Can You Use Kraft Paper to Wrap a Brisket (This Might Surprise You!)

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Ever heard of wrapping your briskets, or the ‘Texas Crutch’ method? 

This method involves wrapping your brisket.

A lot of backyard BBQ cooks like to wrap their briskets

It’s an excellent way to overcome the infamous meat stall.

The ‘stall’ refers to when the meat’s internal temperature stops rising once it reaches the 155°F to 165°F mark. 

But now the real question is …

Which material is the best to use?

Kraft paper, pink butchers paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil? You’ll find out below.

Is It Possible for You to Wrap Your Brisket With Kraft Paper?

Yes, it is possible to wrap your brisket with Kraft paper.

However, you will still need to ensure that it is ‘food grade’ Kraft paper.

You cannot just use plain wrapping paper and not all kraft paper can be used in contact with food.

So, as long as its is advertised as the correct food-safe paper, then you are good to go.

This is important because the paper will be in direct contact with your food. 

Now, let’s find out if it is the best type of paper to use.

What Exactly Is Kraft Paper?

Kraft paper differs from normal paper because it is stronger and it is made out of wood pulp.

The reason why it is stronger is that, unlike paper, it does not go through a long bleaching process. 

Kraft paper is usually used in packaging and craft projects because it is durable and cheap. 

How Long to Smoke Your Brisket After Wrapping It?

You should use always smoke your brisket to 204°F. This doesn’t matter if you wrapped it or not.

But Is This Paper Food Safe?

Some kraft paper has a wax coating.

You can’t use waxed paper when smoking meat.

Not all wax is food safe, so it is always best to do your research and find out whether the wax is food-safe paraffin wax.

If not, it’s best to avoid it. It’s not worth it to cook with anything that will end up compromising your health. 

It is important to note that wax paper is not the same as wax-coated brown kraft paper.

Kraft Paper and Butcher Paper — What’s the Difference Between the Two?

You might be surprised to learn that kraft paper and butcher paper aren’t all that different.

In fact, their manufacturing process pretty much starts out exactly the same.

They both consist of the same wood fibres. 

Many people may argue that these two differ in color. However, that’s not always the case.

Not all brown paper is kraft paper. And not all white paper is butcher paper.

In fact, we just so happen to use pink butcher paper for smoking brisket. 

Another reason as to why color isn’t a differing factor is because all of these papers can now be dyed to be any sort of color.

For example, white butcher paper has actually been dyed. 

That is why peach butcher paper or peach paper has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years.

This one looks a little bit like pink butcher paper and pit masters are opting to use this more often because it’s said to be more ‘natural’.

At the end of the day, butcher paper is classified as food-grade paper.

While you should always assume that kraft paper or craft paper is non-food grade paper — unless specified otherwise.

Butcher paper is also proven to be stronger and can withstand more moisture than kraft paper.

What Temp to Wrap Your Meat.

You should wrap the meat when it starts to stall at 155 ℉ to 165 ℉ mark. 

This speeds up the cooking process and ensures your meat is tender and juicy.

Discussion on Paper Wrapping — Should You Even Wrap Your Meat Cuts?

There’s really no right or wrong answer to this question. It all boils down to your style of cooking.

Some people may love standing around for hours while they wait for their smoking brisket to overcome ‘the stall’.

However, others simply don’t have the time or patience to spare.

A lot of people feel like wrapping their brisket traps in too much moisture.

This means that too much moisture gets trapped in the wrapping.

And if the marinated cut of meat doesn’t dry out enough, it can’t really form that nice and crispy bark.

With that being said, we always recommend unwrapping your brisket towards the end of the cook.

This will allow all of that built up moisture to evaporate.

And all it takes is 10 minutes of semi-direct heat to crisp up that nice brisket bark.

Which Is Better — Aluminum Foil vs Butcher Paper

Sure, the most popular option for the ‘Texas Crutch’ method is certainly aluminum foil, but butcher’s paper should definitely not be overlooked. 

We’ve already mentioned that some people are not fond of wrapping their brisket because it simply traps in too much moisture.

However, you won’t really have to worry about your brisket being too wet when you wrap it, if you use butcher’s paper. 

Unlike aluminum foil, traditional butcher paper doesn’t trap in too much moisture.

While it helps prevent a lot of that heat from escaping, it still allows the piece of meat to breathe. 

If you’re not sure about wrapping your brisket, but would also like it to cook faster then you should definitely give peach butcher paper a go.  

It’s a lot better than simply leaving your meat completely unwrapped on the smoker. But it also doesn’t stand in the way of a good bark formation.

At the end of the day, the choice of whether or not to wrap your brisket is completely up to you.

Kraft paper, butcher paper, and aluminum foil are all excellent options.

However, you must always make sure that the kraft paper is actually food safe before you place it into your smoker.

We hope that you found our article helpful.

Good luck with your cooking adventures!

Smoke On!

Charlie

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