Low and slow....say 180-225 degrees until desired internal temp

Or hot and fast...say 450-600 degrees until desired internal temp

Thoughts?

I do mine at 200-225.

If we’re talking brisket the bark is created by the seasoning not so much the temperature. Definitely don’t cook over about 315 or the fat won’t render and the brisket will be tough. I cook mine from 250-275. I don’t see any huge difference from that to the 200-225 guys except mine gets done faster. I cooked at 225 for years. I like half Morton’s kosher salt and 16 mesh black pepper. The black pepper helps out a lot with the bark. It’s bigger than the ground stuff you buy. Plus it’s more consistent than if you grind it yourself. Either wrapping in butcher paper or not wrapping at all helps as well. Wrapping in foil isn’t great for the bark. Removing a lot of fat helps as well. I brisket has plenty of internal fat you don’t need all that fat on the outside. Trim to an 1/8” and cut off all large chunks.

I'm a big fan of low & slow (brisket) 225-250, and love the bark and tenderness of my briskets. I've tried a hot & fast brisket a couple times and I suck at it on my cookers. My BIL though cooks a mean hot & fast brisket on his pit, tender with an excellent bark.

Now that skinner said that the proper answer on temperature is cooking at whatever temperature range your pit likes. I’ve had offsets that I could keep at 250-275 without an issue but struggled at 225 and smokers that couldn’t hold 275 but would hold 225 all day. I don’t think temperature has much to do with bark formation if you keep it between 200-300.

FME, salt/pepper/& a good clean burning stick burner always turns out the best bark on a brisket, especially if you keep the lid closed! Nothing like a heavy pipe cooker IMO, once it gets pre-heated and you're rolling clear/blue smoke you're in business. Maintains temperature very well, I believe that maintaining an at least close to consistent temp is important to creating a proper bark (like you said 200-300). I've cooked a lot of briskets on all kinds of pits/cookers, and IMO the best briskets always come off of heavy pipe cookers. Both offset, and single barrel.

X2

Doing this again.... Wanting more of a brisket type bark on my next rack of pork.




This was cooked at 450 for about 30 min then 325 until internal temp. per the recipe I went by. Had a garlic, sea salt, and pepper dry rub after rubbing down with olive oil

It was very good, super tender and juicy but the “bark” was a little soggy. I was trying to decide if I needed to stay at the high temp or forgo the high temp and cook at 200-225 like I do my whole hogs.

Sounds like low and slow is the way to go....that’s what I thought but wanted to know y’all’s opinions...

Only one way to find out brother.

Only one way to find out and two paths to take....I was thinking just set it at 225 and let it roll but wanted others thoughts.

I have never cooked anything other than a steak hot and fast...but have heard about cooking larger pieces like that.

I’ve only ever done low and slow so I’ll try that route first....

Like I said the seasoning has a large part in bark. That seasoning looks like it has some dried or fresh herbs in it. It’s hard to tell, but if so those will hold moisture and stop the bark creation.

Saving this.

Hot and fast for me. I run around 275-325. I just don’t enjoy cooking something for 10+ hours

I’ve never achieved a good brisket like bark on pork, I think a lot has to do with moisture content.

Same for me. Five minutes or less on each side.

I would imagine that hot fast cook would not create a nice dark crispy bark like you are looking for. I usually include some brown sugar with my pork rubs. It tends to create a really nice bark.

I thought about adding brown sugar when I cooked the first one...will definitely add this round....Thanks for the comment. I had completely forgotten about that because I was "following the recipe" (mostly ) the first time out...

This is the kind of info/ideas I'm looking for. Hope to try round 2 in a few days when I'm on my days off....

Man I love cooking something for 10+ hours. Unfortunately I rarely find the time too, but nothing like starting early in the AM with my brother and dad and a few pots of coffee old time memories and move over to some good cold MGD's. Usually try to find some sort of project to work on also.

My pit is an offset smoker, but the cooking area is too small, it is better for grilling. I finally figured out just dont start a fire in the fire box, i burn logs till i get coals on the ground and no matter what i do i wind up with 225-250 in the pit. Thats where i like to cook brisket.

Low and slow is the way to go,
Cooking fast will make your brisket taste so, so.

Time is the other component. That rack of pork isn't in the smoke for as long as a brisket is so it doesn't have the amount of time to create the bark. I cook briskets 225-275 to an internal temp of 203-205 and wrap in butcher paper after it gets through the stall which means I'm typically wrapping around 170ish. I also keep a full water pan in the smoker to keep the moisture level up in the cooking chamber.

Green eggs and pellet smokers don't have intense enough smoke to create bark like an offset stick burner does.

Agree with this especially on the wrapping part. I use either cellophane or butcher paper and the bark that grows from 185-205 on brisket is amazing.

When trimming it I leave about 1/4 fat on the bottom and carve out almost all of the hard fat chunks elsewhere. Rub is mainly equal parts of Salt & Pepper with some Garlic powder and coffee grinds. I trim and put my rub on the day before and let it sit in the fridge and marinate overnight. I also pull it out and let it warm up to where it is barely cool before I put it on the smoker.

Got a stick smoker and try to keep it around 225, the heat fluctuates anywhere between 180-280 because this Chef Boy R Brewsky is to lazy to watch it all of the time
I use Pecan or Post Oak wood and have a metal pan with water underneath the brisket

Smoke mine for about 40 minutes per lb fat side up at first for about 2/3 of the smoking time, then meat side up for last 1/3 then lightly spray/mist the meat side about once an hour with 1/4 Apple Cider Vinegar and 3/4 water.

Put it in a tin or metal pan add a little water and put it in fat side down with tin foil covering/sealing the top, cook in the oven at 225 for about 15 minutes per lb., I pull it out about once an hour to spoon the juices back onto the top of the meat until done.

I am going to try wrapping it in butcher paper before putting in the oven next time to hopefully hold more of the juices on the inside

So a 14lb brisket on the smoker for 9 hours then in the oven for about 3.5 hours and it is usually pretty darn good.
I need to stop being a cheap azz and buy better quality brisket, I always wait for the lower grade stuff to get under $2.00lb before I buy one.

Some picks of 4 different ones cooked.

What the hell is he doing throwing all that good fat away!?! What is he going to grind with his venison next winter?

Bet the raccoons love his trash can!