The biggest challenge to smoking brisket on an offset smoker is maintaining a slow, steady heat that lasts for hours. David breaks down the process in this step-by-step guide on how to smoke brisket on an offset smoker.
The biggest challenge to smoking brisket on an offset smoker is maintaining a slow, steady heat that lasts for hours. Many find it too laborious, but the fun is all in the cook to folks like David Spivey. All you need is some wood, fire, smoke, meat, and a lot of patience. And well, some nice cold beer never hurts, either.
Brisket is one of the most challenging cuts of meat you can lay upon your pit. Brisket is a lean cut of beef that can become tough and leathery, especially when introduced to heat. Throw in a large mass of steel with a firebox things get a little more complicated.
We’ve guided you on how to make traditional smoked beef brisket on a charcoal grill, so now, David will show you how to smoke brisket on an offset smoker – our Texas Original Pit offset stick burner named “Charlie.”
Let’s get fired up and smoke some Texas-style brisket on a stick burner!
An offset smoker is one of the most classic barbecue smoker designs. Offset smokers feature a large horizontal chamber where the food smokes and a small chamber “offset” to one side where the charcoal and wood burn, called a firebox.
Offset smokers are also known as barrel, horizontal, or side firebox or cookers. They are most commonly referred to as “stick burners.” It gets this name because wood logs are the primary source of fuel to heat the smoker and cook the meat.
Offset smokers are relatively large, with shelves capable of handling multiple racks of ribs, briskets, pork butts, poultry, or a combination.
Wood is the primary source of fuel for an offset smoker, so you want to use wood logs with the following characteristics to get the famous blue smoke every pitmaster dreams about:
You can buy mini smoking logs at most hardware stores or online HERE.
When it comes to brisket, we almost always use mesquite. We like it because the beef can stand up to its unique, robust flavor. Mesquite is a popular type of wood for Texas-style BBQ.
Hickory, post oak, and pecan are also good choices for smoking a brisket. At the end of the day, it depends on the availability of the wood and personal preference.
Our technique for preparing a brisket is the same for our stick burner as it would be for a grill or pellet grill. Start with a whole brisket in the 10-12 pound range.
Preheating an offset stick burner can take 30 minutes to an hour to preheat, depending on the weather. David and I bought a Luling 24 Loaded Texas Original Pit we call “Charlie.” Handcrafted by Texas artisans, this heavy-duty bbq pit is a hell of a beast. It’s made entirely of ¼ inch hand-forged steel, and it takes a little bit of time to warm up, especially on cold days.
Ensure you get an early start and have enough time to get your smoker preheated and ready for smoking. Use the following steps to preheat your pit.
Preheat the smoker to between 250 and 300 degrees F.
Vents: Open up all vents wide open.
Charcoal: Light a full chimney of charcoal to get the coal bed hot. A coal bed of charcoal is the foundation and base of any offset smoker and gets the wood going.
Water Pan (optional): A water pan full of warm water will keep the brisket from drying out during the long slow cook. We always use a water pan, but ultimately it is up to you.
While the smoker is getting hot, heat some water for the water pan; when the water is hot, place the aluminum pan underneath where you will put the brisket on the grate. Pour in the warm water and close the lid to allow it to reach temperature.
Wood: Not only does the wood provide a smoke flavor for the brisket, but the wood is the primary source of heat for the fire. Once a charcoal base is hot, add a couple of mini logs on top. The smoker is ready for the brisket when thin blue smoke exits the exhaust stack.
It’s important to smoke the meat according to temperature and not worry about the amount of time. Many variables influence how long it will take to smoke a brisket. Knowing the temp in your grill is crucial.
Honestly, you cannot trust the built-in temperature gauges on your pit. They read the temperature only in one location, usually away from where the meat sits on the grate.
We recommend purchasing a digital BBQ meat thermometer such as Smoke™ from Thermoworks.
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When the brisket’s internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees F, the surface evaporation of the brisket causes the meat’s internal temp to plateau. Pit Masters call this “the stall.” Don’t panic; this is normal. You can compensate for any lost time after the brisket is wrapped (see next section).
Smoke the brisket until a nice dark mahogany “bark” (outside crust) forms and the brisket. Remove the brisket and wrap it tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or pink butcher paper. Then return the wrapped brisket to the pit.
Wrapping the meat will stop the brisket from taking on any more smoke flavor, and wrapping also allows you to stoke up the heat to finish the cook. It also helps with tenderness.
Remove the brisket from the offset smoker. Leave the brisket wrapped tightly in the foil or butcher paper, wrap it in a clean towel, and place it inside a cooler to rest for at least 1 hour.
Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil captures the natural au jus for use in a sauce, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juice.
Slicing a brisket is challenging because there are two muscles, and the grain flows in different directions. Brisket is easier to chew if you cut it across to the grain. Cut with the grain, and it can be stringy and chewy.
Don’t slice the brisket until the last possible minute. Once the brisket is cut, it dries out pretty quickly. When you are ready, Slice the brisket fat side up so the juices will run onto it as you slice it.
Start slicing the flat, cutting across the grain so the meat will fall apart in your mouth about ¼-inch thick, about the thickness of a pencil. Cut off the flat where the point meats it, then rotate it so the cut is on the side, and they slice through the point and flat from the side.
We hope this guide helps you make some of the best Texas BBQ you’ve ever made!
Don’t forget to check out the recipes we make using the leftovers HERE!
The biggest challenge to smoking brisket on an offset smoker is maintaining a slow, steady heat that lasts for hours. David breaks down the process in this step-by-step guide on how to smoke brisket on an offset smoker.
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 8 hours hours
Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Calories 236 kcal
Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going to sleepOur technique for preparing a brisket for the smoker is the same for an offset smoker as it would be for a grill or pellet smoker. Start with a whole brisket in the 10-12 pound range.
Use paper towels to wipe off any excess moisture from the brisket when it comes out of the package. The last thing you want to do is cut yourself because the meat is too slippery.
Trim the brisket to leave a ¼-inch cap of fat. (Any less, and the brisket will dry out; any more, the fat will prevent the rub and smoke from seasoning the meat.)
Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard to the brisket to achieve a better bond between the meat and the rub. We have done this a handful of times. Unless the rub does not want to stick, you can skip this step. This does not affect the flavor at all.
Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and stir to mix. Rub onto the brisket on all sides. If you have time, let the rub cure the brisket in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Smoking the brisket right away is ok, but sitting in the fridge for several hours allows the rub to penetrate the meat.
Light a full chimney of charcoal to get the coal bed hot. A coal bed of charcoal is the foundation and base of any offset smoker and gets the wood going.
A water pan full of warm water will keep the brisket from drying out during the long slow cook. We always use a water pan, but ultimately it is up to you.
While the smoker is getting hot, heat some water for the water pan; when the water is hot, place the aluminum pan underneath where you will put the brisket on the smoker grate. Pour in the warm water and close the smoker to allow it to come up to temperature.
Not only does the wood provide smoke flavor for the brisket, but the wood is the primary source of heat for the fire. Once a charcoal base is hot, add a couple of mini logs on top. When there is thin blue smoke exiting the exhaust stack, the smoker is ready for the brisket.
Open the lid to the smoker and place the brisket on the hot grate over the drip pan, fat side up (debated topic), with the point of the brisket (thickest side) facing the direction of the smoker’s firebox. The thicker point will need more heat for a more extended period of time.
Bring the temperature up to as close to 250 -275 degrees F as possible. You will need to add wood splits every 45 minutes to 1 hour for at least the first 4 hours.Resist the temptation to open the chamber and look at the brisket during this time unless you have to. Opening the cooking chamber will cause a significant drop in heat, and it will take time to build it back up again.
When the brisket’s internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees F, the surface evaporation of the brisket causes the meat’s internal temperature to plateau. Pit Masters call this “the stall.” Don’t panic; this is normal. You can make up for any lost time after the brisket is wrapped (see next section).
Smoke the brisket until a nice dark mahogany “bark” (outside crust) forms and the brisket. Remove the brisket and wrap it tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or pink butcher paper. Then return the wrapped brisket to the smoker.
Wrapping the meat will stop the brisket from taking on any more smoke flavor, and wrapping also allows you to stoke up the heat to finish the cook.
Smoke the brisket until the internal temperature of the meat is about 195 – 200 degrees F, about 6 to 8 hours; monitor the probe thermometer and use an instant-read thermometer, such as a Thermapen One to help double-check for doneness.
It is important to remember that the brisket’s internal temperature can increase by 10 degrees even after removing it from the grill. The ideal temperature of a properly smoked brisket is 195-200 degrees F when taking it off the smoker because it should more than likely rise to an optimal 200-205 degrees F.
Remove the brisket from the offset smoker. Leave the brisket wrapped tightly in the foil or butcher paper, wrap it in a clean towel and place it inside a cooler to rest for at least 1 hour.
Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil captures the natural au jus for use in a sauce, and holding allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juice.
Slicing a brisket is challenging because there are two muscles, and the grain flows in different directions. Brisket is easier to chew if you cut it across to the grain. Cut with the grain, and it can be stringy and chewy.
Don’t slice the brisket until the last possible minute. Once the brisket is cut, it dries out pretty quickly. When you are ready, Slice the brisket fat side up so the juices will run onto the brisket as you slice it.
Wood Selection for an Offset Smoker: Wood is the primary source of fuel for an offset smoker, so you want to use wood logs with the following characteristics to get the famous blue smoke every pitmaster dreams about:
Hickory, post oak, and pecan are good choices for smoking brisket also. At the end of the day, it depends on the availability of the wood and personal preference.
Offset Smoker Fire Management Tips: Maintain the fire to ensure that the smoker stays as close to 225 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more logs to maintain temperature and smoke. You may need to add more charcoal to help keep the fire bed going. If you do, light and make sure they are hot and ashed over before adding them to the firebox.
If at any point your fire starts burning too hot, resist the temptation to cool it off by shutting the firebox door. Suddenly choking off oxygen will kill the fire, and you’ll end up having to build it back up, creating more extreme temperature variations and dirty smoke. Instead, try removing a log with a shovel and letting the fire cool naturally for a minute.
Rest the next splits of wood you plan to burn next either on top of the firewood chamber or inside the firebox next to the fire. Heating the wood will help them ignite faster.
Calories: 236 kcal | Carbohydrates: 1 g | Protein: 31 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 94 mg | Sodium: 1090 mg | Potassium: 509 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 1 g | Vitamin A: 97 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 12 mg | Iron: 3 mg
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