# Pit Barrel Smoker - Brisket



## thebaum (Mar 10, 2017)

The pit barrel site advises 6 hours +/- for a brisket.  I smoked a 10 lb brisket and it took about 9 hours to reach 200F internal temp.  I need to smoke a 15 hour brisket this weekend and am trying to figure out how long this may take.  Any thoughts on (1) why it took me 9 hours the first time and (2) how long for a 15 lb brisket?  Thanks.


----------



## crankybuzzard (Mar 10, 2017)

to SMF!

To try and answer your often debated question, you can't cook a brisket to time on a consistent basis.  Most all meats have their own mind of when they will be done.  How the meat was handled, fat content, etc. all determine how long it takes to get to the level of done that you prefer.

Smoking at 225° you can plan around 1.5 hours per pound, or 22.5 hours!  Do I think it will take that long?  NOPE!  But again, it depends on the meat...  One good thing about brisket is it holds really well when wrapped in foil and placed into a warm ice chest.  I've held for over 6 hours and it was still too hot to hold bare handed.


----------



## thebaum (Mar 10, 2017)

Thanks for the quick feedback.  I think I'll plan for a longer smoke and use the ice chest if it comes off early.


----------



## russ forbus (Mar 10, 2017)

This is the best bbq I ever had ...watch the 3 part brisket guide...follow it , and it will be perfect...I do 250 degrees,always pretty perfect.


----------



## SmokinAl (Mar 10, 2017)

Russ Forbus said:


> This is the best bbq I ever had ...watch the 3 part brisket guide...follow it , and it will be perfect...I do 250 degrees,always pretty perfect.



I've seen this video before & your right, it's a good one!

Al


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

@TheBaum did you foil wrap with broth?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## thebaum (Mar 18, 2017)

I wrap in foil with stout at 160-165.  It took about six hours just to get to this point.  Wondering if I need to open the vent more.


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

My 12lb pre trimmed brisket is at 148 after 7 hours. How does the PBC website suggest 4-6 hours with a 16lb brisket???

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

Wondering if i don't have my vent open enough too

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## crankybuzzard (Mar 18, 2017)

nathanjwtx said:


> My 12lb pre trimmed brisket is at 148 after 7 hours. How does the PBC website suggest 4-6 hours with a 16lb brisket???
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk



Briskets and butts have a mind of their own.  But, once they pass the stall, they tend to take off.  The only numbers you can trust are the ones on your thermometer, and even then, you'll still want to probe test for tenderness.


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

My 6 o'clock dinner time is starting to look unlikely

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## crankybuzzard (Mar 18, 2017)

nathanjwtx said:


> My 6 o'clock dinner time is starting to look unlikely
> 
> Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk



Maybe not. Once the brisket starts towards the finish, they go pretty well. 

At least you have a beautiful day to smoke!


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

Now that is a very true statement. [emoji]128077[/emoji]

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## thebaum (Mar 18, 2017)

I believe part of the problem is that the ashes start to prevent air flow underneath the basket.  Even though you may keep adding coals for the long smoke, you are getting less heat.  I tried smoking tri-tip after a 10 hour brisket smoke.  Usually takes 50 minutes, this time it took over three hours.


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

Yeah I was thinking that the pan doesn't give much air flow. Trouble is, not much room to raise it up. 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

Finally hit 190. No coals left now though. 
How long can you leave it in the cooler? 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## thebaum (Mar 18, 2017)

You can leave it in the cooler for several hours.  I don't know if the temp will rise though.  I would throw more coals in, open the vent all the way and hope for 200.


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 18, 2017)

I took it out and stuck it in the oven at 250 till it reached 200

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## nathanjwtx (Mar 20, 2017)

After removing from the oven I left it overnight in a cooler. I put it in the fridge then warmed it back to 140 or so later in the day. All things considered it turned out really good, my best yet. 
So, lessons learned? Put it on overnight and plan for a wee bit longer than six hours. 
As mentioned previously I may need to adjust the intake slightly to generate more heat. 


Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


----------



## Rings Я Us (Sep 2, 2017)

[emoji]129300[/emoji]  hmm..


----------



## catskilltrikker (Sep 3, 2017)

I cooked an 11 lb brisket on my pbc yesterday and it finished at 6hrs no problem. My 1st use of my pbc was for ribs and they took longer than advertised on PBC site. I checked the opening at the bottom and it was ok. Bought a new bag of kingsford and everything went ok. I suspect that because I used an older opened bag of charcoal that maybe it had absorbed some moisture and just didn't burn as hot.


----------

