Doing my first smoked brisket tomorrw-Need an FDB Pep Talk

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Should I wrap it?

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I wrap mine at 165

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ETA on finishing?

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long arse time...12-14 hrs

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Any wisdom you would like to share for a first timer?

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dont lift the lid to peek...thats all i got

I Appreciate it!

I feel confident it will come out alright. I've just got the pre-smoke jitters.

All the other things I've done on the smoker have come out great

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Seven lbs is on the small side, and you don't want it to dry out.

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That's what I kind of figured as well.

Wrap around 165? Is there a sure fire way I can gauge that I'm getting close after the wrap?

Did you wrap with foil or paper?

Thanks again everyone for the advice

Do you have a meat thermometer?
What kind of rub are you using?
I need to do another brisket soon.
ETA. I use Franklin method for most smokes.

Wrap in foil, fold the top so you can easily unwrap a little and check it. Crimp ends tightly to hold juices. I add a little sweet liquid when I foil....Mexican coke, apple juice, etc. Let it go at least two hours after foiling, then check internal temp w a probe thermo. It will plateau....ie, stay stuck at a temp below being done. How long it sits in this zone depends on the amount of collagen in the particular piece of meat. Be patient. Give it time. Check temp every two hours or so.

extremely useful tool around the grill/smoker , the remote model is the way to go

priced around $50 on Amazon

Maverick 732

That was an official Sam's Trimmed Brisket - deckle. I am not all that concerned with the specific beef grade of the briskets I buy.

I have purchased them almost every way imaginable way the butcher sells - fully trimmed (try to avoid, because I like the flavor that comes from self basting and I ALWAYS cook fat side up) to a full 18 pound not trimmed at all brisket.

That is the Deckle. I like the size shown, so I seldom buy the flat, because most of the time, I am cooking brisket for only the wife and me. If we do it for lots of folks, I will buy a full untrimmed brisket, but I always trim the fat back to a half inch, because some folks get hyper when they see a big flavor producing strip of fat on the edge of their slice of smoked meat. It is easy to trim away with your fork if the brisket is properly cooked, so I can never figure out whey they object, but some people do.

Straight salt and black pepper is fine. I have done them that way. also mustard, salt and pepper with a little brown sugar or molasses. also with a little chili powder and paprika with all that other stuff. As long as it's not too sweet, anything is fine with me. That dry rub is a secret blend and I mix it up in large quantities so I always have some on hand.

Will you sauce your brisket?

Always wrap it up.

I like to soak it in Dr. Pepper for a few hours the day before, lightly coat it with mustard to help the rub stick, and then add my rub (homemade blend of spices) for overnight (wrapped in seran wrap). Go heavy on the rub. The DP breaks down the meat to make it tender and gives it a good added flavor (imo). Take it out about an hour before going on the smoker to let it get close to room temp.

at 7 pounds and 250, it should take around an hour/lb. Like others have said, being on the small side, definitely wrap when it hits 160, and then remove when it gets to the temp desired.

If you've smoked before, a lot of this probably won't be new to you. Enjoy! I love getting up before everyone else and hanging out by the smoker. It's fun if you can get a buddy out of bed to hang out and drink breakfast beers.

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I also hit it with a "mop" occasionally during the process. A DP and apple cider vinegar mix (clearly I enjoy the flavors added with DP )