Keeping my bark, but still foiling my brisket?

[steel hauler]

I've done briskets both ways, foiled and unfoiled. I love the bark of an unfoiled brisket, but the speed and ease of foiling is also nice. I'm able to maintain moisture and tenderness in both ways of cooking and I cook both at the same temperature. What I would like to know is if anyone has foiled their brisket at 160-170 degrees then unfoiled around 190 to finish the brisket off and form a nice bark? I guess it would be a version of the 3-2-1 method, but with brisket. I'm going to give it a try this weekend and was hoping to hear others success stories. I'll try to have some Q-View up with my results....

 

[bruno994]

I usually foil at 165-170 IT, cook until 205 IT in the flat, then open the foil and put back on the pit or in the oven for 30 minutes or so to crisp and /or set the bark.  This seems to work well without losing too much moisture.

 

[smokinhusker]

I usually foil at 165-170 IT, cook until 205 IT in the flat, then open the foil and put back on the pit or in the oven for 30 minutes or so to crisp and /or set the bark.  This seems to work well without losing too much moisture.

Sounds like a plan!

 

[dewetha]

this seam to be more magic than science part of smoking. i have yet to try a brisket but i have been doing my research and i see a few different answers on when people foil and un foil or too foil at all.

here is a site that claims to have some science to it:http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/stallbbq.html. so  your right about unwrapping at 190. but who knows. it's probably more of a guide line. look at ribs 2-2-1 method. the place i buy ribs from never goes 5 hours. at best 90 min in foil. more like 2-1.5-.5

back to magic! best to try it and see what you like. 

 

[bruno994]

There are several good explanations and articles here on SMF about the stall as well.  To me, the extended stall this study talks about with the brisket is because of two things: he injected and second (sorry electric smoker owners) it was in an electric smoker.  I might get a 1 hour stall at most, most of the time all I get is a slowdown on the temperature increase, or what I have experienced mostly, is the back up and stall after foiling at 165 IT.  Here is a timeline from a 15# packer a few weeks back at a comp, pit temp was at 225 until I foiled, then I kicked it up to 250:

1:45 am - put brisket on  

6:00 am - probed 156 IT   

6:30 am - 158 IT

7:00 am - 162

7:30 am- 165

8:00 am- 171 (foiled)

8:30 am - 172

9:00 am - 181

9:30 am - 190

9:45 am - 196

10:00 am - 199

10:15 am - 203

10:30 am- 205 (pulled and into cooler)

As far as ribs, I use a 3 - 1.5 - .5 method, it's all personal preference, depends on how fall of the bone you want your ribs.  3-2-1 gives you that everytime. 

 

[steel hauler]

Well I didn't mean for this to turn into a "stall" post, but it looks like it has. I agree with you bruno, the electric smoker that is used in that test throws everything off. Plus I've heard its hard to get a good bark in an electric, but I wouldn't know. Anyways thanks for the input and if anyone else has tried getting a bark the way I talked about would you let me know. I'll post pictures after my father's day smoke!!