There are two types of cooks in the world: those who wrap their briskets and those who don’t. I like a nice, crusty bark on the outside of my briskets so I try to cook them without wrapping them. When the brisket is done I like to wrap them in peach paper and then in some heavy towels before putting them in a cooler to rest. But for the cook I like to go “naked”.
That isn’t to say I don’t ever wrap my briskets. The past few briskets I have done I have wrapped them after the stall when the temperature starts climbing again. This usually happens somewhere around 175-180 degrees. Wrapping after the stall gives you some great bark but keeps some of the edges from drying out like they could if you don’t wrap.
Many people wrap before the stall since after 3-4 hours the meat has taken on all the smoke it will. But I think you sacrifice some good bark wrapping this early.
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I would avoid foil for wrapping. Many people (and most restaurants (not the good ones)) wrap their briskets in foil but I think that holds in too much steam and makes the brisket taste more like a pot roast. If you are really pressed for time wrapping in foil can help speed things up a bit though.
Instead of wrapping in foil wrap your briskets in peach butcher paper, also called pink paper. You can get a roll of pink paper on Amazon for under $15. Don’t use standard white butcher paper as it is usually treated. I like using the 18 inch wide rolls of peach paper.
When wrapping I like using two pieces of paper about 4-5 feet in length. Lay one on top of the other and spread them out so they are overlapping about 10-12 inches in the middle where the brisket will be sitting. Put the brisket about 12 inches from the end of the paper and fold that bit over the top. Flip the brisket, fold in the sides, and keep rolling. Make sure you wrap everything nice and tight too.
Here is a great video showing how to wrap briskets and Aaron Franklin’s Masterclass also has a great bit on wrapping.
Again, there is no hard and fast rule here. Try a couple briskets wrapped and try the next couple unwrapped to see what you like. If you like a nice bark you will probably prefer unwrapped but your cook will take longer. If you are concerned about time and are willing to sacrifice some of the bark go ahead and wrap it.
So generally I try to avoid wrapping during the cook but I will still do it from time to time with peach butcher paper after the stall but never foil. I do always wrap after everything is cooked if I haven’t already wrapped while I rest the brisket in the cooler until eating.
12 Commonly Asked Questions About Brisket
- What is a brisket?
- Where can I buy a brisket?
- What should I look for when buying a brisket?
- How big of a brisket should I buy?
- How should I trim a brisket?
- How should I season my brisket?
- What type of wood should I use when smoking brisket?
- What temperature should I cook my brisket at?
- How long should I cook a brisket?
- Should I wrap my brisket?
- How long should I rest my brisket?
- How should I slice my brisket?
