First 2.3 lb Brisket-11 hours only 165 degrees

[478100]

First go on a new Pro 575, Costco Blend pellets, 2.3#, US Prime flat, no trimming required, rather lean piece. 60-50 degree ambient. Basic brisket pre-seasoning, 200-210 degrees, on at noon. Thermoworks temperature probe. By 5 PM, only 153 degrees, wrapped in butcher paper, turn up to 240-250 degrees. 11:30 PM, 165 degrees, had enough, probably went through 3-4 lbs. of pellets, wrapped ‘package’ in foil, then a bath towel, then into the cooler. Next morning, unwrapped everything, paper quite wet, nice color, nice bark and smoke ring. Cut a couple pieces off the end, a little dry, good taste, but 11+ hours!!
I know the stall can hang up for a while, but this long on a two pound chunk? Fajitas or taco meat for tonight.
My best guess is two fold: use a bigger, fatty piece and start earlier to wait through the stall.
I welcome any input.
Thx.

 

[Slimpicker]

These are my mini brisket smokes: You need to go higher than 200 for the first half of the cook.

Mini Brisket smoke

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

Dual Mini Briskets best $13ea ever spent

<a href="https://youtu.be/doAIo9rbRhg" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/doAIo9rbRhg</a>

share.fireboard.io

 

[478100]

Thank you. Read somewhere, the smaller cuts can/should at 200-210. Will go with at least 5-6 pounder next time.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

How are you monitoring your temperature? If you are relying on the Traeger ambient and meat probes, both are notoriously unreliable. My ambient probe is off by about 25 degrees, i.e. if it says the temperature 225 it is actually 200.

I am guessing that if you relied on the Traeger probe you may have been cooking at a far lower temperature. Hence the long cooking time. Buy a set of accurate meat and ambient probes and you will have perfect briskets, even with 2 lb flats.

Like Slimpicker, I also cooked a 3 lb brisket flat and it was done to perfection in about 6 hours. I started at 200-210 just like you. Both Slimpicker and I use FireBoard temperature probes to monitor the cooks.

 

[478100]

Thanks. As noted in my post; using ThermoWorks temp probes. One for the meat, one for the smoker. You’re right, 20-30 degrees off from what the Traeger smoker temp reads. Never used the Traeger meat probes. ThermoWorks has severed me well/accurately with my 3 other grills/smoker. Just can’t figure why the stall lasted >5 hours, before I quit and we to bed.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Thanks. As noted in my post; using ThermoWorks temp probes. One for the meat, one for the smoker. You’re right, 20-30 degrees off from what the Traeger smoker temp reads. Never used the Traeger meat probes. ThermoWorks has severed me well/accurately with my 3 other grills/smoker. Just can’t figure why the stall lasted >5 hours, before I quit and we to bed.

That's puzzling for sure. Once it is wrapped smaller cuts like this one finish cooking very rapidly. I hope you won't give up on the smaller brisket cuts. Sometimes the flat is exactly what you need.