What is the best wood to smoke brisket?

Can you use apple wood to smoke brisket?

Apple. Starting with one of the mild flavors, using apple wood to smoke your brisket can result in very subtly sweet and fruity flavors. Applewood is usually used to smoke milder meats like chicken and turkey.

What wood does Franklin use for brisket?

Franklin prefers to use Post Oak that's been cured for 9-12 months. This particular type of wood creates very little soot when it burns and imparts a mild smoky flavor to the meat.

Can you smoke brisket with hickory?

The nutty notes it gives to brisket are delicious, and it produces a lot of smoke, so a little goes a long way. Be careful not to overdo it, or you'll end up with a bitter brisket. Overall, hickory is a great choice for brisket, if a little safe.

Is cherry wood good for smoking brisket?

You may not believe us when we say, cherry wood is great for smoking any type of meat, but it's true. We love to use it on pork and beef, to change things up, occasionally we will mix it with oak. The flavor cherry wood produces is light and sweet. It is delicate and not overpowering.

Best Wood For Smoking Brisket To Buy In 2021

Is hickory or mesquite better for brisket?

Hickory is a medium-intensity wood that pairs well with pork, although we would also recommend using it when grilling chicken or beef. Mesquite has a much stronger flavor and is best reserved for cuts of beef, particularly brisket.

What flavor of pellets is best for brisket?

How long do you smoke a brisket at 225?

Put brisket on the grill at 225 °F. Smoke for 6 hours until internal temperature is 160 °F. Wrap brisket in butcher paper or foil and return to the grill. Place the brisket back on the grill until the internal temperate reaches 200 °F.

Do you put brisket fat side up or down?

Summary. Always smoke brisket with the fat side facing down. Fat-side down helps keep the seasoning on the brisket and makes it look better.

What do you spray brisket with?

Apple juice, often combined with water or other ingredients, is one of the most popular bases for brisket spray. Apple cider vinegar is another top choice (see Using Apple Cider Vinegar Spray For Brisket, below). Some chefs prefer to substitute red wine vinegar for a milder flavor.

Is it better to smoke a brisket at 225 or 250?

According to some pitmasters, you should always aim for a smoker temperature of 250 degrees when making smoked brisket. At this temperature, the meat will cook more quickly than it would at 225 degrees, but it will still have the time it needs to achieve a nice tender texture.

Does Aaron Franklin spritz brisket?

In the second phase of our 12-hour brisket smoke, Aaron shares his techniques for spritzing, getting a derailed cook back on track, and pushing through the stall while maintaining a clean and steady fire.

Can you mix hickory and mesquite?

Yes, you can. It is possible to mix hickory and mesquite together to get a good flavor in your food. If you aren't decided about whether to use hickory or mesquite, mixing them offers you a good middle ground. Therefore, you will have a smoke blend that isn't as strong as mesquite but offers more flavor than hickory.

Is mesquite good on brisket?

Mesquite – Another wood that produces a strong flavor, mesquite burns quickly and can produce a strong earthy flavor. If you want to make an authentic Texas smoked brisket, this is the wood to choose.

Is it better to wrap brisket in foil or butcher paper?

Butcher paper soaks up the grease of the brisket, forming a layer of moisture that helps conduct heat and keeps the meat cooking. The paper lets a little bit more smoke through, too, so you'll get more flavor than you would by wrapping with foil. Your bark will stay drier as well.

How long should you smoke a brisket?

Add small pieces throughout the smoking process as wood burns away. 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.

How often should I spray my brisket?

Keeping a water pan in the smoker is the best way to retain moisture. After the first 2-3 hours start spritzing your brisket with water, apple juice, hot sauce or apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes to an hour. This helps keep it moist and stops it from burning.

At what temp do you wrap a brisket?

When it reaches 160-170 degrees and has a deep reddish brown or nearly black crust on the exterior, it's time to wrap the brisket.

What temp do you pull brisket?

One popular method is to pull the brisket off and wrap it after it reaches 185 to 195 F. Double or triple wrap it in butcher paper, push the probe through the wrap, and return it to the smoker. Check it every hour until reaches 200 F. Others recommend pulling it off and wrapping it at 160-170 F.

How do you keep a smoked brisket juicy?

To keep your brisket moist and juicy, put a water pan in your smoker and spray it with water, apple cider vinegar, or apple juice every 30 to 60 minutes. Using the Texas crutch is another way to lock in moisture. This technique involves wrapping the brisket with butcher paper or foil when it reaches about 160 F.

Are you supposed to flip a brisket?

Flipping the brisket does even out the exposure of the meat to heat. Airflow inside any smoker is uneven and letting the brisket sit there in one position the whole time will cause part of it to dry out simply because of this unevenness. Ideally, flip and rotate your brisket at least once during the cooking.

Is 225 too low for brisket?

According to Steve Raichlen's Barbecue Bible, you need low temperatures (215 to 225 degrees Fahrenheit) and long cooking times to melt that collagen, along with the other tough connective tissue in the brisket. Some pitmasters increase their temps to 285 to 325 degrees, but you can't go much hotter than that.

What pellets for smoking brisket?

Best Wood Pellets for Smoking Brisket

Some pitmasters like a robust hickory flavor while others prefer milder woods or sweeter woods like apple. You can even try something like pecan for an especially unique smoked brisket. Other recommended flavors are: Hickory - bold.

What pellets to smoke a brisket?

Pellet Recommendations: For milder smoke flavor, use cherry, apple, and pecan. For a more robust smoke flavor, use oak or hickory.

What wood should you not smoke with?

Never, under any circumstances, use EASTERN CEDAR, CYPRESS, ELM, EUCALYPTUS, SASSAFRAS, LIQUID AMBER, PINE, REDWOOD, FIR, SPRUCE, or SYCAMORE for smoking meats or other types of food.