How to get a good Bark on a Brisket

[BushInternational]

I use apple wood and cherry wood chunks and all my briskets have really nice bark. Just smoke mine for three hrs and then wrap . I like it when internal temp reaches 210 deg when it melts like butter when in the mouth.

[woodenvisions]

Hi all,

All of good info on here, I actually had pretty good results using an electric tabletop smoker using hickory chips and a 1/4 cup of water in the water pan.
Cooked on 200 for the first 3 hrs with no smoke and another 6 hrs at 225 with heavy smoke. Never foiled at all and let sit for 20 minutes before slicing. Still very moist even at an internal temp of 190/195 but I think it is because in part that we used a brisket point over flat brisket.

[Chain Smoker]

BrisketVerySmall.JPG

No Bark. Cooked at 275, then 250. Done in 6 hours.

Backyard, what kind of smoker are you using? How much rub are you applying? I use a cheap offset smoker with straight wood, apply 50/50 kosher salt and course pepper liberally. Never had a problem developing a nice bark, though I would like to find out how to get a thicker, crunchier one.

[Txdragon]

I use salt and pepper with a little garlic and onion. Cook fat cap up 300-325 deg for 3 hours then wrap and kick up temp to 375 for 3 hours. Pull off pit and rest for 1.5 to 2 hours on counter. They turn out like so..

[OldUsedParts]

real nice, TD, real nice

[tri3forme]

@American Cookers
What type smoker do you use? How long do you smoke it for? Do you wrap at some point? If so, when? Is your temp gauge properly calibrated? Where is your temp gauge located? If it's one of the built-in gauges, they typically are located well above the where the meat actually is, giving you an inaccurate temp reading as the ambient temp in a smoker is typically higher at the top vs the bottom. I'm guessing you think your smoking at 225 but you're actually smoking closer to 200. It's not easy getting a nice bark on a brisket smoking at low temps like that.
Just my 2 cents.....
Here's to hoping you find your bark!!

[ChrisBCS]

Clean live fire, plenty of air movement through the smoker. No billowy stuff, and a coarse dry rub to which particles will tick.

[erbeman]

I turned this



Into this



No sugar in that rub at all. I smoke mine about 7 hours, then wrap in butcher paper and continue the cook until it's probe tender. Usually around 11-12 hours total time.

[GRailsback]

That's a thing of beauty there

[BladeRunner]

These are the last three briskets I've done.
1) trim. Too much fat on top seems to keep things from crusting up (in my experience)
2) I only use dry rub. Kosher salt, course pepper, granulated garlic. Lots of it. HEB has a house rub that's plenty chunky too.
3) 250 ish - loads of smoke (dry wood only). Until 180ish.
4) wrap until >200
5) open - let smoker temp lower (air dry)
6) rest - slice - eat

[Texan79423]

Good mahogany bark without becoming a chunk of coal rock

[Texan79423]

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