Brisket cook time


 
B

Brian_D

TVWBB Pro
Hi all, I'm going to attempt my first brisket on the 4th. I picked up a small 2 3/4# choice flat that has some nice marbling. It's probably 1 1/2 inches thick at its thickest. I plan on 225 indirect, using the firebrick method & foil it after the stall. Let it go to 205 or tender, which ever comes first. I know every hunk-o-meat is different & there is no definitive answer for cook time. But I have no experience with brisket & no idea when to start smoking. Can someone with experience give me some rough guidance? Thanks.
Oh, I also plan (hope is a better word) on holding it in a faux cambro (for more tenderness) after its done...
And I'm keeping the pizza place on speed dial - just in case!
 
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I have seen the small flats in the grocery store but I have never cooked one.
The smallest flat I have cooked was 6# and I was smoking on the Genesis at the time.
That flat was cooked unwrapped for ~14 hours.

The smallest brisket I have cooked in the WSM was a 7.5# (before trimming) packer and I cooked it ~200-210 for ~13 hours.
It was tender at under 190 degrees.
I don't wrap my briskets, wrapping certainly speeds up the cooking time.
Wrap the meat once the stall begins, don't wait until the meat is past the stall.
If you wait out the stall you might as well just finish cooking unwrapped.

Sorry I don't have the finer details on time/temp but I stopped keeping a cook log after I got my methods figured out.
 
X mins per pound doesn't really apply here as the cook time is determined by the thickness of the cut. @225 indirect, I'd guess that you are looking at 8+ hrs even with foiling. Might be better to work this backwards. What time do you plan on eating ?
 
I've never cooked a brisket that small, good luck! I'm thinking like 5-6 hours at those temps including foil will get 'er done. But it sounds from the above posts like I could be wrong. I'm interested to hear how it goes.
 
Dave from Denver said:
I've never cooked a brisket that small, good luck! I'm thinking like 5-6 hours at those temps including foil will get 'er done. But it sounds from the above posts like I could be wrong. I'm interested to hear how it goes.
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Cook times for brisket aren't determined by weight, but rather, by thickness. With whole cuts like a packer, there's a correlation between weight and size, so the whole "X mins per pound" generally holds true but not always.
 
Brian, season that meat, put it on a 250 or so cooker, just sit back and relax for a few hours, monitor it ever so often, and by and by it will be done to perfection. I think a mid-morning start will yield a tasty product late afternoon. Good luck and enjoy...........
 
Thanks for the info guys. I was hoping to find a larger brisket but, I'm in southern California & I never see brisket in the store. So I feel lucky to have found one - they probably stocked them for the 4th. They only had 3 flats & I grabbed the biggest, most marbled one they had. They were all labeled choice.
So, 5-7 hours with foiling sound about right, roughly?
If it finishes early, how long can I hold it for?
Nate, your first brisket looked awesome! How thick was it at its thickest?
Thanks again.
 
I've only made it through 2 briskets in my time, but in both cases these were large cuts of meat. Both were full packer cuts, and not just the flat. The first was 17 lbs pre-cook and the second a bit closer to 14 lbs pre-cook. In each case, I cooked them at higher heat probably closer to 285* or 300*, and in each case the brisket was done within 7 hours. I have not figured out why people think it takes so long to cook a brisket properly, but then again I have never run my 22 at 225* on a brisket...

Good luck and please post pics when done!

Smoke on! :wsm:
 
I used to cook flats back in New Jersey when I couldn't get packers. First recommendation is to talk to the butcher at the supermarket (assuming that's where you shop) and inquire if he could get/cut you a larger untrimmed flat or a full packer. If not, find a local butcher shop -- they should be able to help you. The biggest problem I have seen with small flats at the super is that they are over-trimmed, with no fat cap left. It's very difficult to cook one of them tender AND moist. Wrapping will be your friend. Good luck.
 
One thought - I think you'd be OK to up your target temp to 250F - 275F or so. 225F won't do much for you other than extend the cooking time by a pretty signficant margin. At the higher temps with a wrap, I support consensus that something like 6 hours is the right ballpark. Probably closer to 7-8 hours at 225F, or if no wrap at the higher temp.

If you store in faux cambrio after cooking, it should be good to stay hot for at least 2-3 hours.

Assuming that you'll want to eat around 5PM, then I'd probably start the brisket around 9AM to be safe. It'll cook until about 2PM to 3PM and you can easily keep it hot until service in a cooler. Starting a touch early will give you leeway just in case the cook takes longer than expected.
 
Brian_D said:
Thanks for the info guys. I was hoping to find a larger brisket but, I'm in southern California & I never see brisket in the store. So I feel lucky to have found one - they probably stocked them for the 4th. They only had 3 flats & I grabbed the biggest, most marbled one they had. They were all labeled choice.
So, 5-7 hours with foiling sound about right, roughly?
If it finishes early, how long can I hold it for?
Nate, your first brisket looked awesome! How thick was it at its thickest?
Thanks again.
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Brian,

Where in SoCal are you? I'm in Sherman Oaks. I usually get my full packer briskets at Restaurant Depot. You need to be a member to shop there, but I'd be happy to take you some time if you're in the area. I bought a 12 pounder and two pork butts for the fourth -- I'm having 40 guests.

Bill
 
Thanks for helping, guys. That is such a cool offer Bill, Thanks!
Wow 40 people?!? (how 'bout 41... Just kidding) I'm cooking for 7 & can't imagine what 40 would be like. I'm in Grenada Hills. A little story: I went to a nearby butcher shop awhile back. They had 16# packer in the case. I asked the guy behind the counter if could purchase a brisket point or Brisket flat. He said - wait for it - "what's that?!?" Here I am, a total new guy who's never SEEN a packer in real life, having to school this guy running the butcher shop. So, he tells me, "hold on, I have to call the owner..." He comes back a few minutes later & says, "the owner needs to think about it". I was pretty stunned & walked out.
Anyways, I think I have a game plan worked out. I'm looking forward to trying this! Thanks again guys.
 
Success!
I put the brisket on at 10 am shooting for a 5 o'clock dinner time. It hit 150 at noon & 160 at 1pm. I was beginning to think it was too small to stall. It finally stalled at 167 at about 1:45. Foiled & put it back on. Then it did nothing for a good 45 minutes. This scared me a little so I bumped the temp from 225 up to 270 & the temp started climbing again. Phew! Started probing @ 195 but let it go to 205. I had no idea what the probe should "feel" like going in. Pulled it at 4:15. Let it rest in a faux Cambro until slicing at 5:15. It was a HUGE hit & everybody raved about the tenderness & were pulling it apart with their fingers & eating it up! I've never had brisket before - it smells & tastes totally different from any other beef I've ever had - I think I'm in love! Thanks guys - I owe it all to you!

Bbq ****:



 
Brian_D said:
Thanks for the info guys. I was hoping to find a larger brisket but, I'm in southern California & I never see brisket in the store. So I feel lucky to have found one - they probably stocked them for the 4th. They only had 3 flats & I grabbed the biggest, most marbled one they had. They were all labeled choice.
So, 5-7 hours with foiling sound about right, roughly?
If it finishes early, how long can I hold it for?
Nate, your first brisket looked awesome! How thick was it at its thickest?
Thanks again.
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Brian, I am in Winnetka just down the road from you. You might try Jim's Falbrook Market. They have briskets as well as all good cuts of meat. We always get our Christmas hams there. Best hams we have ever had per my daughters and wife. A number of years ago my older daughter brought a ham from honey baked and it did not compare to the ones from Jim's. They are over in Woodland Hills on Fallbrook. Worth a try. Bob Ivey
 
Brian_D said:
Success!
I put the brisket on at 10 am shooting for a 5 o'clock dinner time. It hit 150 at noon & 160 at 1pm. I was beginning to think it was too small to stall. It finally stalled at 167 at about 1:45. Foiled & put it back on. Then it did nothing for a good 45 minutes. This scared me a little so I bumped the temp from 225 up to 270 & the temp started climbing again. Phew! Started probing @ 195 but let it go to 205. I had no idea what the probe should "feel" like going in. Pulled it at 4:15. Let it rest in a faux Cambro until slicing at 5:15. It was a HUGE hit & everybody raved about the tenderness & were pulling it apart with their fingers & eating it up! I've never had brisket before - it smells & tastes totally different from any other beef I've ever had - I think I'm in love! Thanks guys - I owe it all to you!

Bbq ****:



Click to expand...

Looks like you nailed it!
 
Bob Ivey said:
Brian, I am in Winnetka just down the road from you. You might try Jim's Falbrook Market. They have briskets as well as all good cuts of meat. We always get our Christmas hams there. Best hams we have ever had per my daughters and wife. A number of years ago my older daughter brought a ham from honey baked and it did not compare to the ones from Jim's. They are over in Woodland Hills on Fallbrook. Worth a try. Bob Ivey
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+1

Just bought a 11 pound packer from jim's. $59 for a prime brisket which isn't bad really considering the quality of the meat. it was a first rate piece of meat. Call ahead and make sure they have what you want. They'll order anything you want too. My brother in law and I are already taking about going over there next weekend to get some flap steak for carne asada.
 
Matt H. said:
+1

Just bought a 11 pound packer from jim's. $59 for a prime brisket which isn't bad really considering the quality of the meat. it was a first rate piece of meat. Call ahead and make sure they have what you want. They'll order anything you want too. My brother in law and I are already taking about going over there next weekend to get some flap steak for carne asada.
Click to expand...

They also smoke meats on weekends and sell sandwiches and the like in the parking lot. Food is very tasty. You should try it sometime.
 
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