Brisket Temp Dropped After Wrapping? (Explained)

When smoking meats like brisket or pork shoulder, temperature stalls and drops can be normal occurrences. This is why you usually wrap it as it approaches the typical stall temperatures.

So, why would the temperature drop after it’s been wrapped?

The truth is, there are many reasons why your brisket may suffer temperature drops. 

Why Would the Temperature Drop After Wrapping?

This happens most of the time because the brisket is wrapped before entering a temperature stall.

The stall is normally held between the temperatures of 150 and 175 degrees(f). This is when the fatty tissues begin to breakdown and render to the surface of the meat.

When the internal temperature begins to stabilize, it’s time to wrap the brisket. Many individuals will disagree about the best time to wrap a brisket. However, most folks agree that you should either wait till it slows down or rises to any temperature between 150 and 160 degrees(F).

However, some smokers may wrap the brisket before the stall in an effort to evade it. In certain scenarios this may work, but it may very well result in an unprompted temperature drop.

This necessitates careful monitoring of the brisket’s temperature, since leaving the brisket uncovered for too long may cause the flavors to become excessively smoky.

Another reason it may drop is that you have to take it out of the smoker to wrap it. Any meat that is removed from its heat source will experience some temperature reduction.

Furthermore, every time you lift the lid of that smoker, you lose around 10 degrees of ambient heat each second.

As a result, it’s critical to extract the brisket fast and wrap it even faster.

Are Temperature Drops Normal?

While this should not become a chronic problem, it is quite common. Brisket produces a lot of moisture when smoked, which slows down the cooking process.

Stalling occurs when excess juices rise to the surface and evaporate, causing the meat to chill. If there is an overabundance of moisture rising and evaporating, the temperature may drop rather than simply stall.

The good news is that you have not ruined your brisket, and it will ultimately correct itself. The temperature will eventually even out, just like a stall once all of the excess juices have sweated and dispersed.

Other Reasons the Temperature May Drop 

Brisket has a high fat content, which makes it exceptionally tender in texture and rich in flavor, but it also makes it a particularly sensitive cut of meat.

Too much fat on a brisket can cause the temperature to drop briefly. The larger the number of fatty tissues, the more liquid will be created as they begin to render.

These extra juices will pool inside the smoker, amplifying the effects of evaporative cooling. Wrapping helps, but the more moisture there is inside the smoker, the more likely the brisket will drop.

Have you checked the weather? Because cooler temperatures near the smoker might produce transient reductions in the overall ambient heat.

If the temperature outside is unusually chilly, you must adjust the smoke heat to compensate for any loss.

Rain can also cause heat loss. As precipitation accumulates on the smoker, it cools and evaporates, lowering the overall ambient heat within, which can occasionally be the cause of temperature reductions in your meat.

Furthermore, if the smoker is not properly positioned, heavy winds may divert the heat away from the brisket. If it’s particularly windy, orient your smoker’s natural airflow into the wind.

Inconsistent Smoke Heat

Maintaining a steady temperature within the smoker is one of the most vital elements of smoking. If it changes wildly, it might alter the intensity of a stall as well as its duration.

To assist, keep the lid as closed as possible. “Leave-in” thermometers are ideal for this since they allow you to check the internal temperature of a brisket without opening the smoker.

Does Brisket Cook Quicker When Wrapped?

A wrap will almost always help a brisket cook faster. The purpose of wrapping is to keep the rendering juices close to the meat, keeping them warm and preventing them from cooling the meat.

Aluminium foil wraps produce the quickest results. They enclose the brisket considerably tighter, allowing the juices to retain a lot more heat.

However, foil wraps can make the texture mushy and degrade the quality of a crispy bark or crackling skin.

Butcher paper wraps are essential for people who value bark, but they provide a considerably looser sealing, allowing more airflow around the meat and resulting in a slower cooking time than foil.

How To Tell When a Wrapped Brisket Is Done

The interior temperature of a brisket will indicate when it is thoroughly done.

The optimal temperature is between 200 and 205 degrees(F) for brisket. This is the point at which the meat will have established a luscious and satisfyingly soft texture that shreds and pulls apart effortlessly.

Because of carry-over cooking, it is often a good idea to pull your brisket when it is still 5 to 10 degrees below your desired temperature.

Carry-over cooking occurs when latent heat stored in the thickest sections of the brisket continues to flow toward the centre of the cut, raising its temperature while it rests.

This can occasionally cause your brisket to overcook, even if you pulled it at the proper temperature.

Final Thoughts 

Temperature drops after wrapping your brisket aren’t the worst thing that may happen, but they do necessitate skill to mitigate.

This will ultimately correct itself but understanding how it works is what separates the amateurs from the pit smokers.

Happy smoking!