I built my own smoker and I've cooked on it enough to have my cooking method down. I can achieve very high quality briskets, but I've never managed a superior bark, so that's my focus for my next cook. I have two related questions for the board:

1. What is your bark method? I do equal parts kosher salt and course ground pepper by volume, pretty liberally. Should I boost pepper by using weight instead of volume? Use so much rub you can't see any brisket? Slather with something first? Other?

2. How aggressively do you trim? Watching videos of pros trimming their briskets, they cut off much more than I do. But they're making sausage with the trimmings, and I'm not, so I don't want to waste any meat. Would I be better off with a more uniformly shaped shaped brisket?

Other thoughts on bark creation (spritz, etc)?

How hot are you cooking? Are you wrapping? If so, what are you wrapping with?

275. Wrap in butcher paper at 165-170

16 mesh black pepper is important for a good bark. Also cooking fat side up.

I do spritz with apple juice or apple cider vinegar throughout the cook to make sure it stays moist.

My smoker is reverse flow, so I cook fat side down to insulate it from radiant heat from the reverse flow plate

Trim liberally. I was the same as you are initially, didn't want to cut off too much meat and waste it. But there is a method to the madness of trimming all the excess fat and making it somewhat aerodynamic.

I cut the excess up and grill little filets of brisket meat. They can be a delicious snack while you smoke.

Keep the meat dry!!!! Before seasoning, wrap in paper towels to dry off any juice. Then after seasoning, right before you put it on the smoker, toss it in the fridge (fully exposed, not wrapped) for 10-15 minutes to dry the additional condensation/juice that has formed. Once it is in the smoker, soak up any pools of juice that have formed with paper towels (try to eliminate any pooling spots while trimming).

I trim aggressively. round any corners, try to keep it as uniform as possible so the smoke can roll over the entire brisket. Flat side facing smoke so it rolls up and over. Think like you would hit a ramp on a skateboard. You want it to be nice and smoothly sloping. Any protruding meat/fat is like a rock on your skateboard ramp that is going to mess up your jump.

Also, S&P til you can barely see (the meat)

I use a reverse flow and cook at 225 until IT is about 203, I never wrap and always get a nice bark. When done it's almost black, but inside is moist and tender.

I trim as much fat off the top as I can. I then apply rub (SPG + small pinch of celery seed for smoke ring) liberally and then leave in the fridge overnight on a rack to "dry age" a bit. I'll pat dry before it goes on and add more rub if it needs it.

I cook fat side down on a kamado and tuck a couple chunks of wood under the brisket to "arch" it up so that any moisture rolls off the brisket while cooking and doesn't pool. I then wrap with butcher paper whenever I like the way the bark looks. Could be 160, could be closer to 175. Just depends on the brisket.

thisguy05 said:

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I built my own smoker and I've cooked on it enough to have my cooking method down. I can achieve very high quality briskets, but I've never managed a superior bark, so that's my focus for my next cook. I have two related questions for the board:

1. What is your bark method? I do equal parts kosher salt and course ground pepper by volume, pretty liberally. Should I boost pepper by using weight instead of volume? Use so much rub you can't see any brisket? Slather with something first? Other?

2. How aggressively do you trim? Watching videos of pros trimming their briskets, they cut off much more than I do. But they're making sausage with the trimmings, and I'm not, so I don't want to waste any meat. Would I be better off with a more uniformly shaped shaped brisket?

Other thoughts on bark creation (spritz, etc)?

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For starters, definitely trim to get a more uniform shape. It's hard to generate a good bark if you have 2 inches of fat cap. 1/4 of an inch across the top, that's it.

You likely are using enough rub, that rarely is the problem in getting a good bark

What's likely your biggest problem is wrapping too early based on your other post. Don't wrap at a set temp or narrow range every time. Wrap when your bark looks good and nothing else. That simple. I wrap my briskets in butcher paper every cook, always after the stall but its different on every cook. I've waited until up to 190 internal temp just to get the bark the way I wanted. Don't be afraid to hold back, it's not gonna dry out.

ehrmantraut said:

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16 mesh black pepper is important for a good bark. Also cooking fat side up.

I do spritz with apple juice or apple cider vinegar throughout the cook to make sure it stays moist.

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Exactly what I do. Works well so far. I did a chuck the other day and basted with beef tallow....pretty awesome, so will try on next brisket.

Trim well, get it aerodynamic, keep the fat as uniform thickness as posible. Render the fat while your brisket is cooking and use it to baste.

I'm the oddball on the board with respect to seasoning - I mix a mustard base of regular yellow mustard, cajon/dijon/stone ground mustard and pickle juice. Make it thin consistency, brush on, then season. It helps the seasoning adhere to the meat, and it makes a hellacious bark.

Wrap with pink butcher paper that has a seasoning of your beef tallow. You'll be happy you did.

thisguy05 said:

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I built my own smoker and I've cooked on it enough to have my cooking method down. I can achieve very high quality briskets, but I've never managed a superior bark, so that's my focus for my next cook. I have two related questions for the board:

1. What is your bark method? I do equal parts kosher salt and course ground pepper by volume, pretty liberally. Should I boost pepper by using weight instead of volume? Use so much rub you can't see any brisket? Slather with something first? Other?

2. How aggressively do you trim? Watching videos of pros trimming their briskets, they cut off much more than I do. But they're making sausage with the trimmings, and I'm not, so I don't want to waste any meat. Would I be better off with a more uniformly shaped shaped brisket?

Other thoughts on bark creation (spritz, etc)?

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If you're going to cook brisket often, get a grinder or at least the KitchenAid attachment.

I trim a lot. The meatier trim pieces get ground and mixed with venison for burgers. The pure fat gets rendered and my daughter makes soap with it.

Nothing gets thrown away but the "crispies" left from the rendering.

goatchze said:

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thisguy05 said:

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I built my own smoker and I've cooked on it enough to have my cooking method down. I can achieve very high quality briskets, but I've never managed a superior bark, so that's my focus for my next cook. I have two related questions for the board:

1. What is your bark method? I do equal parts kosher salt and course ground pepper by volume, pretty liberally. Should I boost pepper by using weight instead of volume? Use so much rub you can't see any brisket? Slather with something first? Other?

2. How aggressively do you trim? Watching videos of pros trimming their briskets, they cut off much more than I do. But they're making sausage with the trimmings, and I'm not, so I don't want to waste any meat. Would I be better off with a more uniformly shaped shaped brisket?

Other thoughts on bark creation (spritz, etc)?

---

If you're going to cook brisket often, get a grinder or at least the KitchenAid attachment.

I trim a lot. The meatier trim pieces get ground and mixed with venison for burgers. The pure fat gets rendered and my daughter makes soap with it.

Nothing gets thrown away but the "crispies" left from the rendering.

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I'd get a purpose built grinder. Have never had much success with my KA Grinder attachment.

Which reminds me, I need to grind about 50 pounds of trim this weekend...

Why wrap after the stall?

The meat will only accept so much smoke. Wrap allows to continue the cook with making the meat taste bitter from the acrid smoke and still cook to temp.

What wadd96 said, and it allows me more leniency on my fire management as it won't matter if I burn a less clean fire, and the paper helps protect from harsher heat.

Plus, I don't like a crunchy bark like you get from going the whole cook without wrapping, and I get way too weak of a bark if I use foil or wrap too early with butcher paper, so I wrap after the stall when the bark looks good to get the perfect level that I like.

You always hear about people wrapping before or during to push through the stall, but if my brisket stalls I just crank up the heat until internal temp starts rising again and then back off. I've never had good bark wrapping in the 150-165 range where briskets tend to stall.

I trim aggressively and cook a little hotter than most (275) and then when I pull it off, I wrap in Saran and stash in the Cambro for a few hours.

I get that but once you past the stall arn't you way past the point it will accept smoke and only have 2-3 hours left. I always wrap when I get the bark I want and that is normally somewhere during the stall.

I guess it depends on the pit.

YES. I don't care if it's in the stall or not.. .when I like my bark, I wrap. You'll get through the stall and then finish to your desired tenderness (I don't use my Thermopen for temp, but for tenderness.)

Have you guys found a good thermostat that will last? I use mine for cooking everything on the grill and have gone through 3 in the past several years. Usually the sensor that is inserted into the meat is the weak link.

Why Saran wrap?

As the brisket rests, it prevents leakage.

Brisket Question: How many people does it take to smoke a brisket
Brisket Answer: Two - one to smoke it and one to run to the store to get the A1 sauce to put on it

Gack

I cook on a bge when the plate setter and a water pan. I rub the whole brisket with yellow French's mustard then sprinkle on a liberal amount of salt and pepper mix with a little Montreal steak seasoning. I been happy not wrapping.

Just an FYI, most probes are not dishwasher proof.

I've been having my Thermopro for at least 4 years now and haven't had a lick of problems.