This was my largest brisket to ever smoke. It was 21 lbs. before trimming and about 15.5 lbs. after. It was also my first ever brisket to wrap with "pink butcher paper" instead of foil. It was choice instead of prime because that`s what I had in the freezer. Seasoned with kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, garlic and onion powder and a lil bit of chili powder. It was on the smoker for 12 hours and wrapped @ 160-165 internal temp. Four more hours and it was probe tender on the flat at 205 and 210 on the point. I let it rest wrapped in a towel in a ice chest for 6 hours before slicing. It did have a more noticeable bark and a good smoke ring but was a little dry compared to the ones I have done in the past wrapped in foil. It was very tender and tasted great by the seasoning, but just a lil dry. I used a 50/50 mix of Rec Tec competition pellets and B&B Mesquite pellets. Temperature was checked with a Thermapen® Mk4 Thermometer.

My conclusion: I prefer a foil wrapped brisket over paper wrapped and prime is better than choice.

Looks pretty tho!! Nice ring.

TPACk for the win.

I’ve noticed that if I rest for more than 4 hours mine starts to get a little dryer. I’m a big butcher paper believer.. I used to wrap in foil. The things I changed were a shorter rest time of 2-4 hours and cooking hotter at around 250-300. I like the bark I get on butcher paper and doing those two things I have no issues with dry brisket.

When I am going to have a long rest, I wrap it in a beach towel and put it in the ice chest.

I’ve never wrapped a brisket, never found a reason too. If I were going to wrap it as pull it off the smoker and toss it in the oven to finish.

Good to see the RecTeq putting out good table fare. I’m waiting on a quote for a Yoder, but will probably end up in RecTeq

This is my first REC TEC brisket I cooked last year after I got it. It was a prime brisket and better than the choice I cooked yesterday. It was also wrapped in foil instead of pink paper.

What temp did you cook at?

Here is my RecTec brisket. Not dry at all. Smoked for 8 hours at 200 then wrapped in butcher paper and did another 8 hours at 250. Was right about 202 internal when pulled. Rested for 2 hours before slicing.

I went by ol Malcom’s method as I had never done a brisket before, or used a pellet smoker. I was pretty happy with with it for a first try! It got eaten fast so that’s a good sign.

https://youtu.be/Dn5ZJz2Ta78

I do the same.


Pellet briskets always seem off to me. They always look dry and tough in pictures. I've had a pellet grill, so I know that's not actually the case. Below is an offset smoked prime brisket wrapped in butcher paper around 180°f and rested for about 4 hours.

Man you did good

I’ll throw in my 2 cents on what I have learned going from a stick smoker to a Treager 1 1/2 years ago, it takes time figuring the brisket cooking out.
Pink butcher paper wrapped around 160 is best for a good bark, I don’t like foil, it boils the meat and the bark falls off.
I used to trim fat 1/8 a 1/4 inch thick, best to leave at least 1/4-1/2 of fat to keep it moist, I have noticed a difference.
To get the best smoke flavor I smoke mine at 170 for 12 hours then bump to 225, takes me 20-24 hours to cook but way better result for me with good smoke flavor.

There is a guy that runs a food truck down the road from me. He removes the entire fat cap. Says the fat marbling of a prime brisket is plenty to keep it moist. His brisket is phenomenal. I haven’t had the courage to try his method out. He seems to cook on the faster end. 18 pound brisket in about 10 hours. I got a feeling the longer and lower you cook the more fat you need to leave on it. Never tested it though.

Yeah I have seen that as well done buy a guy in Atascosita.

That's the real deal!

I suspect the 210 and Choice had more to do with the dryness than much else.

I have done around 8 briskets on my pitts and spitts 1250 pellet...every one is different it seems. Kinda like every cow in the pasture.
I haven't mastered the pink paper method, as I have done two and they both were on the dry side at the flat. I always use prime.
For those that have it available, I wouldn't spring for the akaushi brisket....dang thing had TOO much fat throughout.

Back when I had a pellet smoker I did alright with Briskets. Added a smoke tube for extra smoke flavor and always used Hickory. They were never dry. This was on a Camp Chef. The smoker is still going strong. I gave it to one of my sons.

This and the 5.5 pounds you trimmed off would be my suspects. From the pre cook it looks denuded of fat and in the sliced pics there is no apparent fat left. Ive never cooked anything but a choice brisket and completely believe any of the dry/tuff ones were my own fault.

I’ve never smoked a brisket in my life but after looking at these pictures I’m about to. Where can you buy a prime brisket at? Never seen one in a store before..

HEB will have some sometimes. I think costco has some as well.

I usually get mine at Costco, but I usually check HEB first.

Bobby that’s one good looking piece of meat!

My opinion is the choice brisket was just not as moist as the prime briskets I have cooked in the last year. The brisket had been frozen for almost a year and when it was thawed out I poured out a lot of liquid from the package it was in, which may have contributed to lack of moistness also. I have always trimmed my briskets the same and cooked choice and wrapped in foil before and always been happy with tenderness, flavor, bark and moistness. All briskets are just not the same. I`m still not sold on the pink butcher paper method and will go back with my foil. Lots of great BBQ place in Texas still using the foil method and have been for years. I didn`t cook the whole brisket till 210 degrees. The middle of the flat was 205 when I pulled and the point was 210. I pull it off when it is probe tender and not by temp anyway. Some briskets I have pulled at 200 and it was done.