When to Wrap a Brisket and 3 Reasons Why You Should

When you are smoking a brisket there comes a time when you are going to want to wrap it in either aluminum foil or butcher paper.  You don’t have to wrap a brisket but it does usually result in a better product.

Figuring out exactly when you should wrap the brisket is pretty easy once you understand why wrapping is important.

The quick answer for “When to wrap a brisket?” is: Wrap the brisket after 5-6 hours of smoking at 250F when the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 160F. 

Let’s take a closer look at why you want to wrap a brisket as well as some variations on the process.

Why You Want to Wrap Briskets

Wrapping your brisket has the following benefits.

• Protects the Brisket
• Speeds the Cooking Process (Pushes Through the Stall)
• Makes the Resting Period Easier

Protect the Brisket’s Flavor and Color

As the brisket cooks in the smoker the rub is going to set up and the crust is going to take on a beautiful reddish/mahogany color.  If you do not wrap the brisket then the color is going to continue to darken and it can end up looking like a meteorite.

I have found that when I am cooking briskets that the rub has usually set and I have the color I want when it hits an internal temperature of 160F.  It typically takes about 5-6 hours of smoking at 250F to reach this temperature.  You results will vary based on the size of your brisket and the temperature of your smoker.

In addition to protecting the color of the brisket, wrapping also protects the flavor.  One of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking briskets is using too much smoke and ending up with bitter meat that has a slight creosote flavor.  By wrapping the brisket when it hits 160F you will prevent it from taking on any more smoke flavor.

Speeds the Brisket Through the Stall

Whether you are cooking “Low and Slow” or “Hot and Fast” it takes many hours to cook a brisket (check out my article How Long to Smoke a Brisket for more information).  When a brisket is wrapped it holds in heat and speeds up the cooking time.

Speeding up the cook is important because it gives you more time to rest the brisket before slicing.

Makes Resting the Brisket Easier

Myron Mixon is the winningest man in barbecue and knows a thing or two about cooking briskets.  If you read my article about his technique, Myron Mixon Brisket Recipe with 5 Extra Steps, you will see that he says resting the brisket for several hours is the second most important step in cooking a tender brisket only falling behind the quality of meat in importance.

Think about that for a minute…resting the brisket is more important than using the best wood, the best rub or the best injection.

When speed up the cook by wrapping then you are going to have more time to let the brisket rest.  In addition, the best way to rest a brisket it to place it in a cooler with a few bath towels for insulation.  You are going to need to brisket to be covered in something before it goes into the cooler and having it already wrapped makes this easy.

Wrapping in Aluminum Foil vs Butcher Paper

When you start researching the best way to smoke a whole packer brisket you are going to find a few topics where people passionately disagree and the use of aluminum foil (the Texas Crutch) versus butcher paper is one of them. (Check out my article on Brisket Fat Side Up or Down to see my take on another great debate.)

When you wrap with butcher paper the paper does not seal tightly and the brisket can “breathe”.  When you wrap in aluminum foil the foil seals tightly and locks in all of the heat and steam.  This difference has creates the following results:

• Butcher paper gives a better bark as the crust does not get steamed like a brisket wrapped in aluminum foil.
• Butcher paper wrapped briskets cook slower than foil wrapped briskets since the paper lets more heat escape.

I am an advocate of using aluminum foil for a few reasons.

You can readily buy a roll of extra wide foil and, if you pull off a long enough section of sheet, it will easily completely wrap the brisket.  I have never found a roll of extra wide butcher paper and wrapping a hot brisket with regular butcher paper is an awkward proposition.  I am sure that once you get the hang of it then it is not a big deal but I never enjoyed the process.

The other thing I don’t like about butcher paper is that the bottom gets soaked with brisket grease.  I don’t like putting the greasy paper into my cooler along with my clean towels.

Here is a wonderful video by the folks at ATBBQ that shows the difference between wrapping a brisket in aluminum foil, butcher paper and leaving it unwrapped.  They came to the same conclusion as me, that foil is the way to go.

What Are the Risks of Wrapping a Brisket?

There are pros and cons to every technique in barbecue and wrapping briskets is no exception.

One of the biggest complaints about a smoked brisket cooked on pellet grills is the lack of smoke flavor simply because pellet grills run light on smoke.  If you employ the Texas Crutch method when cooking on a pellet grill, then you are going to lose a few hours in the smoke which will make your beef brisket taste like it was cooked in the oven.

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By: David
Title: When to Wrap a Brisket and 3 Reasons Why You Should
Sourced From: www.bbqdryrubs.com/when-to-wrap-a-brisket/
Published Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:57:04 +0000

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