How to Smoke a Brisket on a Weber Kettle

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Most homes have a kettle grill in the yard or shed, and it’s the perfect way to smoke juicy, tender, and falling-apart brisket!

Most people think kettle grills are just for grilling, but converting a regular charcoal grill into a smoker is not hard. All you need to do is place your charcoal briquettes, select the correct type of wood chunks, and get the cooking technique right. 

I show you exactly how to do it, and you’ll need it. Follow these steps to turn any kettle-type grill into a BBQ smoker, and you’ll be serving up pitmaster-level smoked brisket in no time!

Should You Use Brisket Point Or Brisket Flat?

I recommend smoking a whole brisket (also known as a packer) if you are able to find one, but if you can’t find a look for the point cut. A whole brisket can be split into two parts—the point and the flat. The point is triangular in shape, while the flat resembles a rectangle. 

Well, the point is thicker and has more fat. It’s great if you want something a little juicier and less dry. On the other hand, the flat is leaner. If you go for the whole packer cut, you can always save the remaining cooked brisket for another day.

What You Need

• Brisket
• Rub – you can use a storebought rub or follow my recipe for a homemade rub below.
• Binder (you can use mustard or oil)
• Water pans — disposable aluminum trays that can fit into the body of your grill
• Charcoal heat beads or any other charcoal briquettes
• Smoking wood chunks or chips

How to Smoke a Brisket on a Weber Kettle Grill

The ‘charcoal snake method‘ is also often used as an indirect grilling method. You only want to ensure your meat isn’t directly over the heat.

This indirect cooking method may be slow, but it’s the only way to make a perfectly smoked brisket.

Step 1: Create a Semicircle of Charcoal

You will want to begin by placing a single line of the pieces of charcoal along the inner wall of your backyard charcoal grill. However, you don’t want to complete the circle. So, just stop when you’ve formed a sort of semi-circle.

Step 2: Add in The Second Layer and Lump Charcoal

You’ll want to proceed by stacking some more unlit briquettes on top of the existing semicircle of unlit coal. You can feel free to leave it at two layers, but we usually like to go for three. You should be left with a border of charcoal that just covers half of the inner circumference of your kettle grill.

Note: If you want a longer burn, you can add a layer of lump charcoal.

Step 3: Use The Charcoal Chimney Starter

After that, light around five to ten briquettes in the charcoal basket of your chimney starter. Then dump the hot charcoal at one end of your semi-circle or ‘snake’ and slowly watch as they all begin to light up.

However, before you set a flame to the curved line of charcoal, you’ll want to place your water pan or tray in the middle. The incomplete ring of coal should sit around your disposable aluminum tray.

And apart from that, there’s no specific rule you need to follow when it comes to placing your wood chips or chunks. You just have to make sure that they’re amongst the hot coals so that they also catch some of that fire.

Step 4: Trim The Brisket, Apply Your Rub

While fat will always equal flavor, you will still need to trim the layer of fat on top of your brisket. The general guide to trimming this fat cap is to leave about a 1/4 inch of fat on top of the meat. If you leave too much, the smoke won’t penetrate the meat enough.

If you don’t trim the fat cap enough then the fat will actually hinder the cooking process. You can use the brisket trimmings for other recipes or even in candles

While you wait for your charcoal to heat, you can make your rub and apply it to the brisket.

Almost every brisket recipe recommends using a dry rub. I have included a recipe for the brisket rub I used before with measurements. If you prefer to use a store-bought rub, use 3 tbsps.

• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 tbsps Smoked Paprika
• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Note: the sugar helps to contribute to the formation of a firm bark on your brisket.

Step 5: Add Liquid to the Pan

After 10 -15 minutes, your grill should be ready to use. Place a drip pan over the coals. Add some liquid to the water pan you placed in step 3.

Step 6: Place Your Brisket on The Grill

Now, place your brisket on the grates over the top of the water pan. Add some liquid to the pan. Then, place the lid on and open the top vents. Use a brisket spritz recipe every 45 minutes.

Step 7: Monitor The Temperature In Case It Stalls.

Monitor the temperature using a temperature probe. Probe the brisket in the thickest part. If the meat stalls at 145°F you may have to wrap the brisket. If you find the brisket is stalling for to long you can finish the brisket in the oven. This is helpful if your guests are ready to eat now!

Step 8: Monitor The Internal Temperature

Use a temperature probe to monitor the internal temperature. Once it reaches 204°F, pull the brisket from the grill and cover. Let it rest for at least 1-2 hours wrapped in foil or place the brisket in a cooler that is insulated with towels.

Keeping The Meat Moist With a Water Pan

You don’t want to be left with a dry brisket. To avoid this, you can ‘mop’ your brisket. This technique keeps your piece of meat moist so that it doesn’t completely dry out during the cooking or smoking process.

We recommend making a mix of water and apple cider vinegar. Just be sure to spritz your meat every half an hour about halfway into your smoking session, and you should be golden.

Wrap Brisket To Avoid The Meat Stall

This is famously known as the Texas Crutch method, but it really just involves wrapping a piece of beef in foil before placing it back onto the cooking grate.

It would be best if you did this as soon as you notice that the internal meat temperature of the brisket has stopped rising. However, not everyone has the time to wait for hours — especially when you’ve got some hungry guests waiting at the table!

What Temperature Does Your Brisket Need to Reach?

You’ll want to wait until your brisket reaches an internal temperature of about 204°F. If you want a nice and crispy bark, you shouldn’t leave your brisket in foil until the very end of the grill. All of that moisture trapped within the foil will completely ruin any bark.

After that, you just need to remove the cooked brisket from the heat and let it rest under a makeshift tent of aluminum foil for at least 1-2 hours. Then, it’s completely ready for serving and devouring!

What to Serve with Brisket

Below are some of my favorite sides for juicy brisket.

Grilled Cornbread

Grilled Broccoli

Bacon Mac and Cheese

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Smoke On!

Charlie

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