Timing a Brisket

[cdrmjjohnson]

I am fairly new at this smoking thing, but love it. My question has to do with how to calculate cooking time when you have a brisket that requires you cut it into two pieces to fit into your smoker. I have an 11 pound brisket and will be using a electric tower style smoker. The brisket is to large to fit on a single rack within the smoker so I have to cut it. Generically an 11 pound brisket would cook for about 14 hours at 225 degrees but if I cut it into two parts 7 pounds and 4 pounds do you still cook it for 14 hours or do you remove the 4 pound after approx 5 hours and the 7 pound after another 3.5-4 hours, (giving you a total cook time for the 7 pound of 8.5-9 hours). Thanks in advance for the help.

[Richtee]

Welcome to smoked-meat CJ. And you cook it to the temp you desire. How long is not really predictable. Start early..the cooler is your friend. Wrap and it'll hold for hours at temp.

[barkonbutts]

Welcome from Dayton!!

Yes two pieces will cook faster... With that said plan early and like rich said foil and put into a cooler... a brisket does right fine with a long rest in its juices!! Good luck and ask if you have other questions!!

[DDave]

to the forum.

To determine when the separate parts are done, use this . . .



Not this . . .



You'll get more consistent results that way.

Dave

[dsgarner06]

I agree with ^^^.

Cook to temp, not to time. I try to hit 205 on my brisket. Follow Rich's suggestions and you'll be fine.

[L20A]

I do that all the time in my MES. I put the temp probe in the thinner piece of meat & when that one is done I probe the bigger one until it is done. The time doesn't change much as it is the same amount of meat, unless you made it thinner. I us ally do my briskies at 230* and they take about 12 hours, depending on the size. That time is only a guideline!!!!! The temp will determine when it is done. I go for 200 - 205* and the final determining factor is the "probe going in like it is butter" test. Hope this helps.

[Hookecho]

Learn the "crutch"! Smoke at 225-250 (hey opinions about brisket temps are as varied as "what is the finest car in the world...all time" and they are all over the place. I work to keep the temps in the 225-250 range and when the lump of meat at the thick part hits 150ish, I pull the brisket and wrap tight in foil and put it back in until 200. Then wrap in a towel (one your wife wont kill you for using as it will forever smell of whatever wood smoke you used) and put in a cooler packed with towels. It will keep temp for hours this way.

The foiling at 150 is to power the meat thru the "stall", which is caused by the meat sweating and cooling from evaporation. like sweat on your skin. Foiling will however soften your bark somewhat, just make sure you wrap it up tight.

Hope that helps!