Servings: 6 to 8

2 quarts water 2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt 1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar ½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons saltpeter or pink curing salt 2 tablespoons saltpeter or pink curing salt
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into several pieces 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into several pieces
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 whole cloves 8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries 8 whole allspice berries
12 whole juniper berries 12 whole juniper berries
2 bay leaves, crumbled 2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground ginger
ice, 2 x 4-cup glass measuring cup filled ice, 2 x 4-cup glass measuring cup filled
1 (6 to 8 pound) beef brisket 1 (6 to 8 pound) beef brisket
3-4 potatoes, any quality as they will be discarded after cooking. Only used if not using a rack. 3 to 4 potatoes, any quality as they will be discarded after cooking. Only used if not using a rack.
1+ bottles Guinness Extra Stout beer 1+ bottles Guinness Extra Stout beer

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. You do not have to bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the first 4 cups of ice. Stir until the ice has melted. Add the second batch of ice and stir until dissolved. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45°F .
Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag or large plastic container that has a lid which makes an airtight seal. Add enough brine to make sure the meat is fully covered. If using a plastic container, fill to the brim so that once you add the lid, there is little to no air inside. If you have extra brine, strain out the spices and add them to the bag or container. Place in the refrigerator for 10 days (* See Notes). Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine. After 10 days, remove container from the refrigerator. It's time to cook.
Preheat oven to 250°F. If using a rack in your roasting pan, skip to the next step. Cut potatoes in half to create a layer in the bottom of your cooking pot. They are only needed to keep the meat from sitting in the beer while cooking so you want the chunks big.
Remove beef from brine and rinse thoroughly making sure to wash off all spices. Place beef flat in pot on top of the rack (or potatoes), fat side up and pour the beer over the top. For larger pans, if one beer does not cover the bottom of the pan, add more beer until it does as long as it's not touching the meat. Cover tightly with foil or lid and place in the oven. Set timer for 6 hours. Let sit for 15 minutes before carving although you can use that time to trim fat if desired. Discard cooked beer and, if used, potatoes.

Chill leftovers before slicing. Low and slow cooking makes the meat fall apart tender which can make slicing thin quite difficult.  Chill leftovers before slicing. Low and slow cooking makes the meat fall apart tender which can make slicing thin quite difficult.
If your brisket is over 8 pounds, add 1 day to the brine time for each 2 pounds over 8 pounds (i.e. 13 days for a 13-14 pound brisket). You may also need to increase the cook time.  If your brisket is over 8 pounds, add 1 day to the brine time for each 2 pounds over 8 pounds (i.e. 13 days for a 13 to 14 pound brisket). You may also need to increase the cook time.
If your brisket is less than 6 pounds, you may need to decrease the cook time.  If your brisket is less than 6 pounds, you may need to decrease the cook time.