I’m about to smoke my first brisket after reviewing multiple methods. Found ungraded whole briskets at Walmart for $2.79 lb. Sams has Prime for $2.58 and Choice for $2.46. Walmart is more convenient for me but I wonder if it’s worth it to drive the extra 70 miles to shop for a known grade. I do plan to inject with low sodium beef broth and my own special rub, then placing in the fridge over night. What are your thoughts on Brisket Grades.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/topic/2918/first-time-smoking-a-brisketRSS for NodeFri, 11 Sep 2026 00:12:45 GMTThu, 12 Nov 2020 15:00:06 GMT60Tex_77 Ive had more luck posting from my phone recently, seems like android is resizing them automatically maybe?

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25305https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25305Tue, 24 Nov 2020 21:24:10 GMTJerkyMan screenshot them then post, is the easiest way to fix that issue.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25243https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25243Mon, 23 Nov 2020 02:19:40 GMTThanks Jonathon I will need to resize my pics

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25242https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25242Mon, 23 Nov 2020 02:08:32 GMTJerkyMan absolutely you can! Hit the reply button not the Post quick reply and some extra options will show at the top, the one that shows ther pic icon is the one to use, let us know if you have problems posting, glad it came out well, Brisket is one of my favorites!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25231https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25231Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:43:18 GMTSuccessfully cooked my first brisket. 13.37 lbs tried to 11.5 lbs. It was a select grade, so I injected it with a combination of LS Beef Both and spices. Started at 8am. Set my Pit Boss vertical pellet smoke to 225. At 1:30 I pulled and double wrapped with butcher paper. Raised temperature to 250. An hour later I increased the temperature to 275. At 5:00 the probes indicated a temp of 205 at which time I turned the smoker off and left it wrapped in the smoker to rest. At 6:15 brisket was 167-168. Sliced at 160.
Got some great photos but I wonder if I can add them here.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25215https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/25215Sun, 22 Nov 2020 16:41:19 GMTTex-77 has it right, I trim mine some taking the big chunks off but leaving enough to melt into the cooking. I’m putting one on this morning should be mostly done late today, I cook in my big smoker at 200-225 max with to large pans of water over the coals of charcoal and red oak, and mesquite wood, I use a home made rub of crushed chipolata, and ancho powder for heat and usually other stuff, its been the frig for about 20 hrs so time to go cook . It not worth the drive for prime.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24959https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24959Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:41:50 GMTJerkyMan I’d guess it is too late but in the future pa’s black bull soluble or pa’s black bull marinade is what I use for Brisket and what I used when Don Walton (Brett’s father) said it was the best Brisket he ever had!

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24942https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24942Thu, 12 Nov 2020 23:23:08 GMTThanks for the reply. I do plan to cook at 225 over night and then pulling it at 160 in the morning and then wrapping in butcher paper. I’ll then let it rest for an hour in a insulated cooler. Anxious to see how it turns out. My wife’s mouth is watering.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24927https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24927Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:39:41 GMTJerkyMan I would not make a special trip to get a graded brisket. The thing about brisket is, you can have a prime brisket turn out tough enough to pull a truck out of the mud, and an ungraded one come out as tender as can be. Generally ungraded beef will come from an older animal, generally only beef that is under a certain age is graded, but I don’t remember what that age cutoff is, maybe 42 months. Now this doesn’t mean the meat isn’t good, it just means it wasn’t presented to USDA graders to be graded. In much of Europe they eat beef that is considerable older than what we eat here in the US. The most important thing for you to do, is to season it right, and cook it the proper temp (195-203). Once finished don’t get in a hurry to cut it, throw it in a cooler and let it hangout for a couple of hours. I always cook low and slow around 225, but I know there are a lot of people moving toward cooking hot and fast, so it’s really a personal preference. As far as rubs go, you could use a commercial style rub, or just go with a traditional Texas rub of salt and pepper. I would also recommend that you wrap the brisket in either foil or butcher paper once it reaches about 150-160. Now, you don’t have to wrap, but as this is your first time doing it, it will most likely lead you to a more successful cook than if you didn’t wrap. Also, trim it down to about a quarter inch of fat all around, no sense wasting time trying to cook a inch of fat on a brisket. Let me know if you have any other questions.

]]>https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24911https://waltonsdev.nodebb.com/post/24911Thu, 12 Nov 2020 15:21:43 GMT