13 lb brisket

[Mistadobalina]

So I've got a BBQ going on Sunday, and my first attempt at brisket (yeah, I read the other thread about first time brisket), but I'm curious about how long/optimal way to smoke a 13 lb brisket.

I figured
6am - smoker on
7am - throw on brisket
noon - throw on ribs (hornian's method) and pork shoulder
Cook everything (except for the 3-2-1) method on the smoker @ 225 until 6pm and take of and let rest for half hour before serving.

Is 9 hours @ 225 enough? Do I go longer? Do I transfer to a cooler at some point?

any input for a brisket this big would be great.

 

[GrahamCracker]

By my math it looks like you will have the brisket on for 11 hours and not 9. In my first brisket attempt I got mine on at around 10am and took off at 8pm. It was a 10 lber and it turned out great. I had wilde temp swings from 270 down to 175too. I think your plan will most likely work.
That's the extent of my advice and take it with a grain of salt as I don't have as much cue experience as others obviously.

I thought I would tack on my timing question as well and maybe someone will get on and answer both of our questions. I've got a 15 pounder that I need ready by 11am tomorrow. I was planning on puttin on the brisket at 8pm and smoke until 8am and then use the foil wrap, towel wrap, into a cooler method for the remaining 3 hours. I too would be smoking at around 225 although I'm sure there will be some wild temp swings in there.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

I don't go the oven route. When I have the time, I much more prefer the cooler method & in a perfect world, it's a 2 hour minimum.

The benefit I get from the cooler is a much more 'gentle' reduction in temps.

Personally, I think your 9 hours is a good amount of time however 10 would be much better.

 

[jimmyjazz]

If you're keeping your temperature suitably low (210 F - 225 F), I think it will take at least 13 hours to smoke a 13 lb brisket. I usually allow 75-90 minutes per pound of meat, and use a meat thermometer to make sure I don't overcook it. You can always put it in a cooler if it finishes early.

 

[Mistadobalina]

So the brisket's on ...7am
Rox - you think it would be best to go 9 1/2 hours @ 225 (taking me to 4:30) and then wrap it in foil and throw it in a cooler for 2?

 

[jimmyjazz]

You REALLY need to measure the internal temp of your brisket before serving. If it's not 190 F or so, it will probably not go over all that well. Maybe 185 F will do, but it's not a steak -- you don't want medium rare.

 

[OzzieVirgil]

Day late and a dollar short...

You can tun a run-of-the-mill brisket into a market trimmed brisket by hacking off thie top plate and the long end. This will let you cook a large briket (13-lb, for instance) in a shorter time. Ideally, you need 1-1.5 hours cooking time per pound. Since this is not always feasible, you can either trim the cut, or alter the temperature and foil time (and even oven-time for the non-purists) to adjust the final product.

My uncle threw together an 8-pounder in under seven hours with decent results this weekend by ramping the temp and increasing the foil time. It didn't have the smoky flavor, but it was very tender.

 

[austintexas]

hour and a half per lb. do the math.

 

[jimmyjazz]

It doesn't always take that long. From what I can tell, there is an unpredictable "dwell" time in the 140 F - 150 F range, and depending on how that works out, a brisket might take between an hour and 90 minutes per pound to cook at ~ 225 F cooking temperature.

I smoked an 18 lb brisket this weekend, and managed to keep the cook temperature pretty steady (say 200 F - 240 F) while it was on the smoke for 13 hours. Then I put it in the oven for another 8 hours at 225 F, which works out to about 70 minutes per pound.

That brisket was off the charts fantastic, by the way. By far the best I have smoked. It came out of the oven at 183 F internal temperature, which is a bit lower than I usually go, but it was so tender and flavorful.

(I should point out that getting those last few degrees of internal temperature might take quite a bit of time if you don't crank your cooking temperature.)

 

[Luke Duke]

18 lbs

Was it a buffalo brisket?

 

[UTEE]

I've seen briskets up to 22 lbs.

But I usually try to stick in the 10-11lb range, that's where I've typically found the most tender meat.