Yoder Smokers Community Forum

Hi everyone I am new here and need advice on cooking a brisket. I am going for my second attempt this weekend want to know should I wrap in foil or not, I don't want this thing to be dry but I want that good bark. I was thinking of starting low temp of 175 to get good smoke then increase too 230-250 range. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

Solid hard bark and foil usually aren't in the same smoker. Juicy and flavor are more important. You an get a great smoke ring and flavor and then wrap in foil. You want the classic hard bark then you need the perfect brisket, cooking methods and a real nice nod from above. It's done for sure.

Many pros use pink butcher paper, unlined. Don't have to be pink, but it has to be the the real thing.

There are MANY more sites that cater to cooking, not just a specific smoker. You are limiting yourself by just asking here. Get your Google on!

Yes, this forum is specific to Yoder Smokers products, and so is the Sauce Blog. Here are the brisket recopies at the Sauce: http://thesauce.atbbq.com/?s=brisket

Perhaps I should clarify, I do own a ys480 and am trying to make a delicious juicy brisket, my first attempt did not go well. I want know if wrapping it keeps it juicy also fat side up or down and to inject it or not. I have read information doing all this either way but want to know what would be best for the cooker I have.

bigr wrote:Perhaps I should clarify, I do own a ys480 and am trying to make a delicious juicy brisket, my first attempt did not go well. I want know if wrapping it keeps it juicy also fat side up or down and to inject it or not. I have read information doing all this either way but want to know what would be best for the cooker I have.

Yes, I got that you are part of the Yoder family. The Sauce Blog is the best place for recipes. Also, look on the lower sections of this forum for the Ask Chef Tom section.

To answer your questions, the Yoder Smokers cookers all cook from the bottom up, so if you follow the old-timer's rule, then the fat side should be down, facing the heat source, but, the choice is really yours. Also, injecting is a personal choice.

Juicy brisket is more a factor of the brisket itself, i.e., the grade of the meat, the marbling in the meat, and your expectation of what juicy means, or is, in your opinion. Prime grade meat has more fat marbling, and Waygu has even more.

Briskets from the lower grades of meat have very little or no fat marbling in the flat, so you have to expect some dryness. If you want to try to improve this, you can inject products that contain phosphates into the meat. The fat cap does not melt into the meat while cooking, this is just not true. If the meat doesn't have fat marbling, it is more than likely going to be dry.

Wrapping, whether in foil or paper, is a personal choice. If you do wrap in foil, make sure that the bark is hard set before wrapping, or you will melt off all the seasoning on the outside of the meat.