Time planning for Saturday

[PeterD]

Hi all,

I'm hosting a cook for about 25 people this coming Saturday, for which a 14# packer brisket and two pork butts will be guests of honor. Planned dinner time had been about 4:30 to 5pm, but a good look at the forecast shows that very strong storms are expected from any time after 3 until 9pm. As such, I need to get things done sooner and cleaned up outside before any potential storms hit.

So how should I time this, and what temps would be good to cook at and still get a juicy brisket? Pork I usually let go for 14 hours at 225 and it's never once failed me, but the brisket is the oddball here this time. No 3am starts (or 6am for that matter), since I will be hosting friends on Friday night until about 1:30 or 2am, then the bulk comes over around noon on Saturday -- gotta get some sleep since I'm hosting, after all! This is a very tricky cook time-wise and good advice about time and temperature planning would be appreciated. An hour or so give or take I can work with, but I've had too many cases of 'plan for 4pm, it's ready at 8:30.' I haven't bought the meat yet, but I"m planning on about a 15 pounder (untrimmed) on the top rack, and two 8.5# average bone-in butts for the lower rack on an 18" WSM, with a Stoker temp controller if needed.

I'm after a suggested start times, cook temp(s) and pull/rest timelines for this meatapalooza. Thanks in advance.

 

[V_Rocco]

Start them both at the same time. My guess is the brisket will be done first.

 

[PeterD]

That's my usual modus operandi, but this time everything's got to change up due to the expected afternoon storms. Normally I start around 2am, finish at 2-3pm, let everything sit until 4:30 or 5 then slice/pull and serve. This time I need to have stuff off the smoker by 12 noon at the latest, and I was thinking of wrapping the brisket (but not the butts) since I have a problem keeping the flats moist. I was thinking 275 instead of 225, but if so, when do you think I should put everything on and what's the timing like at that temp? Last time I tried 285 I badly overcooked the brisket (it never went jiggly; it didn't go probe super-tender until 210 and by then the flat was dry as shoe leather but the point was perfect). I'm thinking wrapping after about 4 or 5 hours may be just the thing--but then the brisket will be done hours before the butts. So yeah, my question is all about timing and temps.

 

[WB Zipf]

Start at 10pm Friday, finish the cook around 10 am, then FTC until you want to serve. If you serve around 1:30 -2:00, the meat should still be warm.