Smoked Beef Brisket is a very easy recipe, but the most important details lie in the process used to produce a succulent, melt in your mouth, brisket. All you really need are salt and pepper, a quality meat thermometer, and time. Smoking meat is a low and slow process that just cannot be rushed!
For a 6 to 8 lb. brisket, plan for about 8 to 12 hours of cook time. A wireless probe thermometer is critical for brisket since we cook by internal temperature rather than a strict time.
Trim the fat cap to about 1/4 -inch across the top and liberally coat the brisket with salt and pepper.
Remember to allow plenty of time for cooking as the cook time really depends on the size of the brisket, cut and whether it is grass-fed or grain-fed beef.
Load your wood chips into the hopper and set the electric smoker to 250 degrees F.
Place brisket fat side up on the grill grate, insert thermometer probe. Add a pan below to catch the drippings (helps save on clean-up, too).
After 3 hours or when internal meat temperature reaches 160 degrees F, baste the meat once per hour with apple cider or apple juice to keep it moist.
Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F.
Remove brisket and allow it to rest tented in aluminum foil for at least 30 minutes before slicing.