# Mesquite Wood for Brisket.



## jamiep (Jul 5, 2008)

Hello All

I have a nice beef brisket that I want to smoke with mesquite wood. I have not used this yet and dont want to ruin the meat. The brisket is approximatley 9 pounds. I have a masterbuilt electric smoker which is perfect for me. My question is how long should I actually use the wood chips in the smoking process. I plan on smoking for 10 hours at 225.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

I will also be using the meat thermometer that Mossy recommended.


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## 9manfan (Oct 22, 2008)

If your going to foil the brisket at about 160 degrees, then you would only smoke to that point, seems there is no certain way to do it, everybody has there own way, alot of guys foil the brisket at around 160 to keep it really moist and then cook it up to 180-205 depending how you like it, sliced or pulled,,,,, I would check out smokingmeatforums.com, or smoked-meat.com,, they will help you out alot,,Mossy steared me in that direction, I too have a MES smoker and the forum's really helped get me going,,,Good Luck


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## jacobsol80 (Aug 12, 2008)

I think the answer is however long you want to use smoke. Obviously the longer you put wood chips in the smoker, the stronger the flavor. I would suggest erring on the side of caution. Perhaps 2 or 3 hours then wrap in foil and finish to the desired temperature. I have used mesquite a time or two. The flavor is definitely stronger than apple or maple. Probably comparable to hickory but a little different flavor. Everyone's taste is different so unfortunately you will have to experiment a little. I think mesquite is an excellent choice for a large piece of meat such as a brisket. Not so good for more delicate things like fish. Anyway, experimenting with different woods and smoke times is part of the fun. You may also want to try mixing woods, it adds another layer of flavor to the final product. For most of my meats like pork, turkey, and beef, I use apple for a couple of hours followed by hickory for an hours or so. Try to avoid using wood chips with the bark mixed in if possible.


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## specialpatrolgroup (Jan 16, 2009)

Meat will only asorb smoke for about the first 20 minutes, after that it will still add flavor to the outside, I normally smoke heavy for 20 minutes, then let the smoke die off. Mesquete is pretty strong, some people love it, others hate it. I prefer hickory, or oak. I normally cookd brisket\butts at 250, and figure about 2 hours per pound, but check in 3-4 hours before it is suposed to be done, 180-200 is the rule of thumb, I like getting closer to 200, as a lot of connective tissue doesnt break down until you get close to 200. Once you hit 160-170 you will probably platou, as in the temp will just sit there for a long time before rising, this is normal. Hope this helps.


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