BBQ Brisket on a Smoker

I will show you how to do a low and slow BBQ Brisket.
What you will need:
Brisket- preferably in the 8 lb range. You can cook one of those monster 15 pounders, but it will take 15 hours or more.
A BBQ smoker
A simple brisket spice rub
Yellow Mustard
An instant read thermometer
3 cinderblocks and a grill grate (for starting charcoals)
charcoal (a few matchlight type or lighter fluid, and regular charcoal)
Time to maintain your smoker at correct temperature for at least an hour per pound of brisket
Note: I should explain that in several of the pictures there is a brisket at the top of the frame, and 2 pork spareribs at the bottom of the frame. Because I was cooking a small brisket (that I wanted) there was room on the smoker for ribs (which my wife wanted)

Step 1 The spice rub

On a brisket, there are 2 layers of fat. One runs through the center of the brisket, and the other covers the top. You will need to trim the top cover of fat to about a 1/4 inch. Put a light coat of yellow mustard all over your brisket and coat with the spice rub. Just coat it, don't rub it. Everything else I smoke is left overnight with a spice rub. Brisket takes on flavor quicker than pork or poultry. Take it out of the refrigerator, trim, add spice and let it sit at room temperature for an hour while you set up your smoker.
Here is a simple Brisket rub:
3/4 Cup Kosher salt
1/2 Cup Garlic powder
1/2 Cup Onion powder
1/2 Cup Italian Seasoning
This is way more rub than you need for this recipe. Put it in a jar, mark it put the rest away.
DON'T PUT SUGAR IN THIS ONE! The brisket I'm doing for the instructable here is only about 4 pounds. I usually do an 8 lb brisket and so it is on the smoker for at least 8 hours. Sugar will turn into an almost hard candy shell over your brisket. Pepper burns and turns bitter when you cook it that long.
Put a light coat of yellow mustard Put the brisket on fat side up. You won't be moving it for the duration of cooking.
Note: the meat you see below the brisket are ribs. I did both together as they cook at the same temperature and the same time because this is only a 4 Lb brisket.

Comments

[andross]

Canola oil soaked paper works better than any matchlight or lighter fluid I've ever used. Just crumble a small amount in the bottom, dribble some oil on it, pile charcoal on top and light from undah.

[Mhbaben]

I'll try this this weekend. Sounds like a great idea

[unaffiliatedperson]

u can also use a charcoal grill setup for indirect grilling instead of a smoker?

[Mhbaben]

Yes. Put water in the aluminum pan you put under the brisket. The smoker I have doesn't have a top or bottom adjustable vent. Charcoal grills usually do and this might actually make it easier to adjust the temp to an even 220. Hate to brag about my own stuff, but this is great stuff. Thy it.

[branonls]

How do you get the coals from the cinder block into the smoker. Do you set the smoker on top of the cinder block?

[Mhbaben]

No, I set the cinderblocks up next to my smoker and transfer the coals with tongs. The tongs make it easier to spread evenly under the waterpan