# Smoking a small 2lb brisket.



## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

I'm going to try my hand at smoking brisket today. It's a 2lb flat, it's so small but it's the best I could find. 

The briskette will be rubbed with S/P and smoked with hickory at 220 on my propane smoker.

I planned on wrapping at 170 in parchment paper and then checking for tenderness once I get closer to 200 IT. Wrapped and rested in a cooler for two hours.

Here's what I'm wondering now with this lil guy...shoulder I even bother wrapping at all with a brisket this size? I'm guessing good bark formation will not be there since it will be a short cook.


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## av8tor (Apr 30, 2016)

I am smoking a 2.5lb brisket today as well.  I do small briskets because it is just the two of us.  I am going to try parchment paper today but when I used foil the bark was fine.  The below brisket was 4 pounds and the bark was fine for me.  It was cooked at 230 and foiled at 165. 













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__ av8tor
__ Apr 30, 2016


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## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

AV8TOR said:


> I am smoking a 2.5lb brisket today as well.  I do small briskets because it is just the two of us.  I am going to try parchment paper today but when I used foil the bark was fine.  The below brisket was 4 pounds and the bark was fine for me.  It was cooked at 230 and foiled at 165.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That looks great! I'm thinking about wrapping in parchment when the bark looks good and not by a set IT


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## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

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__ xray
__ Apr 30, 2016


















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__ xray
__ Apr 30, 2016





Rinsed and Rubbed


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## av8tor (Apr 30, 2016)

I should have added that I really wanted to order a roll of pink butcher paper but never got around to it.  (Texas Style)  Parchment paper might not breath as well as the butcher paper but probably better than foil.


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## canuck38 (Apr 30, 2016)

I am also doing a small 2lb. flat today, my first brisket.  Xray, did you use anything under the S/P rub?
I'm smoking on a vertical ECB type.


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## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

AV8TOR said:


> I should have added that I really wanted to order a roll of pink butcher paper but never got around to it.  (Texas Style)  Parchment paper might not breath as well as the butcher paper but probably better than foil.



I'd like to order a roll as well. Especially if this turns out okay and I decide to smoke more....I found a source that could get me 6-7lb flats for 5$ a lb. that's better than the $9.99 a lb. I paid for this one.


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## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

canuck38 said:


> I am also doing a small 2lb. flat today, my first brisket.  Xray, did you use anything under the S/P rub?
> I'm smoking on a vertical ECB type.



I used thick steak sauce. Just enough to bind the rub on. You could use a little olive too or even nothing except the rub.


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## xray (Apr 30, 2016)

It's been close to 4 hours.  IT is 151. The smoker has been steady at 215 degrees.












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__ xray
__ Apr 30, 2016


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## SmokinAl (Apr 30, 2016)

Looks like a great start!

Al


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## av8tor (Apr 30, 2016)

Tried something different for my wife tonight with our 2lb brisket.  She likes Teriyaki flavored beef,  so went non-traditional and marinated it overnight instead of injecting.    It is for tomorrow but we just tried it after the rest.  Extremely tender bending over on itself but the darker color showed no smoke ring but very tasty.  













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__ av8tor
__ Apr 30, 2016


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## xray (May 1, 2016)

AV8TOR said:


> Tried something different for my wife tonight with our 2lb brisket.  She likes Teriyaki flavored beef,  so went non-traditional and marinated it overnight instead of injecting.    It is for tomorrow but we just tried it after the rest.  Extremely tender bending over on itself but the darker color showed no smoke ring but very tasty.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here's the finished product

Looks very tasty! How long did yours take to smoke?


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## xray (May 1, 2016)

Well, the brisket was pulled from the smoker at 530. It took 8 hours at 215 for a 2lb flat, is that normal? Here's the Q view:












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__ xray
__ May 1, 2016


















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__ xray
__ May 1, 2016






The verdict: the brisket was delicious! It tasted a tad salty. Next time I will decrease the salt instead of using 50/50 Kosher salt and cracked black pepper. 

I'm curious to why the thinner part of the flat was more juicy and tender. The thicker end was tender but very dry? Could I have left it in even longer? I assumed the opposite would be true...thicker end juicy and thinner end dry?


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## av8tor (May 1, 2016)

[quote name="Xray" "]


Looks very tasty! How long did yours take to smoke?[/quote]

I cooked a Pork Sirloin  and some sausages along with the brisket @230-240 and it too 6-1/2 hours.  The stall was long.  I pulled it at 203


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## canuck38 (May 2, 2016)

Quite happy with the results, tasty and reasonably tender. Had some issues with temp. fluctuations in smoker, so finished in the oven.













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__ canuck38
__ May 2, 2016






Rubbed with Montreal Steak Spice













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__ canuck38
__ May 2, 2016






Into the ECB type for 4 hr.













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__ canuck38
__ May 2, 2016






Out of the oven at 192 F













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__ canuck38
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Not bad













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__ canuck38
__ May 2, 2016






Tasty













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__ canuck38
__ May 2, 2016


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## xray (May 2, 2016)

Looks real good Canuck!


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## canadian 'q' in Texas (Sep 19, 2020)

I'm cooking/smoking a 2lb trimmed brisket today.
I have soy/saki/blackgarlic unami marinade.
I'm marinating it for 3 hours so the marinade can break down some of the tenons and muscle and work as a tenderizer.  
the saki and salted soy will work it's way into the meat

the point of bbq is to take a basic piece of meat and make it better - not to start with 60 dollar briskets... 

 I disagree with the posts that say 'hamburger' it... 
learn to control the temp
sear it
and keep it moist
I use charcoal n wood chips
that's tx bbq -


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## xray (Sep 19, 2020)

canadian 'q' in Texas said:


> I'm cooking/smoking a 2lb trimmed brisket today.
> I have soy/saki/blackgarlic unami marinade.
> I'm marinating it for 3 hours so the marinade can break down some of the tenons and muscle and work as a tenderizer.
> the saki and salted soy will work it's way into the meat
> ...



Send some pictures when you finish that brisket, the marinade sounds really good.

This post is 4 years old, looking back at those photos, I’m looking and thinking what a nice cut that would have made for some pastrami. Back then, that’s all I could find. Now I see stores selling full packers pretty regularly. Funny how fast stuff changes in a few short years.


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## robrpb (Sep 19, 2020)

Thanks to all so far. I am finding this thread very informative. I was thinking I had to smoke larger pieces of brisket. I am going to try my first brisket in the next month. I ordered an Inkbird temperature control for my Weber kettle and I am waiting for it to arrive.


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