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Brisket internal temp 205
A lot of the time, many Pitmasters will report that their brisket is typing out at about 205 degrees Fahrenheit. That is certainly on the upper end of the temperature range in terms of when you should be pulling the brisket.
Always consider pulling the brisket once it reaches exactly 200 degrees Fahrenheit and when it probes tender. If you noticed that your brisket is already typing out at a higher temperature however, grab a toothpick and start prepping around the meat to test for resistance.
This is the greatest indicator as to when you should actually pull it. If there is no resistance, then the brisket is done and you can then take it off the smoker and place it in an ice cooler or a warming oven for about 3 to 5 hours for further resting.
If there is resistance, then that means your temperature thermometer may be inaccurate and the actual internal temperature may be a lot lower than you think. If that’s the case, then just keep reassessing the resistance levels with a toothpick every 30 minutes or so.
What internal temp should a smoked brisket be
The guideline of pulling a brisket off the smoker at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit is really just a guy line at best. To really understand and know when a brisket should be done, always have a toothpick at hand to test for resistance as you insert it back and forth into the meat.
That is the tried-and-true method of really determining when and at what temperature a brisket is done. Every brisket is different, but the average temperature at which the collagen begins to break down is right at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Final Thoughts
Always pull a brisket off the smoker when it reaches around 200 degrees Fahrenheit in internal temperature. But before you do that, always make sure to test for doneness by grabbing a toothpick or reinserting the thermometer probe itself back into the meat, and assess whether or not there’s any resistance.
Always assess resistance before you begin pulling the brisket off the smoker. As noted above, there is really no specific temperature that brisket can be done at, and it is almost impossible to predict for every brisket going forward. That’s why it’s always important to test each individual brisket with the protest to ensure that it is really done.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.