If you’re looking for a straightforward answer for when to wrap brisket, do so when the internal temperature reaches 160 to 165 °F, typically at about 5 hours of smoking at 225 °F. The bark will be nicely formed, and this will be right a high majority of the time.
However, the best time to wrap a brisket depends on the size and type of the brisket, the type of smoker used, the temperature you cook at, and your personal preference for bark thickness, texture and taste.
Many people give specific answers of a certain time or temperature to wrap, but such guidance will not suit everyone’s taste, or give consistent results. This is why you see so many different answers to the question.
So, with that in mind, I present to you the definitive guide to wrapping brisket. I will start by letting you know when I wrap and why. I will then teach you how to decide the right time for you by going deep into the various factors that affect the decision.
By the end of this article you will know everything there is to know about wrapping brisket, so you can confidently nail this aspect of the cook every time.
Key Takeaways
- The best time to wrap a brisket depends on factors such as size, type of smoker, temperature, and personal preference for bark color and thickness.
- Wrapping a brisket helps retain moisture, cook faster, and control the level of bark.
- The decision of when to wrap should be based on the color and feel of the bark.
- Wrapping a brisket can have disadvantages, such as reducing smoke flavor and softening the bark texture.
- It’s not essential to wrap a brisket. Some prefer to cook it unwrapped for maximum smoke flavor and a crispier bark.
- The two options for wrapping a brisket are aluminum foil and pink butcher paper, each with their own pros and cons.
- Aluminum foil wrap, known as the Texas Crutch, results in a juicier but less smoky brisket with a softer texture and loss of crispness in the bark.
- Pink butcher paper wrap strikes a balance between an unwrapped and foil-wrapped brisket, offering a smokier flavor and less soggy texture compared to foil-wrapped.
- Testing has shown that butcher paper wrap is preferred by many for the best eating experience.
Contents (Jump to Topic)
- 1 Key Takeaways
- 2 When to Wrap a Brisket?
- 3 Why Would You Want to Wrap a Brisket?
- 4 Are There Disadvantages to Wrapping Brisket?
- 5 Do You Have to Wrap Brisket? Can You Go Without Wrapping?
- 6 What to Wrap Your Brisket With
- 7 How to Wrap a Brisket — Step-by-Step
- 8 Testing Unwrapped Vs Foil Wrapped Vs Butcher Paper Wrapped Briskets
- 9 FAQs
- 10 Conclusion
When to Wrap a Brisket?
As I said at the start, wrap at an internal temperature of 160 to 165 °F, after 4 to 6 hours of smoking at 225 °F, and this will be right nearly always.
However, briskets vary widely. Different smokers have different airflow within them also affecting the temperature at which a brisket stalls. The stall may start at anywhere between 145 and 165 °F, at any time between 2 and 5 hours into the cook. Preferences for depth and thickness of bark also plays a role here. Some people like a crunchy, thick bark, whereas others like a thinner, softer one.
All of this makes giving a fixed time or temperature for when to wrap impossible. The best answer being to do it by look and feel, rather than at a strict time or temperature.
So I will go in-depth into every factor affecting the decision of when to wrap, so you can make a well-informed and educated decision for yourself.
But first, I’ll tell you when I wrap brisket.
When do I Wrap My Briskets?
I wrap my brisket when the bark is well-developed, displaying a rich dark brown color, typically at a temperature between 160 and 165 °F. And typically at a time between 4 and 6 hours into cooking.
However, factors such as the size of the brisket, the temperature of my smoker, and the temperature at which the stall occurs (and this can vary a lot) all affect my decision, so when I wrap can vary.
Let me explain further.
Brisket Size Affects Timing
A smaller brisket cooks faster and starts to lose moisture earlier than a larger one. Wrapping helps retain moisture, so a small brisket should be wrapped sooner in the cooking process.
For instance, a 7-pound brisket should be wrapped between 2 and 4 hours into cooking. For a larger, 13-pound brisket, I’d recommend waiting until around 5 or 6 hours before getting it wrapped.
Smoker Temperature Changes Things
How hot you run your smoker also influences when it’s time to wrap your brisket. A lower temperature means a slower cook, which delays getting to the point for wrapping. Conversely, if you smoke higher, at perhaps 275 °F, you’ll want to wrap a little sooner.
Personal Preference is Most Important
Not everyone has equal amounts of patience. Those with less might like to wrap the second the stall hits (typically between 145 °F and 155 °F) to power through it and come out the other side ASAP. The shortest route to a tasty brisket is a tempting one!
Others, however, are all about that bark. For the thickest, crunchiest bark possible, some people won’t wrap their brisket until it’s thick and deep colored, or even wrap their brisket at all.
In the end, you have to decide what’s right for you based on your preferences for taste and appearance. Find your preferences by eating other’s briskets and asking questions, then experimenting at home. Wrapping at different times to see what happens, take notes, avoid repeating failures and tweak your successes until you’ve developed a system that suits you.
Judge When to Wrap by Color and Feel — When the Bark is Set
In general terms, one of the most sought-after attributes of a great brisket is a thick and flavor-packed bark. And the development stops as soon as you wrap. So the ideal time to wrap a brisket is when the color looks right to you and what you’ve enjoyed in the past.
And this is exactly what I base my decision on: the color of the bark and just my own “feel” for when it’s right, based on plenty of experimenting and varying degrees of success until I found what works for me.
I can’t even tell you what color to look for because it’s totally based on how you like your brisket. And I’m afraid the timing will vary from brisket to brisket, and session to session. I know that’s not the precise answer you were hoping for, but it’s the correct answer. But, we can discuss knowing when the bark is set, and that’s a perfect first step towards our ultimate goal of a killer brisket.
Testing for a Set Bark
Here’s my incredibly complex and scientific approach to checking if the bark is set.
- I look for a color that is dark chestnut to black, with ruby or red undertones.
- I want the fat cap to be rendered and the fat to feel a little soft and squishy, which gives to a press of your finger.
- Finally — and this is the most important test — scratch a section of the bark lightly. Did it come away easily? If the answer is “yes,” it’s not set. If the answer is “no,” it is.
That’s it. That really is all there is to it.
Why Would You Want to Wrap a Brisket?
You might want to wrap your brisket during the cook for the following reasons:
- To ‘beat the stall’ and cook the brisket faster.
- To control the level of bark.
- For moister, juicier meat to eat.
Let’s look at each of these reasons in detail and how they can affect the decision of when to wrap.
To ‘Beat the Stall’ and Cook the Brisket Faster
Wrapping a brisket helps you beat and breakthrough what’s known as “the stall.” In a nutshell, the stall is a time in the middle of a low and slow cook when the temperature inside the meat stops climbing due to surface evaporation of moisture. It may plateau and stay the same for hours, driving the chef to his or her wits’ end.
By wrapping the brisket partway through the cook, you’ll shave off hours of cooking time and push through the stall without pulling out your hair.
If you’d like to learn more about the science of the stall, we’ve got that covered for you right here: brisket stall
To Choose the Level of Bark
BBQ bark is the flavorful, crusty exterior layer on smoked meats, formed by spices, smoke, and the Maillard reaction during long cooking periods. Achieving the right bark on a smoked brisket is vital for flavor, texture, and aesthetics.
Different people like different levels of bark. Some like it deep, thick, and dark, while some like it a milder brown color and relatively thin. And there are grades in between.
Wrapping brisket helps control bark texture by stopping its development at the desired stage. However, If you wrap too early, you can hinder proper formation, whereas wrapping too late could lead to an overly thick and hard crust.
The goal is to wrap when it meets your own preference. For most people, this is when the brisket’s internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 °F.
Follow this link to learn more about BBQ bark.
For Moister, Juicier Meat
Wrapping a brisket during smoking keeps the meat juicier by retaining moisture.
As a brisket cooks, internal moisture makes its way to the surface and evaporates, drying out the meat. Wrapping acts as a barrier, trapping the meat’s natural juices inside.
So when you wrap a brisket part way through the cook, you prevent excessive evaporation, ensuring the final product is more moist and tender.
Are There Disadvantages to Wrapping Brisket?
Wrapping a brisket is a matter of trade-offs, with the benefits described above potentially coming at the cost of the following potential drawbacks:
- Less Smoke Flavor
- Softening Bark Texture
Understanding these can help you make informed decisions, so let’s look deeper at each.
Less Smoke Flavor
Wrapping your brisket prevents smoke from penetrating, leading to a less smoky flavor.
So, when you choose to wrap your brisket can significantly affect the intensity of the smoke flavor. Wrapping too early might result in a less smoky profile while wrapping later will intensify the smoke flavor.
You can generally get enough smoke to the meat during the cooking before wrapping. And if you find it too mild, try smoking with stronger-tasting wood, like hickory or mesquite.
Softening the Bark Texture
Wrapping a brisket during smoking can soften the bark due to trapped steam and moisture. This texture change is a key consideration, as a crispy, crusty bark provides a contrasting texture to the soft and tender meat, improving the overall eating experience.
So, there is a trade-off between maintaining a moist interior and potentially sacrificing the quality of the bark.
To mitigate this, you can remove the wrap once the brisket reaches the target temperature of around 203 °F and ‘crisp it back up’ with a few minutes cooking unwrapped in the smoker or on a grill.
Your choice of wrap material also plays a crucial role here, as you’ll soon discover in our later section comparing aluminum foil to butcher paper for wrapping.
Do You Have to Wrap Brisket? Can You Go Without Wrapping?
No, You don’t have to wrap your brisket. Some folks prefer to cook brisket all the way start to end unwrapped, the way nature intended.
Why? Partially to max out on the smoke flavor. With nothing between the smoke and the meat, you’ll get maxium exposure to the smoke from your chosen wood, (click here to learn about the best wood to smoke brisket).
However, the main reason to leave your brisket unwrapped is for bark development. Not wrapping allows direct heat to envelop the meat, and for surface moisture to escape helping to create a thick, crisp bark, which some consider to be the hallmark of a perfect brisket.
When you wrap a brisket, it can sometimes result in a pot-roast like texture, with a damp, almost soggy bark, and meat with less ‘bite’ to it.
However, there are risks to leaving your brisket exposed. Primarily, you run the risk of drying it out by allowing maximum moisture to escape. And it takes longer to cook. How much it dries out will depend on the cut; if there’s a lot of fat marbling and a layer of fat on your brisket, things may turn out just fine.
What to Wrap Your Brisket With
You have two choices of material when it comes to wrapping brisket, aluminum foil or butcher paper.
Aluminum Foil Wrap — The Texas Crutch
Wrapping in foil, known as the Texas Crutch, prevents evaporative cooling, conducts heat efficiently, and traps it, speeding up cooking and helping blast through the stall. It’s almost like placing the brisket in a sealed oven, ensuring the brisket remains moist by trapping moisture and braising it during cooking.
However, wrapping in foil does have its drawbacks. It cuts off smoke exposure to the brisket, reducing the smoky flavor. However, the brisket isn’t wrapped from the start, and the time smoked unwrapped allows for plenty of smoke absorption. It’s just less than you’d achieve without wrapping.
Also, the moisture trapped by the foil can make the brisket somewhat resemble a pot roast more than BBQ, with a softer bark and meat texture that is significantly different from the results of cooking all the way through unwrapped.
So wrapping in foil means a juicier, tender brisket with reduced cooking time, but at the expense of smoke intensity and a distinctly softer texture compared to an unwrapped brisket.
Pink Butcher Paper Wrap
You know that pink paper you get your meat in from the butcher? Well, it’s cleverly called “pink butcher paper.” And, it turns out it’s great for cooking meat in, as well as for bringing it home.
Similar to wrapping in foil, it retains moisture and heat, aiding in speeding through the stall without drying out the meat. However, butcher paper is permeable, allowing some moisture to escape and smoke to penetrate.
The outcome of wrapping with butcher paper is a brisket that strikes a balance between the textures achieved by cooking unwrapped and wrapping in foil.
Wrapping in butcher paper reduces cooking time and results in a less crisp bark than unwrapped, but not as moist and ‘soggy’ as you get with a foil-wrapped brisket. It offers a smokier flavor and less of a ‘pot-roast’ texture, though the bark won’t be as pronounced as in unwrapped brisket, and the texture will have less ‘bite.’
Wrapping in pink butcher paper is a good middle ground, having some of the pros and cons of both not wrapping at all, or wrapping in foil. It is the recommended wrapping technique for most people.
Wrapping with butcher paper is now how I always cook my briskets.
How to Wrap a Brisket — Step-by-Step
It’s vital to know how to wrap your brisket. There are numerous schools of thought on this. As a student of all things smoked and grilled, I’ve tried many techniques. Recently, I discovered the ‘Franklin smoked brisket recipe‘, from Texas barbecue-master Aaron Franklin’s neat & tidy, 6-step method, and I love it.
Starting with a piece of butcher paper that’s about 5 times as long as your brisket measures across the short side, here’s how it’s done:
- Place your brisket on the paper widthwise with the presentation side facing up. Position it far enough in that you can fold the bottom edge of the paper (closest to you) completely up and over the brisket. Pull it as tight as possible. Fitting the paper snug to the contours of the brisket is essential, so keep every fold tight to the edge of the meat.
- Fold the paper tightly over the flat, still keeping it tightly fit to the shape of the brisket, until you have a long triangle running out and away from you. Use your hand to flatten and smooth the paper.
- Turning to the opposite side from your triangle, tuck some of the butcher paper under the point to hold it in place. Repeat the triangle fold on the point side so that it mirrors the one on the flat side. Again, smooth and flatten the paper with your hand.
- Use both hands to keep the paper fitted to the brisket and roll it towards the far end of the paper. Pull the paper in tightly, and fold in the sides after completing the roll.
- You should now have a fully wrapped brisket and a long rectangle (more or less) of paper sticking out and away from you. Fold the rectangle over itself and back towards the brisket to halve its length and double its thickness.
- Keeping everything tight, roll the brisket forwards and over the remaining rectangle of paper. The double-thick section of the paper will be underneath the brisket, and the presentation side will be facing up again.
Your brisket is now ready to go back in the smoker!
If you like, you can check out Aaron’s original post. The man is an artist.
Testing Unwrapped Vs Foil Wrapped Vs Butcher Paper Wrapped Briskets
Last, but very far from least, how do the different ways to wrap — or not — brisket compare when eating?
Who better to let us know than the brisket master himself, Aaron Franklin.
In the following video, Aaron cooks three briskets, one unwrapped, and one each wrapped in foil and butcher paper, to compare the results when eating. (Hint: He says butcher paper is best, though loves all three.)
FAQs
Can You wrap brisket too early?
Yes, you can wrap a brisket too early, leading to a lack of bark development and smoky flavor. The ideal time to wrap is well into the stall phase, around 160 °F to 165 °F, to ensure adequate smoke penetration and bark development.
Should you wrap brisket before, during, or after the stall?
Wrap your brisket an hour or two into the stall to get the perfect balance between bark development and color, speeding up cooking by overcoming most of the stall and preventing a lot of moisture loss. Before the stall would prevent a decent bark, and after the stall, it can often be too late, with too much moisture lost, resulting in a dry brisket.
Can you wrap brisket in parchment paper?
Technically, yes, you can wrap brisket in parchment paper. However, it is not breathable like butcher paper, resulting in a very similar brisket to foil wrapped, with a softer bark and less smoke flavor. And do not confuse parchment paper with wax paper, which has a layer of wax you do not want to melt on your meat.
I use a water pan in my smoker, do I still need to wrap?
Yes, you should still wrap if using a water pan in your smoker. The water pan primarily creates a moister cooking environment that helps smoke particles stick to the meat and aid in bark formation. But it only prevents a little moisture loss in the meat, and the stall will still happen, just at a different temperature.
Conclusion
Can’t you just taste that perfect brisket already?
While there may be some trial and error with when to wrap brisket before you settle on your signature style, I promise it’s going to be a tasty journey you’ll never regret taking. There’s nothing quite like the “ooohs!” and “aaahs!” from your family and friends when you start carving off gorgeous slices of beautifully smoked meat, while you cut against the grain of course!
If you’re feeling ready to try your hand at a brisket, go for it! If you still have more questions, just get in touch, and we’ll tell you what we know. Try searching the site, too; we’ve got tons of helpful articles on all things barbecue, smoking, and grilling, including many articles on brisket.
Thanks for spending some of your day with us!
Great article. Brisket back on smoker after wrapping with pink butter paper.
Good stuff, it’s my preferred method nowadays for sure.
Hey,
Thanks for the informative article! My first brisket ever is on my smoker right now, it’s fairly small (just under 5lbs) wrapped at just over 2 hours at exactly at a temp of 150 used tinfoil because I don’t have any pink butcher paper and poured a little beer in, I hope it turns out at least edible, haha.
Thanks for the article! Definitely saved for reference in my bookmarked pages!
Cheers,
Dan
Best of luck, Dan. Let us know how you get on?
Great read on this article! I am a bit perplexed because I can’t picture the way you describe how to wrap the brisket in the butcher paper. I wrapped my brisket before I read this and looked like a five-year-old wrapping a birthday present. Are there any illustration with your wrapping instructions?
Haha … I know EXACTLY what you mean! I still make a right dogs dinner of wrapping occasionally.
Anyway, I realized long ago that I really do need to start adding two things: More pictures…and video. I’ve been running this site for a good 3.5 to 4 years now, and kind of been learning ‘website management’ as I go along, and made a few early mistakes. One of them definitely being not enough images and videos. I’m going to make a big push to update everything in coming months, but it will take a while.
In the meantime, Aaron Franklin has some good images on how to do it (make sure to scroll down far enough to see the process…it looks like the article ends with all the ads, before you see his process shots): Aaron Franklin wrapping brisket.
Best of luck!
Thank you for the informative post!
Thanks, I hope it was helpful!
Hi Mark,
I have been doing a lot of experimenting with briskets on a small Traeger pellet smoker, but I am moving up to a Meadow Creek TS120 offset smoker next week. It’s my opinion that the small oven of my Traeger actually cooks faster on larger cuts of meat because I reach 170 degrees, on an 11 lbs brisket, usually in about 3-4 hours. My question is on wrapping because I still cannot hone in on when I want to do it. I have done it immediately once I hit 170 but then its wrapped for about 5 hours. I am satisfied with my flavor and with the bark but the meat, particularly on the flat, does not have quite the tenderness I am looking for. I get a nice bend on the meat when I hang it from the carving knife, but it is still a bit solid and does not have those nice open creases that truly moist brisket has. Does this mean it’s drying out or should I keep it on a bit longer. I do cook to temp of 205 internal but its just not as consistent as I would like. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Jason,
If you’re wrapping that early, and it’s still not tender, then it’s probably just not taken high enough, and maybe not rested long enough.
A lot of brisket smoking comes down to ‘feel’, and that only comes with experience where you will have to cook a few, probe them to get experience of what they feel like and then eat like, and then see if you wish to take them further or not. I’ve had briskets be probe tender and ready at 203f, but some — usually leaner, grass fed briskets — as high as 212F. It’s not always the same temp.
Also, I find a good 2-hour rest, well wrapped and in a cooler to keep it hot does wonders for the end product.
What you could do, is buy a couple of brisket flats (flat only), halve them, or cut into thirds, and then you have 4 to 6 pieces of flat to play with. Cook them all at the same time, same rub, wrap at the same time, but at the end of the cook take them off at different times. Maybe take one off at approx. 200 F, one at approx. 205F, one at approx. 209F and one at 212F. (And they will rise slightly still during the rest.)
The ones at 200F and 212 F will almost certainly be under and over done respectively. But this is how you get to feel and know they are, by recognizing how they feel when probed, and what they eat like. One of the pieces cooked to somewhere in the 203f to 209f range will almost certainly be just right for you. Make sure you probe them, to get a feel for what they feel like at these temps. Then test each one for the final eating experience and see which you prefer. You may find you need to go slightly lower or higher than you have been. I guess experiment is all I’m trying to say here.
And there won’t be any waste of brisket doing this, as long as you like smoked brisket flat chili. And hey, who doesn’t? 🙂
Hello Mr. Jenner!
Great article and very informative. I usually like to spray apple juice on anything I smoke on my offset smoker. Since this is my first attempt at brisket (because I’m now willing to put in the long hours) should I spray my brisket every hour before I wrap it? Also, I obviously keep it wrapped through the remainder of the cook correct? Last question, How do I check the internal temp when using butcher paper, without affecting the seal, with a standard probe thermometer? Thank you, for your time!
Best!
Hi Matthew,
I never spritz brisket, and mostly it’s unnecessary. You smoke it unwrapped until the bark is formed, and it hits the stall. The stall is the time during which most moisture is lost from the meat, and its evaporation is what causes the stall, the moisture evaporating being like us sweating. Because we wrap at the stall, it makes spritzing unnecessary. If you are going to smoke straight through with no wrap, then spritzing (or injecting beforehand) makes more sense. It’s a personal preference though, and I recommend doing a brisket with no spritzing, one with at another date, then see which you prefer. Always be experimenting!
Yes, keep it wrapped throughout the remainder of the cook after cook until it’s done.
“How do I check the internal temp when using butcher paper, without affecting the seal, with a standard probe thermometer?” — Just insert it, it’s fine. When you wrap, you are aiming to get the peach paper (or foil if that’s what you use) as close to the meat surface as possible all over. This will mean no steam can really develop and hence escape. The only time it can, is if you have wrapped it loosely, in which case it needs wrapping better — tighter — in the first place.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the great informative post! Currently smoking a smaller brisket on our Traeger, and couldn’t decide if I should wrap or not. We are military living overseas and don’t have access to pink butcher paper, but just ordered some off of Amazon. Today we are going to try tinfoil, but I’m excited to experiment with pink butcher paper for our next brisket!
Thanks, Melissa. Wrapping with foil works nicely too, I did it that way for years. But pink butcher is best. Let me know you get on with it, and how you find the difference in results.
Great information! I wrapped in foil before I read your information and I have pink butcher paper! Next time I will try the paper! Sitting outside with my smoker has I’m typing, smoking a brisket and 3 racks of ribs!
That’s a hefty cook…there must be spares! 😀
AMAZING article!
Thank you,
Ben
Will parchment paper work the same or as well as the pink butcher paper? Is there any magic to pink vs. White vs. tan butcher paper?
The general wisdom goes that parchment is less absorbent, and less permeable. Or the flip side of that, butcher paper is more absorbent and more permeable, so helps maintain a better bark while resulting in a less ‘pot-roasty’ end product that you’d get from parchment (or foil) that holds in more steam.
White paper is bleached. Brown and pink (or peach) are unbleached. Also, pink tends to be thicker and stronger than brown, but not necessarily so.
Basically, avoid white as it is bleached. Pink or brown, if they were the same ‘weight’ (or thickness), and have the same strength, and importantly are not waxed or lined in any way, they would be the same, and you could use either, with the only difference being color. But typically most brown is thinner, weaker, and will rip and tear after being soaked in fat during a cook.
So the unbleached, untreated, unlined, and thicker and stronger pink or peach paper is most recommended.
A cracking post this, thanks so looking forward to starting “smooookin”
Thanks, Gwynne. Best of luck!
When wrapping with foil do you put the shiny side in or out?
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t make a difference.
Thank you so much. Today I have learned so much! Now I know some points that I have been screwing up for years 😊. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Can I use white baking paper? Or better to use foil? Cheers great article
Hi, Allan. Baking (or parchment) paper will have a non-stick coating, whereas butcher does not. It will give entirely different results. I would use only either foil or butcher paper.