Brisket Cook TIme

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johngil

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 1, 2008
58
10
VA
I have a BGE that I have been using to smoke brisket. Everything I have read so far says about 1.5hrs per pound. So by math math, a 14Lb slab of meet should take about 21 Hrs at 225 Deg. (Or so I have read) I am going for an internal temp of 190 deg. I reach this temp in 9 HOURS.. It has really screwed me up because I set me grill, set up the alarm points on the dig. thermometer and go to bed. If my temp goes out of range, my alarm goes off and wakes me up. It usually never happens with the BGE since the temp control is awesome.
The Brisket is great but I have hod to hold it over in a cooler for up to six hours. Is 9 hours right? Should I lower the temp for a slower smoke? the end result is great but if I can get it better I would like to know how.
 
I can sleep because I use the minion method with wood "staged" at staggered depth within the lump charcoal. My thermometers have low and High alarm points (I made a Low Temp" alarm from a HVAC environmental alarm control unit.) The BGE is just that easy to control.

Sorry guys, hope you dont think any less of me...lol
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Don't know what to think John giving up that beer drinkin time
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Yes that is very quick cooking time for a 14 lb brisket. As long as you are using a calibretaed therm to know that the temp is a steady 225, I'd be curious to know what the high and low temps you have set as alarms.

Regardless of what temp the smoker was:

Every piece of meat is different. Some plateau some don't. some cook quick, some cook slow. There is no way to know for sure how long it will take. We cook to temp not to time. Did I miss anything WD?

Glad the meat came out tasty.
 
Ron,

To get a high and low temp alarm I did the following. One is very simple the other requires a bit of technical ability.

Hight Temp (Simple) - A have two wireless thermometers. One gets placed in the meat, the other one is set on top of the meat to report back the temp at "meat level" in the smoker. I then adjust the temp on the thermometer to alarm if it reaches 235 deg. (10deg over target temp)
Thats it for a HIGH TEMP ALARM


Low temp (Not so simple)- I use a environmental temp alarm unit. These units are used in locations were tight temp controls are very important - such as computer/server rooms or places were RF equipment is being run such as a cell site (this is how I got mine, as I am a cellular engineer)

The unit can be set up to close a circuit (normally open) when a temp is reached, or can open a circuit (normally closed) when a temp is reached. I set mine as a normally OPEN circuit.

So what I did was I placed the thermocouple from the unit in the BGE and ran a set of telephone wires to a small buzzer and 9v. battery next to he bed. When the temp drops to 180 deg. the unit closes the circuit and the buzzer goes off. Waking up me, my wife, teh kids, the neighbors and some folks down in North Carolina !! - they all love me!

180 deg because it is the highest setting on the unit. i wish I could get it closer to 215 deg but not with this unit.


Hope this helps!
Thanks,
John
 
Regarding my signature:
I hope I did not commit a blaspheme against the smoking forum...LOL

"forgive me SMF for I have sined!" LOL
My smoker is a grill as well and I really liked that quote...
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Darn Noobys...!
What ya gonna do with em!


John
 
John..........a lil easier method for a high and low alarm..........just get a maverick ET-73 redi-check thermo., bout 50bux delieverded.........
 
Well, my brisket horror story happened this weekend. I had a 9.5# packer and had to separate the point from the flat to fit on my WSM. Started it about 10:45 Saturday night planning to have it for early dinner Sunday. I had trouble keeping the temp down on the WSM with all the lower vents closed so the temp hovered around 275 (too hot I know). I did have a mostly full ring of Kingsford and a lit chimney of 15 coals and some mesquite chunks distributed in the unlit. At 2:30 AM the Maverick alerts me to the fact that my brisket hit 180 degrees. No plateau, no nothing. The dogs ate well Sunday as I was so disgusted with it I didn't want to touch it. Sorry to hijack the thread.
 
steve..........why did the dogs get the meat?

foil that puppy........put in oven till 200..........then wrap in some towels, couple blankets, and place in a cooler...........will be warm that way for up to 6 hours..........geez dude..........
 
Now Im lost, and not by the technical stuff. In your first post you said you were at 225, now you said you can't get it above 180?
 
If you place the thermometer sitting on top of the meat it probably reads cold, because the meat is cooler than the actual air temp in the smoker. . . just an idea.
 
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