# 225 vs 275



## deuc224

Hey guys and gals.  I recently made a texas style brisket and it turned out phenomenal, i smoked it at 225 for about 13 hours on a 10 pound brisket and everyone was happy to say the least.  This weekend we are getting together and my dad is smoking a pork shoulder and i said i would do the brisket.  Now the first one took 13 hours at 10 lbs, i was wondering if i should step it up to 275 and cut some of the cook time.  Will it make a difference? Will it be drier do to a faster cook? Has anyone really seen a difference in flavor or texture between these two?  What temps are others using?  I went fat cap down on the last one, should i try it up?  Am i just being a paranoid patrick about it? LOL thanks everyone


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## phatbac

One of the best briskets i have ever cooked was at 350-400 because my therm was broken and i didn't know it till afterwards. it was a select 19#er from Walmart and it cooked in 6.5 hours. It was cooked to 206 IT and it was great. i used red oak wood in my lang.  I think people get hung up by numbers. just like to say it took them 15 hours etc so its like they did it better or something. i think if you go hotter and faster you will be fine.

Just my opinion,

phatbac (Aaron)


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## hardcookin

I usually smoke my briskets 275 - 300. I also wrap in butcher paper when I get desired bark.
I think my briskets turn out ok. As long as your pulling them at the right temp I think you will be ok.













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__ hardcookin
__ Apr 18, 2017





















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__ hardcookin
__ Apr 18, 2017


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## tallbm

phatbac said:


> One of the best briskets i have ever cooked was at 350-400 because my therm was broken and i didn't know it till afterwards. it was a select 19#er from Walmart and it cooked in 6.5 hours. It was cooked to 206 IT and it was great. i used red oak wood in my lang.  I think people get hung up by numbers. just like to say it took them 15 hours etc so its like they did it better or something. i think if you go hotter and faster you will be fine.
> 
> Just my opinion,
> 
> phatbac (Aaron)


I have yet to do my first brisket all by myself but have participated in many brisket cooks so feel free to take this as you like.

Franklin does his brisket's at 275F and in his book makes no fuss about fixating on a temp.  275F seems to work out well for him with time, volume of meat to cook, quality of product produced, etc. etc. for his restaurant.

I've personally eaten many a brisket done at like 400F and they were fantastic.  I have plenty of family members that do the high heat smoke of brisket and they love the shorter cook time and the great results.  Especially when smoking with Mesquite wood which would be too powerful for a long application of smoke.  

I've eaten plenty of low and slow brisket as well and they were also fantastic so the quality is achieved both ways.

I think I honestly prefer the 400F side of the argument due to getting some really good bark and reduced cooking times.  We have such a large extended family that I believe it is usually a 4 full packer minimum on brisket cooks, so high and hot to then rest overnight and reheat the next day is usually how it goes... and it goes well!!!!


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## SmokinAl

I used to do the all night thing with brisket at 215-225.

Now I smoke them at 270-280.

The only difference I find is they take much less time to cook, and they very seldom hit that dreaded stall at 165-170.

Al


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## deuc224

I think you guys convinced me to take it to 275 with this next smoke.  Itll be the traditional salt n pepper rub with oak pellets for this one and looking for about a 10-12 lb brisket this time.  I forgot to add a water pan this last time but the meat was still incredibly moist and tender.Probably will skip it this time again and do it fat cap down again also.  Anything else you guys recommend?  Oh yeah i did use the Texas crutch for this brisket since i didnt have any butcher paper.  Might orer some from amazon and see if itll get here by friday.  Any other recommendations?


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## mops and hops

Deuce I definitely recommend the high and fast with beef. I'm new here and only cooked a dozen or so big cuts of beef in the smoker but I think the water pan advantage is just for temp regulation rather than moisture. I leave my cuts usually unwrapped and directly on the grate the entire cook. but i really like bark. My best brisket I took to 205-210 IT Bc I dozed off from exhaustion of 12 oz curls. U might try a coffee rub. That's what I always use on fatty cuts of beef.


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## dave schiller

Not having done a brisket yet, I plan to go with what works for Franklin before I start experimenting with other times and temps.  So I'll cook at 275 to start.


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## noboundaries

Before I started smoking I always oven roasted briskets at 350F. They were always juicy and tender.  When I started smoking I had to learn how to be patient enough to smoke at 225-250F.  Then I started increasing temps and decreasing times.  No difference in taste or tenderness.  

Now I use a combination of the two with a low n slow start and hot n fast finish. My WSM smoker is set up like an oven with the BBQ Guru.  For butts and briskets, I'll put the meat on at 225F overnight, then crank it up north of 300F the next morning.  I sleep like a baby then have everything ready by lunch.


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## young j

I think you should smoke the meat with the fat cap facing up because the fat renders over the meat while it's smoking, works well for me.


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## sauced

My smoker likes to run in the 275 range and yes, meats cook a bit quicker and there is no difference to me.


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## sonofasmoker

I usually figure 1.15-1.30 hours per pound at 225 when I am smoking. What is the equation yall use for 275?


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## smokesontuesday

SonOfaSmoker said:


> I usually figure 1.15-1.30 hours per pound at 225 when I am smoking. What is the equation yall use for 275?


I still figure a good hour per pound but I don't sweat the time too much. Meat is done when it's done. I've had 10-12 pound briskets hit ~205 IT in 8 hours and I've have had them take 14, even at ~275. I did two 3 pound pieces of pastrami a few weeks back that I guesstimated 6 hours for at 225 and they took almost 10.

It is what it is. If the cook goes long I may have to put more beer in the cooler to finish it up. If it goes short I have cold beer to drink with dinner.


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## sauced

SmokesOnTuesday said:


> I still figure a good hour per pound but I don't sweat the time too much. Meat is done when it's done. I've had 10-12 pound briskets hit ~205 IT in 8 hours and I've have had them take 14, even at ~275. I did two 3 pound pieces of pastrami a few weeks back that I guesstimated 6 hours for at 225 and they took almost 10.
> 
> It is what it is. If the cook goes long I may have to put more beer in the cooler to finish it up. If it goes short I have cold beer to drink with dinner.


I agree....it's done when it's done! But at 275 - 300 range, I use the 1 - 1:15 hour per pound as a gage to estimate approximately when it "might" be done or near being done.


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## lancep

My new smoker likes to run about 275-300 when stick burning. If I'm on top of it I can keep it around 280. Cooked the best brisket of my life a few months ago at that temp so I'm confident that you'll be fine. If I'm smoking for guests, I still estimate 1:15-1:30 per pound. If I'm done early no big deal, just rest it in a cooler. But last thing I want is the pressure to pull it early. 

Lance


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## hardcookin

Dave Schiller said:


> Not having done a brisket yet, I plan to go with what works for Franklin before I start experimenting with other times and temps.  So I'll cook at 275 to start.



Keep in mind that Franklin can be somewhat of a guideline. But he is smoking 1800 - 2200 lbs of brisket a day. In huge smokers.
He also rests his briskets for quite a few hours. That a different environment than just smoking 1-2 briskets.

Write down the details of your smoke and keep a log. Paying attention to detail and practice will give you better brisket results.


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## tsonka

On my WSM, which I can dial in and hold a steady temp with my eyes closed, I like to run between 225-250

With the Yoder which I am still trying to master, I am happy with anything between 250-275. I usually heat it to 275, try to hold that and let my swings be cooler instead of hotter


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## KennyZ33

deuc224 said:


> I think you guys convinced me to take it to 275 with this next smoke.  Itll be the traditional salt n pepper rub with oak pellets for this one and looking for about a 10-12 lb brisket this time.  I forgot to add a water pan this last time but the meat was still incredibly moist and tender.Probably will skip it this time again and do it fat cap down again also.  Anything else you guys recommend?  Oh yeah i did use the Texas crutch for this brisket since i didnt have any butcher paper.  Might orer some from amazon and see if itll get here by friday.  Any other recommendations?



I've returned to smoking meat after a long hiatus. For brisket, I always went with a texas style rub with paprika, black pepper, and a bit of sugar, and chili powder. I always thought it tasted great but THEN my Franklin BBQ book swears by just salt and pepper....hmm...I see you do it that way...I'm worried it will be a bit bland? However, this meat I ordered is a snake river farms wagyu gold brisket and should have a great flavor on it's own...so maybe just salt and pepper? I also used to let it sit with the rub overnight and thought I would get a better bark that way with my rub blend I mentioned above. Any thoughts on whether that matters? The Franklin BBQ master doesn't let em season overnight but I'm not sure if that's just because they don't have time and make so many or it doesn't matter?


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## 801driver

This is why when people get so uptight about their smoker fluctuating a few degrees, I have to wonder if it is worth the price of fancy controllers to hold exact temps, particularly in electrics.  I have always used 225, but you guys are instigating me to dial it up a bit my next smoke.  Thank you for all the info on your experiences and opinions


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