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Brisket - Step by Step

By Derrick Riches, About.com

5 of 9

Brisket - Preparing your Smoker

Burning Coals in the Smoker

Burning Coals in the Smoker

Regarding BBQ Inc.
With your beef brisket ready, it's time to get your smoker ready. You are going to need a lot of fuel because you are going to be smoking for a long time. What I do is nearly fill the firebox on the smoker with good lump charcoal. Then I pour in a chimney full of burning charcoal. This fire will spread threw the charcoal slowly keeping the smoker hot for a long time. Of course knowing your smoker is the secret to success here.

You want to adjust your smoker to hold a temperature around 225 degrees F (107 degrees C) for the whole cooking time. Remember that your brisket is going to need to cook for somewhere between 1 1/2 to 1 hour per pound. Not all briskets are created equally so the cooking time is going to be variable. Also, wind, outside temperature, and humidity will play a big part in the cooking time so be prepared to adjust accordingly.

As for smoke, it is more important that you have a good supply early. When the brisket goes on you want to add wood to generate smoke. Meat absorbs less smoke the more cooked it gets so most of the smoke flavor will enter the meat in the first two hours than the last four.

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