The EASIEST Hands-Off Brisket Method Ever
Don’t Let Brisket Take Over Your Entire Day!
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Introduction
Set It and Forget It: How I Cooked an Incredible Brisket Without Babysitting the Grill
Sometimes you want that rich, smoky brisket flavor—but you just don’t have the time (or let’s be honest, the energy) to sit by your smoker all day. That was me the other day. It was cold, super windy, and I had a ton of other things to do. So I decided to put my pellet grill on autopilot and show you exactly how to cook an amazing brisket with zero babysitting required.
A Brisket Worth Automating
I started with a beautiful Creekstone Farms prime brisket that I had stashed in the freezer. Pro tip: throw your brisket in the freezer for about 30–45 minutes before trimming. It firms up the fat, making it much easier to carve.
After trimming both sides, I seasoned the brisket with Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Rub—a coarse blend with black pepper, salt, celery seed, and garlic. Since the rub was chunky, I used W Sauce as a binder (which I almost never do) to help it stick. I even mentioned a quick discount code—rumandcook11—for anyone looking to try some killer rubs from atbbq.com.
Pellet Grill Programming Magic
To pull this off without standing by the smoker, I programmed my Yoder Smokers YS640s using its built-in steps:
2 hours at 175°F for that low-and-slow smoke.
2 hours at 225°F.
2 hours at 250°F.
Then up to 275°F until the brisket reached 195°F internal.
Once it hit temp, the grill automatically dropped to a hold temp of 160°F. I was home by that point, so I pulled it, added some beef tallow, wrapped it in foil, and transferred it to my warming oven (which I’m loving lately for consistent rest periods at 150°F).
The Payoff
About 14½ hours later, it was time to slice. The bark looked incredible, the smoke ring was solid, and the meat was juicy—even if I went just a touch too far on temp. Honestly, the only change I’d make is to reposition the temp probe closer to the flat next time.
For a “no babysitting” cook, the results were pretty amazing. Deep smoke flavor, beautifully rendered fat, and a final product I’d proudly serve to anyone. The best part? I got to go about my day without stressing over the pit.
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Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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