Brisket cooking too fast?

[orthodoc]

Hello and thanks to everyone for the time they take to participate, and a special thanks to our veterans always, but particularly on Memorial Day weekend.

I have a Yoder 640. I trimmed a 14lb choice packer, and put it on the smoker at 6am today at 250 straight from the fridge. It hit 160 in the point and flat in 2.5 hours.

I read about people smoking 14+ hours, an hour or an hour and a quarter per pound.... Why are mine cooking so quickly? They taste fine and are tender, but I wonder if they could be better with a slower cook? And how do I slow it down?

 

[hebs]

Oh don't worry... it'll slow down all on it's own. Once it hits the stall, it'll be there for hours without moving.

 

[radio]

Hmmmm. Have you checked your thermometer(s) for accuracy?
My offset runs comfortably in the 280° range, so I just let it rather than fight fire control. My 14 pounder has been in since 5:30 , or 3 hours and 15 minutes as of right now and it is at 150° in the flat.
Every brisket cooks a bit differently, but I've never had one of that size cook so quickly. I'm suspecting one or more of the thermometers might be off

 

[noboundaries]

As others have said, no two briskets are the same. A Prime brisket will appear to cook faster than a Select grade due to the higher, less dense fat content.

Heat transfer between the surrounding air to the brisket, or any meat as a matter of fact, is fastest in the first 0-4 hours when the difference between the temperature of the meat and the temperature of the air is the greatest.

Don't worry about it or your temp gauges. You're fine.

 

[mike5051]

I agree with Radio. Check the temp at grate level in your smoker with an accurate therm. My briskets always take more then an hour per lb at 225-250. Lots of folks here do their briskets hot and fast with great results also.

Mike

 

[SmokinAl]

At 250 your looking at about 1 hour per pound. Believe me as the temp of the brisket rises it will slow down considerably. Put your meat probe in the thick part of the flat under the point, but make sure it's in the meat, not the layer of fat between them.
I think your time frame is right on, just relax & pop open a cold one!
Al

 

[schlotz]

Reasonable that a therm is off. Either the smoker, the one used for IT or maybe both. At this point it's tough without having a therm that has been verified as accurate. So you're going to have to wing it. As Al said you might be ok. If possible, maybe get another reference point by placing a cheap standup oven thermometer on the grate next to the brisket. In the mean time, put the IT therm in a container of ice & water and see if it reads close to 32º, then get a pot of boiling water and see if it reads 212º.

 

[orthodoc]

All of you were right. Temp at the grate level was perfect. I am now 6 hours in and the meat went to 160, then down to 155, and won't budge!!! So I guess it will be smoking most of the day as planned!
Thanks and a great weekend to all.

 

[radio]

All of you were right. Temp at the grate level was perfect. I am now 6 hours in and the meat went to 160, then down to 155, and won't budge!!! So I guess it will be smoking most of the day as planned!
Thanks and a great weekend to all.

I would foil it and bump up the temp a bit

Mine surprised me big time and the 14 pound packer was done in just over 9 hours! It is resting now and the potato salad is done. No doubt the 280° cook in the stick burner gave it a head start. I knew this one was a good one when I spotted it in the meat case, but never dreamed it would finish this fast!

 

[mike5051]

Cool orthodoc! Hope your weekend is great as well!

Mike