Cook time for two briskets at once?


 
R

Rob O

TVWBB Pro
Hi. Haven't done this in a very long time and am wondering what people's thoughts are. Need to cook a 14 lb packer and an 8 lb back cut (point and flat under the point) at the same time next weekend. Packer will be on bottom rack. Back cut on the top.

Does it take any longer to cook two briskets at once than if I were to just cook a single brisket?

I target 225 and generally figure about 1 1/4 hours for a packer that size cooking it solo. I figure the point will take about 1 1/2 at that temp solo.

Whaddya' think?
 
Thanks. Definitely cook by temp. Was only really trying to figure out how early I'd need to light the coals.
 
I've found the same thing when cooking multiple items -- it takes the same time as it would have with one. Here's a quote from Chris on the subject found on TVWB:

"Theoretically, it doesn't matter how many chickens or pork butts you're cooking. If you have a cooker big enough to hold 100 4-pound chickens with adequate air flow around each bird and can maintain a steady 225-250°F operating temperature, all 100 chickens will cook in 4 hours. Of course, it's going to take a lot more charcoal to cook 100 chickens than just one or two!

So increasing the amount of meat cooked is not about increasing cooking time—it's about starting with more hot charcoal so the cooker gets up to 225-250°F as quickly as possible after the meat is added, and it's about starting with more unlit charcoal so your cooker has enough fuel to operate at 225-250°F for the estimated cooking time."

Time is only a trigger to check for tenderness.
 
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My personal experience is more meat = longer cooking times. Makes sense to me given there is heat transfer, BTUs, etc.
 
I pack my 22.5 with meat and smoke every 6-8 weeks or so. Cook times does increase slightly, 15 more minutes for a 4 hour 6 whole fryer chicken smoke versus smoking one. That is not a big deal for me because I use time to check for temp.

Add a few more mins for prep time; cleanup time is the same.
 
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