If you’re looking for a straightforward answer for when to wrap brisket, do so when the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165 °F, typically at about 5 hours of smoking at 225 °F. The bark will be nicely formed, and this will be right a high majority of the time.
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However, the best time to wrap a brisket depends on the size and type of the brisket, the type of smoker used, the temperature you cook at, and your personal preference for bark thickness, texture and taste.
Many people give specific answers of a certain time or temperature to wrap, but such guidance will not suit everyone’s taste, or give consistent results. This is why you see so many different answers to the question.
So, with that in mind, I present to you the definitive guide to wrapping brisket. I will start by letting you know when I wrap and why. I will then teach you how to decide the right time for you by going deep into the various factors that affect the decision.
By the end of this article you will know everything there is to know about wrapping brisket, so you can confidently nail this aspect of the cook every time.
When to Wrap a Brisket?
As I said at the start, wrap at an internal temperature of 160 to 165 °F, after 4 to 6 hours of smoking at 225 °F, and this will be right nearly always.
However, briskets vary widely. Different smokers have different airflow within them also affecting the temperature at which a brisket stalls. The stall may start at anywhere between 145 and 165 °F, at any time between 2 and 5 hours into the cook. Preferences for depth and thickness of bark also plays a role here. Some people like a crunchy, thick bark, whereas others like a thinner, softer one.
All of this makes giving a fixed time or temperature for when to wrap impossible. The best answer being to do it by look and feel, rather than at a strict time or temperature.
So I will go in-depth into every factor affecting the decision of when to wrap, so you can make a well-informed and educated decision for yourself.
But first, I’ll tell you when I wrap brisket.
When do I Wrap My Briskets?
I wrap my brisket when the bark is well-developed, displaying a rich dark brown color, typically at a temperature between 160 and 165 °F. And typically at a time between 4 and 6 hours into cooking.
However, factors such as the size of the brisket, the temperature of my smoker, and the temperature at which the stall occurs (and this can vary a lot) all affect my decision, so when I wrap can vary.
Let me explain further.
Brisket Size Affects Timing
A smaller brisket cooks faster and starts to lose moisture earlier than a larger one. Wrapping helps retain moisture, so a small brisket should be wrapped sooner in the cooking process.
For instance, a 7-pound brisket should be wrapped between 2 and 4 hours into cooking. For a larger, 13-pound brisket, I’d recommend waiting until around 5 or 6 hours before getting it wrapped.
Smoker Temperature Changes Things
How hot you run your smoker also influences when it’s time to wrap your brisket. A lower temperature means a slower cook, which delays getting to the point for wrapping. Conversely, if you smoke higher, at perhaps 275 °F, you’ll want to wrap a little sooner.
Personal Preference is Most Important
Not everyone has equal amounts of patience. Those with less might like to wrap the second the stall hits (typically between 145 °F and 155 °F) to power through it and come out the other side ASAP. The shortest route to a tasty brisket is a tempting one!
Others, however, are all about that bark. For the thickest, crunchiest bark possible, some people won’t wrap their brisket until it’s thick and deep colored, or even wrap their brisket at all.
In the end, you have to decide what’s right for you based on your preferences for taste and appearance. Find your preferences by eating other’s briskets and asking questions, then experimenting at home. Wrapping at different times to see what happens, take notes, avoid repeating failures and tweak your successes until you’ve developed a system that suits you.
Judge When to Wrap by Color and Feel — When the Bark is Set
In general terms, one of the most sought-after attributes of a great brisket is a thick and flavor-packed bark. And the development stops as soon as you wrap. So the ideal time to wrap a brisket is when the color looks right to you and what you’ve enjoyed in the past.
And this is exactly what I base my decision on: the color of the bark and just my own “feel” for when it’s right, based on plenty of experimenting and varying degrees of success until I found what works for me.
I can’t even tell you what color to look for because it’s totally based on how you like your brisket. And I’m afraid the timing will vary from brisket to brisket, and session to session. I know that’s not the precise answer you were hoping for, but it’s the correct answer. But, we can discuss knowing when the bark is set, and that’s a perfect first step towards our ultimate goal of a killer brisket.
Testing for a Set Bark
Here’s my incredibly complex and scientific approach to checking if the bark is set.
- I look for a color that is dark chestnut to black, with ruby or red undertones.
- I want the fat cap to be rendered and the fat to feel a little soft and squishy, which gives to a press of your finger.
- Finally — and this is the most important test — scratch a section of the bark lightly. Did it come away easily? If the answer is “yes,” it’s not set. If the answer is “no,” it is.
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That’s it. That really is all there is to it.
Why Would You Want to Wrap a Brisket?
You might want to wrap your brisket during the cook for the following reasons:
- To ‘beat the stall’ and cook the brisket faster.
- To control the level of bark.
- For moister, juicier meat to eat.
Let’s look at each of these reasons in detail and how they can affect the decision of when to wrap.
To ‘Beat the Stall’ and Cook the Brisket Faster
Wrapping a brisket helps you beat and breakthrough what’s known as “the stall.” In a nutshell, the stall is a time in the middle of a low and slow cook when the temperature inside the meat stops climbing due to surface evaporation of moisture. It may plateau and stay the same for hours, driving the chef to his or her wits’ end.
By wrapping the brisket partway through the cook, you’ll shave off hours of cooking time and push through the stall without pulling out your hair.
If you’d like to learn more about the science of the stall, we’ve got that covered for you right here: brisket stall
To Choose the Level of Bark
BBQ bark is the flavorful, crusty exterior layer on smoked meats, formed by spices, smoke, and the Maillard reaction during long cooking periods. Achieving the right bark on a smoked brisket is vital for flavor, texture, and aesthetics.
Different people like different levels of bark. Some like it deep, thick, and dark, while some like it a milder brown color and relatively thin. And there are grades in between.
Wrapping brisket helps control bark texture by stopping its development at the desired stage. However, If you wrap too early, you can hinder proper formation, whereas wrapping too late could lead to an overly thick and hard crust.
The goal is to wrap when it meets your own preference. For most people, this is when the brisket’s internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 °F.
Follow this link to learn more about BBQ bark.
For Moister, Juicier Meat
Wrapping a brisket during smoking keeps the meat juicier by retaining moisture.
As a brisket cooks, internal moisture makes its way to the surface and evaporates, drying out the meat. Wrapping acts as a barrier, trapping the meat’s natural juices inside.
So when you wrap a brisket part way through the cook, you prevent excessive evaporation, ensuring the final product is more moist and tender.
Are There Disadvantages to Wrapping Brisket?
Wrapping a brisket is a matter of trade-offs, with the benefits described above potentially coming at the cost of the following potential drawbacks:
- Less Smoke Flavor
- Softening Bark Texture
Understanding these can help you make informed decisions, so let’s look deeper at each.
Less Smoke Flavor
Wrapping your brisket prevents smoke from penetrating, leading to a less smoky flavor.
So, when you choose to wrap your brisket can significantly affect the intensity of the smoke flavor. Wrapping too early might result in a less smoky profile while wrapping later will intensify the smoke flavor.
You can generally get enough smoke to the meat during the cooking before wrapping. And if you find it too mild, try smoking with stronger-tasting wood, like hickory or mesquite.
Softening the Bark Texture
Wrapping a brisket during smoking can soften the bark due to trapped steam and moisture. This texture change is a key consideration, as a crispy, crusty bark provides a contrasting texture to the soft and tender meat, improving the overall eating experience.
So, there is a trade-off between maintaining a moist interior and potentially sacrificing the quality of the bark.
To mitigate this, you can remove the wrap once the brisket reaches the target temperature of around 203 °F and ‘crisp it back up’ with a few minutes cooking unwrapped in the smoker or on a grill.
Your choice of wrap material also plays a crucial role here, as you’ll soon discover in our later section comparing aluminum foil to butcher paper for wrapping.
Do You Have to Wrap Brisket? Can You Go Without Wrapping?
No, You don’t have to wrap your brisket. Some folks prefer to cook brisket all the way start to end unwrapped, the way nature intended.
Why? Partially to max out on the smoke flavor. With nothing between the smoke and the meat, you’ll get maxium exposure to the smoke from your chosen wood, (click here to learn about the best wood to smoke brisket).
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However, the main reason to leave your brisket unwrapped is for bark development. Not wrapping allows direct heat to envelop the meat, and for surface moisture to escape helping to create a thick, crisp bark, which some consider to be the hallmark of a perfect brisket.
When you wrap a brisket, it can sometimes result in a pot-roast like texture, with a damp, almost soggy bark, and meat with less ‘bite’ to it.
However, there are risks to leaving your brisket exposed. Primarily, you run the risk of drying it out by allowing maximum moisture to escape. And it takes longer to cook. How much it dries out will depend on the cut; if there’s a lot of fat marbling and a layer of fat on your brisket, things may turn out just fine.
What to Wrap Your Brisket With
You have two choices of material when it comes to wrapping brisket, aluminum foil or butcher paper.
Aluminum Foil Wrap — The Texas Crutch
Wrapping in foil, known as the Texas Crutch, prevents evaporative cooling, conducts heat efficiently, and traps it, speeding up cooking and helping blast through the stall. It’s almost like placing the brisket in a sealed oven, ensuring the brisket remains moist by trapping moisture and braising it during cooking.
However, wrapping in foil does have its drawbacks. It cuts off smoke exposure to the brisket, reducing the smoky flavor. However, the brisket isn’t wrapped from the start, and the time smoked unwrapped allows for plenty of smoke absorption. It’s just less than you’d achieve without wrapping.
Also, the moisture trapped by the foil can make the brisket somewhat resemble a pot roast more than BBQ, with a softer bark and meat texture that is significantly different from the results of cooking all the way through unwrapped.
So wrapping in foil means a juicier, tender brisket with reduced cooking time, but at the expense of smoke intensity and a distinctly softer texture compared to an unwrapped brisket.
Pink Butcher Paper Wrap
You know that pink paper you get your meat in from the butcher? Well, it’s cleverly called “pink butcher paper.” And, it turns out it’s great for cooking meat in, as well as for bringing it home.
Similar to wrapping in foil, it retains moisture and heat, aiding in speeding through the stall without drying out the meat. However, butcher paper is permeable, allowing some moisture to escape and smoke to penetrate.
The outcome of wrapping with butcher paper is a brisket that strikes a balance between the textures achieved by cooking unwrapped and wrapping in foil.
Wrapping in butcher paper reduces cooking time and results in a less crisp bark than unwrapped, but not as moist and ‘soggy’ as you get with a foil-wrapped brisket. It offers a smokier flavor and less of a ‘pot-roast’ texture, though the bark won’t be as pronounced as in unwrapped brisket, and the texture will have less ‘bite.’
Wrapping in pink butcher paper is a good middle ground, having some of the pros and cons of both not wrapping at all, or wrapping in foil. It is the recommended wrapping technique for most people.
Wrapping with butcher paper is now how I always cook my briskets.
How to Wrap a Brisket — Step-by-Step
It’s vital to know how to wrap your brisket. There are numerous schools of thought on this. As a student of all things smoked and grilled, I’ve tried many techniques. Recently, I discovered the ‘Franklin smoked brisket recipe‘, from Texas barbecue-master Aaron Franklin’s neat & tidy, 6-step method, and I love it.
Starting with a piece of butcher paper that’s about 5 times as long as your brisket measures across the short side, here’s how it’s done:
- Place your brisket on the paper widthwise with the presentation side facing up. Position it far enough in that you can fold the bottom edge of the paper (closest to you) completely up and over the brisket. Pull it as tight as possible. Fitting the paper snug to the contours of the brisket is essential, so keep every fold tight to the edge of the meat.
- Fold the paper tightly over the flat, still keeping it tightly fit to the shape of the brisket, until you have a long triangle running out and away from you. Use your hand to flatten and smooth the paper.
- Turning to the opposite side from your triangle, tuck some of the butcher paper under the point to hold it in place. Repeat the triangle fold on the point side so that it mirrors the one on the flat side. Again, smooth and flatten the paper with your hand.
- Use both hands to keep the paper fitted to the brisket and roll it towards the far end of the paper. Pull the paper in tightly, and fold in the sides after completing the roll.
- You should now have a fully wrapped brisket and a long rectangle (more or less) of paper sticking out and away from you. Fold the rectangle over itself and back towards the brisket to halve its length and double its thickness.
- Keeping everything tight, roll the brisket forwards and over the remaining rectangle of paper. The double-thick section of the paper will be underneath the brisket, and the presentation side will be facing up again.
Your brisket is now ready to go back in the smoker!
If you like, you can check out Aaron’s original post. The man is an artist.
Testing Unwrapped Vs Foil Wrapped Vs Butcher Paper Wrapped Briskets
Last, but very far from least, how do the different ways to wrap — or not — brisket compare when eating?
Who better to let us know than the brisket master himself, Aaron Franklin.
In the following video, Aaron cooks three briskets, one unwrapped, and one each wrapped in foil and butcher paper, to compare the results when eating. (Hint: He says butcher paper is best, though loves all three.)
Conclusion
Can’t you just taste that perfect brisket already?
While there may be some trial and error with when to wrap brisket before you settle on your signature style, I promise it’s going to be a tasty journey you’ll never regret taking. There’s nothing quite like the “ooohs!” and “aaahs!” from your family and friends when you start carving off gorgeous slices of beautifully smoked meat, while you cut against the grain of course!
If you’re feeling ready to try your hand at a brisket, go for it! If you still have more questions, just get in touch, and we’ll tell you what we know. Try searching the site, too; we’ve got tons of helpful articles on all things barbecue, smoking, and grilling, including many articles on brisket.
Thanks for spending some of your day with us!
Source: https://t-tees.com
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