how long to cook a 6# brisket??

[Tim S]

I just purchased my first brisket and it weighs 6 pounds. I used a dry rub and it is in the fridge.
Approximately how long will it take to cook it to an internal temp of 180 degrees if I set my cabinet temp to 225 degrees? I plan to have it for lunch tomorrow.
Thanks,

Tim

[Gizmo]

When slow smoking, it is hard to pinpoint an exact cook time.  You can estiguess at 1.5 hours per pound but always figure a while longer and use the Foil Towel Cooler or some other holdling temp process to keep the brisket until serving time.  You really want the internal temperature to determine when it is done.

[Tim S]

When slow smoking, it is hard to pinpoint an exact cook time.  You can estiguess at 1.5 hours per pound but always figure a while longer and use the Foil Towel Cooler or some other holdling temp process to keep the brisket until serving time.  You really want the internal temperature to determine when it is done.

I based my internal temp on some posts in the forum. Will cooking a brisket to an internal temp of 180 degrees make it tougher than a lower internal temp of 150-160 degrees. Would a cabinet temp of 200-215 degrees be too low because I would like to start it now and let it cook until 7:00AM in the morning and FTC it until noon?
Thanks for the help.

PS:  Where is the best place to buy the pucks since Chez Bubba is out of business??

[Gizmo]

For the easy question, there are a couple of folks here on the forum that are now selling bradley supplies.  There have been many posts of great deals on 48 count pucks at Amazon.  I'll let the sellers bid their prices and Amazon is online.  :-)\

For the tough question on tough.
Well I'll post this that I read from another site that seems to make sense.  I appoligize for those that have read this in the past.  This is not from a bradley smoker type site but I beleive the science is much the same.


Here is a few snippets from what I was reading about too low and too slow:
http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/17.html  (need to go about half way down to get to the following info).


"   [I smoke-cooked a brisket the other day and it was too dry. I followed all the directions from the List. What went wrong?]
Danny Gaulden--
Frank cooks his pork butt to 185F internal temperature and it turns out very tender, moist, and just great. John cooks his butt to the same internal temperature and it is dry, overcooked and unacceptable. This can happen not only with pork, but with brisket, chicken, and other cuts of meat. What went wrong? This is a degree of smoking that, to my knowledge, has not been addressed. Here's the real deal.
The temperature at which you are smoking the meat is a great determining factor as to "when to take the meat off at x temperature." If Frank smoked his pork butt at around 240 to 250F, or even a little higher here and there, the 185F internal temperature will work great. If John smoked his butt at 210 to 225F and brought the internal temperature up to the same as Frank's (185F), his meat will be dry, over cooked, and just a bad experience.

Here's what's going on inside the meat. Since the meat itself works as an insulator in its own right, and if you are cooking at just a few degrees above the internal temperature you are wanting to achieve, chances are that it will never achieve it, and if it does reach your target temperature, the meat will be overcooked. The wider the gap between the cooking temperature (to a point) and the internal temperature one is wanting to achieve, the easier it is to get there. Go by guidelines some of us set as "taking off temperatures". . . .
If the meat is cooked at a lower temperature, it will take a longer time to get tender (break down the collagen). When cooking at a higher temperature, the meat collagen will break down at a faster rate due to the higher temperature. How far one can go on either end of this style of cooking technique will be argued until the end of time. . .
If you are following a recipe that calls for an internal temperature of say 180F or so, make sure the temperature in your smoker is a least 60 or 70F above that target temperature. For example, to get to a 180F internal temperature, I would cook in the 240 to 250F range. If you are cooking at a lower temperature, then make adjustments downward for the internal target temperature of the meat. You would take the meat off at a lower internal temperature, but it would cook longer. . . "


I suspect that those here that are cooking in the 200 range are going to 160F final temps and those that are in the 220 range are going to final temps around 190.

[Habanero Smoker]

Tim;
Welcome to the forum.

There are going to be a vase discrepancy between members on the idea cooking temperature. When I cook large cuts of meat with a lot of connective tissue, I generally smoke/cook at 200°F-210°F, and never have a problem with dry meat. For butts I go to an internal temperature of 175°F, and briskets 185°F. Technically when pork or beef reaches 165°F it is overcooked, and dry. To make them tender tough cuts of meat have to be cooked beyond doneness. This means that the meat itself will be dry, but if you have smoked/cooked it right and properly converted most of the connective tissue-collagen to gelatin, the gelatin coats the meat, giving it a moist texture.

So taking the brisket above 150°F, will make it more tender.

You can order Bubba pucks by following the instructions in this post.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5371.0

[West Coast Kansan]

Those higher cooking temps are likely linked to a chunk wood smoker where the temps are higher (cuz they are hard to control at a lower temp - lumps at 200 to 210 is hard). So they compensate with other tricks and toys. 

On the science side, meat seems to cook different with the different heat and it cooks different with a different fuel source.  I dont know why.  Chunk Wood gives a natural penetrating smoke that comes from smoking application over the full 12 hours or what ever. Hey Smoke Ring too, some more chemicals and cancer causers are at work. Great flavor!

Bradley Much like Chunk Wood but gobs easier and smoke does not get applied over the full length of the smoke. Tastes cleaner too. Low and slow is possible for an extended period of time not just blips of time. Real low and slow capability.

Propane is a waste of fossel fuel and should be discouraged but my biggest complaint is there is too much water vapor. Meat seems to cook real fast and smoke is not thier cuz the heat is high and folks get tired of burning themselves messing with hot metal - good smoke is not maintained and meat moves over 140 too fast.  It is the moisture content that transmits heat to cook.  Both good and bad I suppose.

I like HabS thinking about the temps.  At a higher temp you just blast through the plateau and much cooking happens in the foil.  The lower temp allows the meat to absorb the heat slowly, breaks down slowly, and juices over time. Promotes better smoke flavor but is best flavor after it sits for a while.  IMHO on at least this sunday night.

[Tim S]

I wound up cooking the flat for a total of 6.5 hours, 4 of which was maple smoke, and took the internal temp to 193 degrees. My goal was 185 internal but I fell asleep and did not get to it in time. The bradley reached a max temp of 235 degrees but I tried to keep it closer to 220-225. I let the flat rest in FTC for over 6 hours before lunch. The meat tasted good but was not as tender as I would have liked. The Wife and her Parents said it was good so I guess things did not turn out too bad.

I may shoot for a even lower cabinet temp on the next one to see what happens.

Tim

[Wildcat]

I may shoot for a even lower cabinet temp on the next one to see what happens.

Tim

[Skipystu]

I did a 9-11 pound'er and I don't think the temp went past 200 the whole time. I had it between 180-190 and smoked for the first 4 hours. It took about 20-24 hours and then 4 hours FTC waiting on the party to start. - Could be off here on size and time as it was a few weeks ago but I think I am close.

Cut like beautifully and tasted even better!

Take a look!


hmm .. I think I need to do another one now that I look at this one ... 

[Habanero Smoker]

Skipystu;

Did you smoke that in a wood or charcoal smoker, or is that a "false smoke ring".

[Skipystu]

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to ask! lol 

I started it in my wood/charcoal barrel smoker till it hit about 150 internal temp. Then I moved it over to the Bradley for easier over night cooking.

I may be considered a cheater here but I need that smoke ring on my brisket. I smoked it with mainly wood for 4 hours or so I don't recall exactly. I start it with some hardwood charcoal then try and use just wood the rest of the time. Now that I think about it I may have the weight wrong but it did take me 24 hours or so. I recall it being worth it! 

I did 6 racks of ribs and a pork butt this past Friday/Saturday and they were all OBS. 

They came out great! They went within 30 mins to 16 people.

[Habanero Smoker]

To get the end product that you want, nothing is cheating (unless you are following competition rules). There are no rules that you have to finish in the BS; so I guess there are no rules stating you have to start in the BS.

I just want the members to know that you can't get a "smoke ring" in the BS, by just using it alone; and that you need an organic fuel source to do so. Since the "smoke ring" is tasteless, you can proper cook a butt or brisket in the BS.

The brisket sure does look good.

[Skipystu]

Yeah there are no smoke rings with a Bradley and like I said I just need one with my Brisket.

I have been trying the idea of putting a smoldering hardwood charcoal on the smoke units hot plate and I have gotten some small success. Nothing really to report yet tho.

[Wildcat]

Nicely done.  I do beef steaks with hardwood in my side firebox unit.

[Habanero Smoker]

Yeah there are no smoke rings with a Bradley and like I said I just need one with my Brisket.

I have been trying the idea of putting a smoldering hardwood charcoal on the smoke units hot plate and I have gotten some small success. Nothing really to report yet tho.

I believe I remember you posting that you were experimenting with putting charcoal on the burner plate. Other then the "traditional" charcoal flavor, did you see any signs of "smoke ring". I would think you wouldn't, since the plate doesn't get hot enough to heat the organic fuel source for the proper chemical reactions to occur.