Smoking Meat Questions and Discussion
- Thread starter Statefan515ISU
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I picked up a 14-15 lb. brisket for this weekend. Need advice from experienced brisket guys, would you separate the point from the flat or smoke it whole?
I've been requested to do pulled pork for 4th of July lunch - I've only ever done them for supper and have been able to start early and wrap them through the stall. Need it done by about 1 pm so looking like this will be my first overnight cook. Any advice on what time to put it on? ~8 lb butt.
8 lb. bone-in usually takes me 6-7 hours at 225-250. Then add an hour to rest. If it were me I'd skip the overnight and just get up at the butt crack of dawn and have it on the smoker by 5 am.
I find separating is easier as it gives you much more flexibility as they cook and for burnt ends. It also. Allows for seasoning in the sections that would otherwise be untouched.
You can certainly leave it whole, I just find separating before cooking to end up in better end results.
That seems really fast at 225, even with a wrap. You wrapping and kicking up the temp later on?
I only ask because I've had a 4 lb shoulder roast go for almost 9 hours before when I tried going no wrap.
Just did one yesterday for noon sandwiches this weekend. 9.5 lb butt I put on at 6 am. Super smoked it for 7 hours at 225. When internal temp got to 150, I put in foiled pan and poured apple cider over the top and in the basin of the pan. Covered the top with heavy wrap aluminum foil. Cooked to it came to 205 degrees. Total cooking time was 12 hours and 30 minutes. When I put butt in foil pan I raised temp to 250-275.
I used to do them this way. I think it’s a good method. I switched awhile back to wrapping them without the basin for it to cook in so without the juice. I like it that way because you get better bark and the meat isn’t as soggy. I inject it to start with to offset any lost moisture potentially happening because of the change.
Yeah I'd prefer smoking it whole but I don't have 18-24 hours (90-120 minutes per pound), which is what everything I've read says it would take at 225. So then I started reading up on smoking it at 250 instead, but there are some articles that say at 250 it should only take 30-40 minutes per pound and others that say 60-90 minutes per pound. So if I separate the flat and point I'm thinking it should take closer to 6-8 hours (60-90 minutes per pound) at 225?
Yeah it's usually closer to 250 pretty regularly with some spikes. I use my charcoal grill that I rig up for indirect heat for smoking, so regulating the temp is always a challenge.
I always separate, mostly cuz I want burnt ends but so far my burnt end attempts have been average. I can get a decent brisket slice tho. Usually get burnt ends and brisket when I go to a BBQ place because I haven't mastered them yet, I've perfected about every pork thing.
I don't wrap but 7lb for me usually takes around 10h at 225-250, add an hour for an 8lb and subtract however much a wrap helps.
Just got two packers from Fareway last week. They separated the point and flat for me at no charge. Point flavor is better than the flat.
Take this with a grain of salt as I'm not great on brisket times, don't smoke it often enough cuz it's a $50+ piece of meat even on sale. Usually 10-12h but it's a temp based thing and variable time so when I smoke it I do it when I don't have a set time I need it done for. I trim it quite a bit too from what comes from the ones I get from Fareway, beef doesn't take the smoke as well and external fat coverings doesn't add to the flavor IMO. With pork butt I feel it can sit for a few hours wrapped in a cooler and be just as good so not as concerned on when it gets done, but brisket is best fresh after a 1-2h rest. I suppose that is true of all things beef, best fresh and not great warmed up or after sitting too long. You can reheat pork/chicken easy and has similar taste while beef is terrible as a leftover.
Usually get my meat from Fareway but Hy-Vee had brisket at $2.99/lb., so I got a 14+ pound packer for $44.
Big benefit of separating I'd think is reduced cook time. Figuring a 6-7 lb. flat and a 5-6 lb. point separated would take 60-90 minutes per pound, so thinking 6-8 hours. Will definitely go IT above time though.
I always wait for those $2.99 sales, got a freezer full of $1.99 pork belly, $1.49 pork butt and pork loin. I fill up the freezer all winter then don't buy meat until my freezer is about empty in Oct/Nov. Wait for the best of deals all winter.
My brisket estimates are for a 225 smoker temp.
This is about what I was thinking. I'm kind of leaning towards getting just getting up at like 3 o'clock and throwing it on. Then I can wrap in the morning if I need to push things.
Brings me to another question, anyone season the night before to save time in such a scenario?
Better to do early, you can wrap in a towel and throw in a cooler and have it sit 4-5h after it's done without losing quality. I smoke multiple and pull them out as needed.
I don't ever season night before, I brine mine in a 5 gal bucket full of water with 1lb brown sugar and 3lb kosher salt for 12-18 hours. Drop 3 trays of ice cubes in when I put it in and another 3 trays every 6h. Pat dry then air dry 15 min before putting on mustard and dry rub that I let sit another 15 min before putting on.
I do a super slow method so roughly 20 hrs. I do 180 to get max smoke and fat rendering up to about 155 IT then wrap and increase to 225 until 203 IT. Takes longer but so ******* amazing.
I’ve also done at 250 straight and takes a lot less time but the fat doesn’t render quite as much.
