How Long to Smoke a Brisket at 225? The Ultimate Guide

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Smoking a brisket at 225 degrees is an art that requires attention, patience, and passion. It takes time to achieve that perfect flavor and tenderness that everyone craves. Brisket is a popular choice of meat for smokers, but it’s easy to get wrong if you don’t have the correct information. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of smoking a brisket at 225 and show you how long to smoke a brisket at 225 for the perfect results. By sharing my smoked brisket recipe you are sure to end up with a perfectly smoked brisket.

Choosing the Right Cut of Beef Brisket

The first step to smoking brisket is to select the right cut of quality meat. Brisket is a relatively tough cut, so it’s important to look for one that has plenty of fat marbling throughout and enough connective tissue. This will ensure a juicy brisket that is flavorful after smoking. Choosing a brisket that lacks marbling will result in a dry brisket. Cooking Brisket all starts with finding the right beef brisket so take your time at the grocery store or ask your butcher for help.

Trim Excess Fat

The next step in smoking a brisket at 225 is to prepare to smoke a brisket. Start by trimming the fat cap from the raw brisket to ensure even cooking and remove any excess fat that could impact the flavor. Remember we are trimming the fat cap not removing it completely. You don’t want to take all of the fat off. When you trim the fat you increase your chances of having juicy meat. The reason you want to keep some fat on a smoked brisket is that fat melts. The fat is key to a perfectly cooked brisket.

Brisket Rub

Next you want to season the smoked brisket with your favorite spices and rub, making sure to get every nook and cranny. You can use a dry rub or a wet marinade, depending on your preference. A good binder such as olive oil or mustard helps to make the rub stick to the smoked brisket. I prefer mustard. When it comes to brisket rub here in Texas we simply use salt and pepper to season our brisket. Lots of salt and pepper! You can use freshly ground black pepper or already ground pepper. I personally think that freshly ground black pepper tends to have a better flavor but you won’t go wrong either way. Some people also add garlic powder or smoked paprika. There is no real right or wrong way it is your personal preference. Remember the perfect smoked brisket is the one you love.

Building and Maintaining a Fire at 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

Once your smoked brisket is seasoned, it’s time to set up your smoker so that you keep the brisket at 225 degrees. If you need help selecting a great smoker check out our buying guide for the best offset smokers of 2023. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and add your wood chips or logs for that smoky flavor. I highly recommend using post oak, pecan, or hickory. When smoking brisket this type of wood doesn’t burn has hot or fast. This makes maintaining a smoke brisket at 225 easier. The smoke is also gentler and will give a smoked brisket a delicious smoked brisket flavor. A wood like mesquite is great for hot and fast cooking such as steak or fajitas. For smoked brisket it makes it hard to maintain a cooking temperature for your brisket at 225 degrees. It also tends to give the smoked brisket a bitter flavor. You will also want to make sure your smoker is clean before use, and you can add a water pan to your smoker to help keep a tender brisket.

Brisket Fat Cap Up or Down?

Now that you are at 225 degrees fahrenheit, it’s time to put your brisket on the smoker. Place the brisket on the smoker with the fat cap facing… This is where you will get different opinions on what makes a delicious brisket. Some say fat side up and some say fat side down. If you go fat side up brisket recipes say the melting fat will seep down into the smoke brisket resulting in perfectly tender brisket. Other brisket recipes will say if you put the brisket fat cap down it will protect the smoke brisket from too much heat and prevent the smoke brisket from drying out. I have tried both during the cooking process and either way seems to result in juicy flavor. For the sake of argument go ahead and put the fat side up this time. You can always try the fat side down next time. Thats what makes this fun. When smoking brisket you can always experiment with the cooking process.

With the brisket on the grill grate now is a good time to add any remote meat thermometers. I usually use one that has several probes so that I can monitor the smoker temperature to make sure it is maintaining 225 degrees fahrenheit, and the brisket’s internal temperature. At this point go ahead and close the lid because now we are smoking beef brisket!

How Long to Smoke a Brisket at 225?

The general rule of thumb is to cook brisket for 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound of meat, so a ten-pound brisket would take roughly 12-13 hours to smoke. Remember this is a slow cooking process, and is pretty common in most smoked brisket recipes. Brisket at 225 degrees is the desired temperature because it’s a low temperature that is also safe to cook at. It’s the ideal temperature for the slow cooking method. It’s a long cooking time so grab the beverage of your choice and hunker down!

Maintaining a Consistent Smoker Temperature

During the cooking process you will want to monitor the smoker temperature. If the temperature starts to go below 225 degrees fahrenheit put another log on the fire. Don’t put to much because you want to try to prevent going above 225 degrees fahrenheit. Remember we want to stay at a low temperature for a perfect brisket. The low temperature will help to break down that connective tissue. If you fire does go over 225 it’s not the end of the world. For example if it goes up to like 250 just monitor it to see if it starts to come back down. If not then you might need to adjust your dampers. Every smoker is different so it takes patience and practice.

During the Smoking Process

Throughout the smoking process, you can occasionally check on the internal temperature of your brisket with a meat thermometer. This is why I prefer a remote meat thermometer so that I don’t have to open and close the lid often letting the heat out. It’s okay if you don’t have a remote thermometer. A regular meat thermometer is fine. You will just need to stay extra vigilant with your fire management.

You will also want to spray your brisket with apple juice or apple cider vinegar through out the cook. This helps keep the meat moist. Once every couple hours is fine. Remember as Aaron Franklin says “If you are lookin you aint cookin.” In other words don’t open your smoker too often.

The Stall What is It?

The funny thing about brisket is when it reaches somewhere between and internal temperature of 150 to 170 degrees it often stalls. To make things even more complicated not every brisket stalls and some stall at an internal temperature outside of the above mentioned range. When you smoke a brisket it’s sometimes feels like you are performing a science experiment.

So what is the stall? Well basically it’s when you smoke a brisket and the internal temperature seems to get stuck for hours without increasing. If the internal temperature of your brisket has been consistently increasing then suddenly the internal temperature stops increasing for an hour or longer then chances are you have hit the stall.

What do I Do If I Hit the Stall?

The stall isn’t a problem it just means it’s time to wrap your brisket. This is also sometimes referred to as a crutch. In my opinion a wrapped brisket is the key to keeping a brisket moist. When I smoke a brisket I generally wrap when I hit the stall or an internal temperature of 160 degrees, whichever comes first.

When smoking a brisket at 225 there are two ways you can wrap when you smoke a brisket. You can use aluminum foil or butcher paper. Aluminum foil does tend to steam the meat more which can cause it to lose some bark, where the butcher paper wan’t steam the meat but will let a little more of the juice seep through. At the end of the day either is fine, but you will want to add a little beef broth or apple cider vinegar to help keep it moist. Beef broth is my preference. Once you have added the liquid of your choice wrap the brisket tightly. One note of caution. Don’t use plastic wrap. Plastic wrap will melt ruining you brisket.

The Brisket at 225 When is it Done?

The ideal internal temperature for a brisket is 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s important to monitor it closely. You can also check for tenderness by probing the meat with a meat thermometer. A good rule of thumb is that the temperature should slide through the meat like room temperature butter.

Let the Meat Rest

After taking so long to smoke, when your brisket is done, it’s crucial to let the brisket rest for at least an hour before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute and ensure that the meat is tender and moist. Wrapping in a towel and putting it in a cooler is the best way to let a brisket rest.

Lets Get Ready to Eat

After the rest period, slice your brisket against the grain and enjoy! You can serve it with some bbq sauce, baked beans, ore roasted vegetables. After a long cooking time smoke with your smoke brisket at 225 it’s time to enjoy brisket perfection.

Conclusion

So how long to smoke a brisket at 225? Some say it takes to long to smoke brisket. Smoking a brisket is a labor of love, but it’s worth it when you taste that perfect smoked flavor and tender meat. Remember, the golden rule when smoking a brisket at 225 is to go low and slow. It takes time, but the results are worth it. Now that you know how long to smoke a brisket at 225, get out there, fire up your smoker, and show off your smoking skills!