Smoking time guidelines?

[Otis857]

Ken, great idea for a forum.
I've got a suggestion for some of our more experienced smokers to post that can help guys like me in a pinch - Basic smoking timetables. There has been so many times that Im trying to plan how long I need to allow for smoking. and the food wasnt done in time or WAY too early. It would be a GREAT sticky.

I know that it isnt an exact science and cooking + stall times vary, butt knowing you need to allow X number of hours/lb for a brisket, or a Pork butt, and Y number of hours for tri tips, Chuckies, CSR,s, Chicken whole & parts, even unusual cuts would be Incredibly helpful, especially to the new members here. It would be a great "go to" reference for a lot of us. Other than the 3-2-1 method for ribs, Im usually struggling with how soon to start smoking w/o having it done 2-3 hours before or after the crew arrives.

[dales133]

Good idea , but its all pure speculTion

[L20A]

For ribs it is not hard to get it right. For butts ^ briskies & like to allow whay I think is gonna be the correct time and I add an hour or two and if it is done early I just rest 'em in a cooler until it is time to eat. If I see the temps getting close to the target but it is way early, I will lower the smoker temp to 200* or so and this usually helps slow it down a little.

[DDave]

Other than the 3-2-1 method for ribs, Im usually struggling with how soon to start smoking w/o having it done 2-3 hours before or after the crew arrives.

Well, a lot of times you'll want it done a couple of hours before you want to eat anyway, like with briskets and butts. You need to let 'em rest for an hour or so then have some time to pull or slice.

I have heard "One and a half hours per pound" but that doesn't really hold true. Most of the 5 pound pork butts I've done take right around 9 hours but the 8 pounders only took 10. The 12 to 14 pound briskets I have done usually go around 16 hours but I had a 14 pounder done in 12 hours.

Temp comes into play too. I usually do butts in the 240ish range and briskets a bit lower -- 230ish maybe. I do chicken and tri tip hot -- usually at 350°+ if the drum is cooperating so my time may be meaningless to you.

Coolers work awesome for keeping things warm. If you finish way too early and you foil in the final stage of something, open the foil to vent for a bit before you put it in the cooler. Helps keep things like butts and briskets from overcooking and getting mushy if you have to keep them in the cooler for longer than expected.

After awhile, you'll get a feel for it. GAWD, that used to &^%&% piss me off when the experienced smokers would tell me that in response to a question. But a lot of times, that really is the only sensible answer.

I hope some of this was useful.

Dave

[V-DAWG]

DDave hit it on the head.

[Otis857]

I've learned a lot of these times through the years, and usually by getting them done either real early and putting it in an icebox for a longer time than I prefer, or having guests wait for the meat to finish with no resting time. But looking back, it would have been nice to have some quickly accessible time@temp guidelines to refer in a pinch. Just easier when you're learning.

[crusty ol salt]

my rule of thumb, 1.25 hours/pound. it has never let me down and i have always had stand time.

that said the only thing i cook by time is ribs and that varies from batch to batch and if i foil or not. it is more of an eyeball feel kinda thing.

with all other meats, i normally cook to temperature. again i use my other senses too. if you can pull the bone from a butt without effort (safety note use tongs because it will be hot), it is done, if you twist a chicken leg and it rotates freely in the joint, it is done (safety note, please verify with a thermometer). If the redneck brisket temperature testing device (slanted 88 uses i shrimp peeler and deveining tool) inserts through the meat with ease, yep its done.

There is nothing that beats hard work and practice to knowing how long something takes to cook. Again that said, i use rule one for planning.

[curious aardvark]

Always, and I mean ALWAYS start at least 1 hour before you think you need to start.

Between getting the bbq up to temp, finding the beer, doing the inevitable tasks that crop up - that first hour goes so fast, you won't get much cooking in.

So add all your cooking times up and then add 1 more hour.

[Richtee]

Yeah..I'm afraid this would be waaay widely ranged... as to not be very accurate/useful. It WOULD be nice to nail times down, but there's just too many varibles I think. You could prolly get it down to an hour or so, assuming you don't hit a stall from Hell

[chisoxjim]

"its done when its done".

bbq has way too many variables to plot out a definitive: x ammount of hours = done.

[rbranstner]

I agree, I always try to start earlier then I think I need to. If I need to throw them on at 7 AM I better be get the fire started at 6 AM because by the time you finishing dinking around with all the chores that pop up your hour is gone. When I'm cooking brisket or butts to eat that same day and I need it done at a certain time for supper I always figure around 2 hours per lb. This is way over kill but that gives me time for everything, prep, cooking, resting in the cooler, stalls, etc. That way I can have the meat done long before it needs to be and resting in the cooler before the meal is served. There is nothing worse than hungry people standing around waiting to eat at certain time and your meat still needs another hour or so. If I'm cooking those items and I'm not eating them that day and it doesn't need to be done at any certain time then I'll usually figure around 1.5 hours per lb. But as everyone has mentioned that's all speculation.

[PitRow]

still would be nice to nail down some general guidelines for the total newbies though. Doesn't have to be super accurate but just something the help them judge, do I need to plan a full day plus for this or can I get it done in a couple hours... kinda thing.

for example, say I want to cook a tri-tip roast on the grill for the first time ever. Should I plan on a couple hours, or does it take all day like a pork butt does? I want to do some baby backs, do I need to fire up the smoker the night before if I want to eat at noon, or can I do start it when I get up in the morning?

That type of general stuff might be good for the super newbies. of course things are always going to change depending on circumstances, the cut of meat itself, the weather, etc, but at least it'll be something to get them in the ballpark.

[Jimh]

Its all aboot internal temp not the time

[curious aardvark]

Its all aboot internal temp not the time

yep that's the guidelines you actually need to use. The rest is mostly down to personal experience, individual smoker, temp cooked at etc.
The only constant is the final temperature you're shooting for.

Cutting your butts down to 3-4lb chunks cuts the cooking time for pp down to around 5-6 hours, also gives you more surface area for bark - plus cooks quick enough that you don't get that blackened burnt look. Assuming you don't actually want that burnt to a crisp look, some people seem to like it. each to their own

[PitRow]

Its all aboot internal temp not the time

I get so tired of seeing this mantra bleated over and over.

Of course it's about the temperature ultimately, but don't you think that it would be good for newcomers to at least have a ball park to work with?