Brisket cooking time, 225 vs 275

[John Neuser]

Hi folks. I've been reviewing some of Chris's videos. I came across one re: low and slow temperatures. He was comparing the differences and benefits of smoking 225° vs 275°. I've always smoked my briskets at 225 and estimate about 75-90 minutes per pound but Chris's videos has me rethinking my process. Can someone offer some cooking time suggestions for smoking a brisket @ 275°? I've got an untrimmed one weighing about 18#s. I estimate the beast will be around 13#s after trimming. I'll be using a 22" WSM. Thank you.

 

[Shawn W]

just by math it's 22% more heat, your estimate reduces to 58 to 70 minutes per pound .... but you may find the stall to be significantly shorter than you may have experienced

edit: just in case, stall is when the rate of internal temp increase decreases or even seems to stop, at any point after about 160°F internal. Sometimes people report it lasting for hours, its because fat starts to rend and connective tissues are breaking down.

 

[MartinB]

I don't find that weight has much to do with the time it takes it to cook. Some of the biggest briskets I've ever cooked have finished in 9-10 hours...... At 275 I figure about 12 hours and often its about 10

It's done when it's done

225 takes a heck of a lot longer.... Took me 21 hours once..... Probe placement can make a big difference... Temperatures aren't uniform inside a WSM.... Move the probe half an inch and it might read it temperature that's much less in the temperature of the brisket sees.

 

[Shawn W]

I don't find that weight has much to do with the time it takes it to cook. Some of the biggest briskets I've ever cooked have finished in 9-10 hours...... At 275 I figure about 12 hours and often its about 10

It's done when it's done

225 takes a heck of a lot longer.... Took me 21 hours once..... Probe placement can make a big difference... Temperatures aren't uniform inside a WSM.... Move the probe half an inch and it might read it temperature that's much less in the temperature of the brisket sees.

ya you're right, a 2lb brisket chunk wouldn't be tender in two hours though it wouldn't take 12 either, so just by math doesn't work, mass isn't the only factor, thickness is a factor too, I've done around 30 hour cooks on huge hunks of beef shoulder clod that are pratically ball shaped, for pulled beef

 

[MartinB]

ya you're right, a 2lb brisket chunk wouldn't be tender in two hours though it wouldn't take 12 either, so just by math doesn't work, mass isn't the only factor, thickness is a factor too, I've done around 30 hour cooks on huge hunks of beef shoulder clod that are pratically ball shaped, for pulled beef

I think the moisture content can vary a bit ....and that probably has an effect too. I don't claim to understand it but the biggest briskets I've ever cooked have also been the fastest.......go figure... Including a 19-pounder. Maybe the amount of volume it takes up in top of wsm has something to do with it as well....somehow.... I don't pretend to know but it is counterintuitive... Or maybe my temperature probe gets placed in a different place with a larger brisket.... Which makes it read a different temperature relative to the actual temperature of the brisket sees..... Or something.

It's such a tight small space on a WSM with the heat flow coming up the sides of the cooker... Due to the pan in the middle. That I imagine the results on a large even temperature smoker would be more in line with expectations