Brisket cooking time - advice needed please

[Steve2022]

Hi all,

I've only cooked a few briskets before and and always for the evening, I am cooking one tomorrow and need it ready for 13:00, I cant decide if I should get up early and start it, or put it on the night before.

Its only around 2kg (4.5lb). Based on 1.5 hours per pound I guess I could get up early, but based on my previous (limited) cooks of brisket it always takes much longer. I do wonder if my grill has been slightly colder then the target but that's a separate issue.

Would I be better putting it on at say midnight? If so should I I run it colder overnight to keep it cooking a bit longer or go straight to my usual 225 or 250? Will it matter if I don't spritz it as my plan be to go straight to sleep if I put it on the night before.

Thanks all.

Steve

 

[midwest]

Have your previous briskets been that small? I have only ever cooked full sized one that are double to triple that size (give or take). Good thing is, if you put it on the night before and set your temp at say 185, you know it's now going to be over 185 when you get up in the morning. That size thought, I would just start it in the morning. I do a lot of chuck roast in that size range and it typically takes around 6-7 hours, I keep them on to about 150-160 then wrap them until 200-205

 

[RayClem]

I am not a brisket expert, so hopefully some of them weigh in.

The last thing you want when you have a group of hungry mouths to feed is for the main course to be late coming out of the smoker. That can create a lot of stress for everyone, especially you. I do not advise waiting until tomorrow morning to get started.

In the future, you might want to cook it a few days ahead of time and reheat it on the morning of the event. Since your gathering is tomorrow, I would suggest putting it on when you go to bed this evening. Make sure your pellet hopper is completely full. Some people even use a cardboard box to extend the height of the pellet hopper to make sure it does not run out during the night. Then get up early in the morning to check the brisket.

Once the brisket is at the desired internal temp (94-96 C). remove it from the grill, wrap it in aluminum foil and then in a blanket and place it in a picnic cooler. The brisket should stay hot until serving time. If you do not have a picnic cooler of suitable size, wrap it in multiple blankets.

If the cook seems to be progressing too slowly, you can always wrap the brisket in butcher paper or aluminum foil. That traps steam and speeds up the cooking process. You can also turn up the temperature of the cook. Once you wrap the brisket it foil, it will no longer absorb smoke, so you could finish it off the the kitchen oven.

Be sure that your cook temperature is what you are targeting. In many cases, the temperature shown on the controller is inaccurate. If your actual cook temperature is 93 or below, the brisket will never reach a temperature of 94C, no matter how long you leave it in the smoker. Always check the actual cook temperature with an analog or digital thermometer you know to be accurate.

 

[Grilling with smoke]

I cooked a 5 pound half brisket at 180 degrees for 8 hours, came out fine.

 

[Manannan]

Certainly by no means an expert but I have done quite a few brisket including on a Traeger and when wanting to do them relatively quickly I use this method:

https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/12989861-brisket-texas-style?_pos=4&_sid=8fb2ee7c3&_ss=r

Still reckon a 2kg / 4.5 lb brisket will take about 7 hours excluding the rest time, obviously choice of rub is down to you and I rarely bother spritzing.

 

[Grilling with smoke]

This sounds like me. I put a partial (5 lbs ) brisket on my Traeger for 8 hrs at 200 degrees, turned out great, I did rest it wrapped for 2 hours. No spritzing required.

 

[jayjordan]

This is what I will be doing for my first pellet grill brisket.
Meat Church - Brisket on Pellet Grill

 

[Manannan]

This is what I will be doing for my first pellet grill brisket.
Meat Church - Brisket on Pellet Grill

Let us know how you get on