When does brisket stop absorbing smoke

Last Updated on: 22nd February 2023, 09:54 pm

Brisket is a hard meat and it can take several hours or even days to smoke a brisket to perfection.

But there is a lot of misinformation about smoking brisket, which can confuse newbies. One of the things that confuses people is when brisket stops absorbing smoke.

When starting out, I even found myself confused over this topic because different pitmasters have different opinions on this and there is no authorized platform for clearing up such misunderstandings.

But over time, I have researched a lot on this topic and experimented with it myself to tear apart the misinformation and know the reality.

In this blog post we are going to explain this briefly, and after reading this, you will be able to smoke brisket more effectively.

So the black and white answer to this question is that the brisket doesn’t stop absorbing smoke and keeps taking smoke throughout the process.

Although it’s quantity and the site where the smoke is deposited can vary over time.

The only way that brisket or other meat can stop absorbing smoke while being placed inside the smoker is when it is wrapped in foil.

In that case, smoke will not come into direct contact with the brisket and the brisket will be cooked only through heat.

These confusions about smoke absorption arise due to various misunderstandings about the basics of smoking.

One of these misunderstandings is that most of the pitmasters tend to relate the smoke ring to the flavor of brisket.

But in reality, the smoke ring has nothing to do with the flavor of the brisket and can’t determine the flavor of the brisket in anyway.

A smoke ring is developed due to different chemical reactions between myoglobin protein present in the brisket and gases from smoke. It will be explained in more detail later in this article.

Does the cooking method affect smoke absorption?

Yes, the smoking method can definitely affect the smoke absorption of the brisket.

There are two types of cooking methods in terms of heat: low and slow (smoking) and hot or direct heat method (grilling). Both of these have different levels of smoke absorption.

When you are cooking brisket low and slow, then it will take a longer time for the smoker to reach 76 °C and stop the development of a smoke ring.

After that, the rub components will heat up, which results in the development of bark.

After the development of bark, the smoke will deposit on the bark rather than the brisket.

Low and slow cooking will allow the brisket to absorb more than enough smoke to give a delicious smoky flavor before the development of bark.

While in the case of high temperature cooking, the rub will be heated quickly and form a crispy structure on the surface of the brisket.

Due to which, the inner side of the brisket will not be able to absorb much smoke and will have less smokey flavor.

Although low and slow cooking allows us to smoke brisket for a longer time, you should keep this in mind to avoid over-smoking it.

Over-smoking brisket is as dangerous as under-smoking it. Over-smoking can usually result in the bitter flavor of the brisket.

The brisket will keep absorbing smoke as long as it’s placed inside the smoker. But you should consider being careful about the time given for smoking and the composition of smoke.

To get a good smokey flavor, half of the smoking time is usually set aside for smoke absorption.

In our opinion, the smoke absorption by a brisket placed inside a smoker can be divided into two main types.

The smoke is absorbed by the internal side of the brisket and the smoke is absorbed by the external surface of the brisket while placed in the smoker.

How long will the internal side of the brisket absorb smoke?

By the internal side of the brisket, we mean the deep part of the brisket or simply the part below the bark.

It is our core part, and it should absorb enough smoke to give a universal flavor throughout the brisket chunk. It absorbs smoke until the development of bark.

After the development of the bark, it will not be exposed to smoke and thus will not be able to absorb smoke any further.

So, to maximize the absorption of smoke by the internal side of the brisket, you should consider smoking at a low temperature.

By smoking at a low temperature, the bark will develop later after the brisket has absorbed enough smoke to taste better.

Furthermore, low and slow cooking also helps in getting a good smoke ring. So it’s a win-win situation.

How long will the external side of the brisket absorb smoke?

By the external side of the brisket, we actually mean bark rather than the brisket surface.

Bark can absorb brisket throughout the smoking process as long as the brisket is placed within the smoker. But you should consider being careful about over-smoking it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that bark will not absorb the smoke, but rather the smoke particles will adsorb to the surface of the bark.

Which means they will not penetrate deeper and just attach to the surface of the bark.

We have limited time to smoke the internal side, but the external surface of the brisket can be smoked for a longer time to get your desired flavor.

However, you should keep in mind not to over-smoke it while smoking it for an extended period of time.

How long does brisket absorb smoke for?

The black and white answer to this question is that the brisket can absorb smoke throughout the smoking process while being placed inside the smoker.

Even when it does not penetrate deeper, it will still continue to deposit on the surface of the brisket.

There are two angles from which we can view the question, how long will the brisket absorb smoke? The first one is that brisket will absorb smoke as long as it’s not wrapped inside foil and is exposed directly to smoke.

It is usually wrapped in foil after half of the smoking time, so after wrapping, the brisket will stop absorbing smoke.

Secondly, we wrap the brisket when the internal temperature has reached around 150°F, so after 150°F, the brisket will stop absorbing smoke.

But to ensure that the brisket is smoked perfectly without over-smoking or under-smoking it, you should consider smoking it for the proper amount of time.

The smoke absorption time can usually range from 6–8 hours depending on the texture of the brisket.

There is a misconception regarding smoke absorption; brisket will stop absorbing smoke after 140°F. It’s incorrect because the smoke ring will stop expanding after 170°F rather than 140°F, but the brisket will still keep absorbing smoke.

To achieve the perfect smoky flavor, half of the smoking process time is usually dedicated to smoke absorption.

After that, the brisket is usually wrapped in foil to avoid over-smoking it and is then cooked by heat.

The smoke absorption time can vary from brisket to brisket depending on the texture of the brisket.

Lean and soft brisket can be smoked for 2–8 hours, while hard briskets like brisket can take more than 20 hours to be smoked properly.

Is smoke ring a determinant of smokey flavor?

Because smoke ring and smoky flavor are two completely different phenomena, the simple and straightforward answer to this question will always be “no” .

A chunk of brisket without a smoke ring can taste better than a chunk with a smoke ring.

The reason behind this is that smoke rings develop from the reaction of gases present in smoke with a protein called myoglobin present in the brisket.

Myoglobin content differs from brisket to brisket and, thus, a brisket with higher myoglobin content can have a smoke ring with the least exposure to smoke.

Smoke contains different gases like CO and NO which react with heme present within the myoglobin.

This reaction gives a pink color to the brisket known as the smoke ring. Myoglobin breaks down at 76 °C (170 °F) and the smoke ring stops expanding.

Red brisket like beef has a higher myoglobin content than white brisket .

So beef brisket can develop a smoke ring quicker than chicken even if chicken has stopped taking smoke. So we can’t judge a brisket’s flavor by its smoke ring.

Brisket’s flavor is derived from its exposure to smoke.The longer a brisket is exposed to smoke, the more intense its smokey flavor will be.

So a brisket chunk can be exposed to smoke for a longer time to produce a smokey flavor even without the development of a smoke ring.

A smokey flavor develops from the gases present within the smoke. So it is affected by the wood being used.

So it’s better to choose the appropriate type of wood and use wood with mild smoke after some time to avoid the bitter taste.

Choosing smoky flavor from smoke rings is a common misconception, and it arises because of a correlation between smoke rings and smoky flavor.

The reason is that if a brisket chunk has a good smoke ring, then it means it took a lot of time to reach 76 °C for the breakdown of myoglobin.

which also means that the brisket should have been exposed to smoke for a longer time. So smoke ring is related to flavor to some extent, but it’s not the best determinant of smoky flavor.

You should consider smoking at a low temperature to get both a smoky flavor and a smoke ring at the same time.

Does cold brisket absorb more smoke?

There is no black and white answer to this question, but we can say that a cold brisket absorbs more smoke than a brisket at room temperature because a cold brisket will take longer time to heat up and will absorb more smoke due to the prolonged process.

Sometimes, smoke deposits on the surface of a cold brisket in the form of bubbles.

But usually, cold brisket and room temperature brisket have the same flavor if smoked for the same amount of time. Although smoking cold brisket can result in a good smoke ring,

Tips for getting a good smoky flavor

Smoking is a longer process that can take hours or even days to complete, but you should consider following best practices to make sure to get a mouth-watering flavor.

Here are some tips that you should consider following to increase your chances of getting a good flavor.

• First of all, you should consider smoking low and slow. It is really helpful whether you are trying to get a smoke ring or a smoky flavor. It will give the brisket more time to be exposed to smoke and absorb enough smoke to taste better.
• Secondly, you should consider wrapping your brisket in aluminum foil after some time. It should help you avoid over-smoking it while allowing it to be cooked to perfection. Over-smoking brisket is as hazardous as under-smoking.
• Furthermore, you should consider sprinkling your brisket with water or any other liquid to keep its internal temperature low. If the internal temperature of the brisket is increased, then the smoke ring will stop and the brisket will be overcooked on the outside while undercooked on the inside.
• Additionally, you should consider using appropriate wood for smoking your brisket. Wood type is the most crucial determinant of the smoky flavor of brisket. If you smoke with low quality wood, then it will have a bad impact on your brisket flavor.
• Finally, you should consider using a wood type with mild smoke after a while to avoid over-smoking it. You can use intense smoked wood at the start, but if the smoke is not monitored carefully, then it can result in a bitter taste.

The Final Verdict

brisket does not stop absorbing smoke throughout the smoking process . Although smoke ring stops developing after the internal temperature of brisket reaches 76 °C.

brisket can only stop absorbing smoke if it’s wrapped inside a foil.

Usually the brisket is smoked for half of the smoking process.We hope that this blog post helps you clearing all the misconceptions related to when brisket stops absorbing smoke during a smoking process.

if you are interested in learning more,than make sure to read our guide on When does pork stop absorbing smoke?