Newbie Brisket question

[markmcc]

Hey all:

Got an OBS for Christmas, and finally getting ready to try my first brisket. Done tons of reading, including all of Pachanga's great posts.

But there's one thing I can't find -- a general sense of how long it will take for one brisket. I've got a 13 pound packer cut, and I'm trying to at least estimate how long it might take in the Pachanga method...

Any guesses?

Mark

[OU812]

Welcome to the fun markmcc

At a cabnet temp of 220 F it takes approx 2 hr per lb

Go by the IT not time with anything you smoke/cook.

180 F IT on brisket works for me

[classicrockgriller]

Welcome to the Forum mark.

There is nothing more satisfying as smoke a good Brisket.

You may have to "bend" your brisket to get on the rack to start.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Pachanga]

Mark,

Thank you for reading my posts.  I hope they are useful in your smoking endeavors.  There are many accomplished smokers on this board that provide excellent advice.

There are many variables in any smoker and others may have a different answer.  At a true 220 to 225 degrees at the brisket level, I would estimate 12 to 15 hours.  The brisket should be on the second or third shelf from the bottom.  Variables include initial meat temperature, ambient temperature, direct or indirect heat, moisture level, protective coating, meat shape, marbling, preheating, vent opening, opening door frequency, interior mass, circulation, etc.

The following will change your time schedule and may stretch it out to 16 or 18 hours.  On a single brisket that is started late at night, I like to keep the temperature a little lower to insure nothing crazy happens.  Then kick it up the next day to meet your meal time.  If it is moving too fast, lower the temperature a little.  The foil, towel, cooler method (ftc) will hold a hot brisket for several hours.  A heating pad can be added to the cooler to help maintain temperature.

Here is an excerpt from MpTubbs recent smoke.  It may answer some of your questions.  I would suggest reading the entire thread at: http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13206.0

Just think........3 weeks ago I thought bark was only on trees! LOL

I took about a pound to let my buds try it. They will have to wait until Monday night when we all get together at the bar. ( It's a weekly thing)

I used Pachanga's recipe.

Started around 6 p.m. with a preheat of 250*f. Smoked until 10 p.m. (would have smoked longer but had to shut garage door for nite-nite).
Before bed set temp to 200*f. Woke at 6:30 and bump up temp to 260*f and started the smoke process again until 12 p.m.
I never shut down the smoke generator because it was 25 outside and wanted to heat up better. I also had 3 bricks on top rack for mass and I think it worked out well. The smoker slowly very slowly gained temp.
It seemed the meat and the smoker were always about 20* apart...if smoker was 185* the meat was 165*. For every degree the smoker went up the meat was right behind it like clock work.
After 18 hours the IT reached 185* and that's when I wrapped it and into the cooler it went. 3  hours later it was feeding time!  My stepson his home from collage with a friend and they made a big dent in that baby....I think 5 pounds Worth. They said it was the best meal they have ever had. Grin

So far the best brisket I've made, everyone loved it!

Thanks all for your help in getting me going in the right direction!

Other threads:

Brisket Pachanga
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=532

Photos to go with the recipe
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12061.0

Mustard Slather on Brisket and other Meats
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12112.0

I Prefer to Smoke Totally Naked - A Brisket and Ribs Manifesto
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12455.0

So your brisket doesn't fit - solution here
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13080.0

How do you make burnt ends?
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13179.0

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Caneyscud]

To add to the great information already.  I did 8 or was it 9 briskets in a large trailer mounted rotisserie stickburner smoker 4 months ago.  The theory of the rotisserie (probably should be called ferris wheel smoker) is that all the meat travels through all the heat zones within the smoker for the same amounts of time.  That is too say there wasn't any that got done faster because it was in a hotter part of the smoker.  All were 12 to 13 pounds, but with varying amounts of fat and marbling.  Working with that smoker, I'm not overly concerned with tight temp control.  As long as I keep the temp range within 30 degrees of 225 (+ or -), I'm ok.  That range usually only happens when I am napping at night - I set an alarm clock to go off every hour so I can tend the fire.  To make what has become a long story (never has happened before) short, They started coming off at 11-12 hours and the last one at 18 hours.  This was an unually large range for some reason, but it was still in the 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour per pound range.  A big smoker is not affected as much when you open the lid to check on your babies.  Unlike a Bradley which is affected quite a bit.  If you started your Bradley out at a high preheat, heated water, extra mass to hold heat (foil wrapped bricks), warmed meat, and never open the door, you should be able to do a brisket in 1 1/2 hour per pound also.  But the reality is they usually don't go like that because we peek a lot and/or the meat goes in directly from the fridge - and the time gets closer to 2 hours per pound.  If I'm not on a schedule, who cares - it gets done when it gets done.  But if I have a deadline (hungry friends coming over), I will plan on finishing 1 hour before serving time using 2 hours per lb.  If it finishes early, it gets to sit in its own private sauna (aka - dedicated 5-day cooler) for awhile waiting till serving time. 

[markmcc]

Thanks for the advise, all. Can't wait to get it going tomorrow -- I'll post photos and thoughts when I'm done.

Mark

[markmcc]

Sorry to have not posted before -- turned out great! About 18 hours total, great bark, really good flavor.

Sat a little too long in FTC, I think -- was waiting for the game to end before we ate.

A few things to tweak for next time, but really happy for my first go. This weekend: 2 14-lb pork butts....

[Pachanga]

Thanks for the update.  For future reference.  How long was the actual in Bradley time?  How much FTC?  What do you feel was the true oven temperature after eight hours?  Was the door opened often during the first eight hours?   Any other info.

Glad it turned out.

Good luck and slow smoking.

[westexasmoker]

Always good to hear of another brisket success....nothing better than brisket!

C

[OU812]

Good to here your brisket was a hit.

"Sat a little too long in the FTC I think"  Was it cold?