Brisket help.

[TNRockyraccoon]

Hello wise smokers and advancers of the puck. I've got a 4.5lb brisket in the fridge. I plan on smoking it either late tomorrow night or early Sunday morning.

Now for the questions.

Do I need to trim any of the fat from the top of the cut?

I will use a mustard, brown sugar and dry rub to season it.....unless I should do something different?

What's my target temperature for smoking and cooking?

What's the target IT for brisket?

General idea on how much time I should allow for?

Any other knowledge you feel like sharing would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

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[GusRobin]

Hello wise smokers and advancers of the puck. I've got a 4.5lb brisket in the fridge. I plan on smoking it either late tomorrow night or early Sunday morning.

Now for the questions.

Do I need to trim any of the fat from the top of the cut?
I usually trim down to about a 1/4 inch
I will use a mustard, brown sugar and dry rub to season it.....unless I should do something different?
Its a matter of personal choice. Sometimes I just use salt and pepper.
What's my target temperature for smoking and cooking?
What's the target IT for brisket?
I cook at 225* and shoot for an IT of 190-195*. I start checking for tenderness at about 185*
General idea on how much time I should allow for?
It depends on the brisket. I usually allow 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. with a larger (14 lb) brisket.I never have done one less than 12lb. Tomorrow I am doing a 6lb one for the first time. I am allowing 12 hrs.It will probably be done sooner and if so I will FTC. (wrap in foil, wrap a towel around it and stick in a cooler (no ice)) for a couple of hours. It can stay 3-4 hours and still be piping hot.
Any other knowledge you feel like sharing would be much appreciated.
here is a link to the recipe site - there are a few on briskets.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes

Thanks.

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[TNRockyraccoon]

Thanks for the tips Gus.

I'm still having problems on time. I ended up running out of time on this one. It came to an IT of 160 and stalled there for 3 hours. I pushed dinner back two hours and still only reached an IT of 182.

The good news is that it was still delicious.

I know it can get better. Just need to learn to give much more time. This was a 4lb brisket and it was in the smoker for 9 hours at 225 -235. It probably needed one more hour but I had a group of hungry folks who were tired of waiting and getting violent.



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[GusRobin]

Always plan that it will take more time than you think. If it is done early you can FTC it for 2-4 hrs and it will still be hot and moist.

[Saber 4]

Always plan that it will take more time than you think. If it is done early you can FTC it for 2-4 hrs and it will still be hot and moist.

X2!