Who Will Win?? Pellet vs Offset Brisket: The Ultimate BBQ Showdown
Offset vs. Pellet Grill
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Introduction
Pellet Grill vs. Offset Smoker Brisket Battle – Can I Fool the Crowd?
What’s up BBQ fans! This was a big one — something I’ve been teasing for months. I’ve been saying for a while now that my pellet grill brisket game is strong, and I wanted to put that to the test in a head-to-head battle against my offset.
So here’s what I did: I cooked two Creekstone Prime briskets, one on my Yoder YS640s pellet grill and one on my Workhorse 1975 offset smoker, and then served them up blind to a group of guests. The question was simple: Could I fool people into thinking the pellet grill brisket came off the offset?
Spoiler: most of them picked the pellet grill.
Prepping the Briskets
Both briskets came in around 16–18 lbs. I did a pretty standard trim — cleaned up the silver skin, rounded off edges, and trimmed the fat cap — though I skipped my usual freezer trick to make trimming easier. My knife was a little dull at the start, but we got it done.
For seasoning, I kept it simple and classic:
Freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 tbsp)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt (about 4 tbsp)
Lawry’s seasoning salt for a little extra flavor pop
Both briskets were seasoned heavily on both sides and then left to sit while I got the cookers ready.
Cooking Strategy
On the Yoder Pellet Grill:
Used Bear Mountain oak pellets
Added a smoke tube (2 full tubes to get around 8 hours of extra smoke)
Started at 200°F for 2 hours, then went to 225°F, then 250°F, and eventually 275°F
On the Workhorse Offset Smoker:
Same temperature progression
Ran it with a similar timeline and rotated the brisket to manage hot zones
Both briskets were unwrapped for the first 6 hours. No spritzing. No sauce. Just letting the fat render and self-baste.
Once the briskets hit 175°F internal, I wrapped them in foil with a layer of beef tallow and finished them in the oven at 275°F until they reached temp — one came off at 203°F, the other at 195°F.
Then I did a long overnight rest in a warming drawer at 150°F for over 13 hours.
Judging Day – Blind Taste Test
With a full crowd behind me, I sliced both briskets and served flat and point samples labeled “Brisket A” and “Brisket B.”
Everyone tasted both. Nobody knew which brisket came off which smoker. And the reactions?
Nearly everyone picked Brisket B… which was the Yoder pellet grill brisket.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I was shocked — and a little proud. That Yoder brisket was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Even I had a hard time telling them apart based on looks or taste. If you still think pellet grills can’t make elite-level brisket, I’m telling you — they absolutely can.
This was a fun experiment, and it just goes to show: technique > tradition.
Thanks For Watching
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