now feel obligated to chime in!

I religiously monitor internal temperature and smoker temperature while cooking brisket. The object is to maintain the "plateau" for as long as possible as all those good things others mentioned are taking place.

On a smaller hunk of brisket, the surface to mass ratio is greater, so it will cook quicker [and pass through the plateau more quickly] than a larger piece of meat .... I recommend that you try to maintain a smoker temperature closer to 225F.

BG in WV

Dang stayed out too late last night...Pork butt only hit the smoker at 9:30am COLD. I did see the test kitchen brisket and they did the foil stream. 2 hours in the smoker and about 3 hours in the oven. I wonder if I can do that to the pork butt? Reason I say that it it appears the butt won't be out of the smoker until midnight. Trying to determine when to put the brisket in, but it will depend if I use the oven or not.

What internal temp do I want?

Never tried foiling a butt, but it should work the same, Foiling shorten the time, and that is a small butt, check the internal temp after the 2-3 hrs on the smoker, This will give you an idea of how much further you have to go. I do not believe it will thake 3 hrs in the oven. I might be ready when you take it off the smoker after three hours, (2.5 # is a small piece of meat).

Anyway, when it reaches 190F internal, it is ready.

Hike

Actually re-reading your post above, I'm confused at what you are trying to do, are we talking about two different meat????

Hike