Quick Question about smoking a meatloaf?

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handcannon32x

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jan 3, 2012
80
12
Jacksonville, Iowa
I have smoked a meatloaf in the past but I can not remember how long it took to smoke it.  Im looking for maybe a few close guesstimates on how long a 3 pound meatloaf will take smoked between 225 to 250?  The girlfriend wants it cause here parents are coming over tonight and she is going a little nutty cause I keep telling here I don't know how long it will take, lol. 
 
Ask her when she wants to eat and tell her it will be done then.
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Cook the meat loaf at 325° for 1 1/2 hours, check the IT, should be 165° when done. Give yourself a 2 hour window, as a just in case, the meatloaf will need to rest a bit anyway.

Cooking at 225° will take a long time for no real benefit IMHO, it's just ground meat.  
 
Three pounder at around 300 to 325 should be done in around 90 minutes (internal temp of 160-165*).  Not sure how long that would take at the lower temp of 225 to 250*.  Might add an hour or two more, but I would go by temp rather than time anyway.  Why go so low anyway?  You want some smoke flavor not overpowering smoke flavor and it will develop flavor at the higher temp.

It would be better to start it a little early and hold it over warm than to have the sitting and waiting for an hour or more.  Once done, you can always foil it and hold in a warm oven or insulated cooler.
 
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I always go my IT.  I was just looking for some sort of time line.  I smoke it at 225 to 250 cause that's where my smoker works best at.  I have smoked meatloaf at that temp before and it turned out great.  I was planning on pulling it at 165 IT.  I was figuring between 4 to 5 hours to smoke it. 
 
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I also smoke mine at 225 and it does make a difference the longer it's in the more smoke flavor it will have.
 
My last meatloaf was 2.75 # and took almost 6 hours at 230*. It was delicious, but I haven't cooked one at higher temp to compare with. I agree with dward51... it'll hold well if it gets done early.
 
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