# Help! mid smoke 6.5 lb brisket at 185 after 3 hours!



## mkedda

Please help me!

Making fathers day smoke. the brisket has only been on for about 4 hours and I am already at 185. this is way faster than I expected. What could be going on ?

Tips... Help?


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## garyt

Small brisket, miracle or most likely a bad thermometer


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## Bearcarver

I would think there is a bad therm involved, like Gary said.

Either your brisket is nowhere near 185˚, or your smoker is way, way above a normal smoking temp.

Bear


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## mkedda

double checked just now. we are at 229 in smoker meat is at 176. still only about 4 hours.

its a 6.5 lb brisket flat.


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## ellymae

A few questions...

Did you calibrate your thermos

Have you checked the temp in more then one spot in the brisket

How big is the brisket

185* in 4 hours just doesn't sound right. You will go through a stall....


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## mkedda

I did calibrate the thermo. Moved to a seperate part of the meat.

How long should a 6.5 lb flat take?


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## africanmeat

It is a small brisket but can be that your temp was hi at the Begin of the smoke pull it out and wrap it in foil and back in to the smoker drop the temp to 225 and pull it out when it gets to IT 195 and let it rest . that what i will do


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## ellymae

Quote:


mkedda said:


> I did calibrate the thermo. Moved to a seperate part of the meat.
> 
> How long should a 6.5 lb flat take?


      I usually figure 1.5 hours/pound then add at least 2 hours to give me a cushion, and I like to give it a rest in a warm, dry cooler. I did a 6+ pound brisket flat yesterday and it took about 9 hours. I cook @ 230* ish, and normally only foil once it hits about 200 AND is probe tender, then foil and let it rest in the cooler. 

Good luck!


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## mkedda

Thanks to all of you. I hope it turns out well. Its my first brisket. have done ribs and pulled pork a bunch of times but this is different. I am making this one for my Dad.

So, if its 6 lbs and 1.5 hour per it should take about 9 hours. I am at hour 5 ish and I am at 180.

Its at 190 now and foilded. Seems like that 190/195 range is good to pull it. How long will it stay warm in a cooler?

Thanks again.


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## ellymae

Foiling will speed up your cooking time.

Do not pull the meat based solely on temperature, you really want to go with how much resistance you get when you stick a probe in it - you are looking for a hot knife through butter - no resistance. That can happen at 195* or 200* or 205* - it all depends on the piece of meat - they are all different.

Once it is done, double wrap it in foil and a couple of towels and throw it in the cooler. Should stay hot for hours. If it starts to get below 140* toss it back in a slow oven.


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## flash

mkedda said:


> double checked just now. we are at 229 in smoker meat is at 176. still only about 4 hours.
> 
> its a 6.5 lb brisket flat.


I had one get done pretty quick one time. Actually the only brisket I had ever done. Still came out pretty good. Just get to 195º, then remove it and wrap it in foil for an hour or two. We made up some Au Jus just in case it was dry, but it was still pretty juicy. Remember brisket starts to dry up pretty quick after it is sliced.


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## mkedda

when you say pretty quick. what was the time?


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## Bearcarver

I just looked at my records:

The last Brisket flat I did was a 4 pounder.

I put it in at 7 AM.

Temps held between 220˚ and 230˚.

At 4 hours (11 AM) I put my probe in.

The temp was 158˚ internal.

It stayed at 158˚ for another 1 1/2 hours (Stall).

Bear


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## motochef

One thing that has happened to me is the prob would give me a false reading. What I would do is pull the prob out (not all the way) shift the tip to the left or right, up or down and re insert it into the meat and find the cold spot. Do this a few times in different areas using the same hole the prob is in. You may find an area the is 20-30 degrees cooler than the place you put the prob in originally. I do this with roasts in the oven all the time.


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## flash

mkedda said:


> when you say pretty quick. what was the time?




 Mine was just a flat also and i think it was 6 1/2 to 7 hours. You can always drop the smoker temp some. I don't remember a stall happening in mine. Surprised me.


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## raptor700

ellymae said:


> Foiling will speed up your cooking time.
> 
> Do not pull the meat based solely on temperature, you really want to go with how much resistance you get when you stick a probe in it - you are looking for a hot knife through butter - no resistance. That can happen at 195* or 200* or 205* - it all depends on the piece of meat - they are all different.
> 
> Once it is done, double wrap it in foil and a couple of towels and throw it in the cooler. Should stay hot for hours. If it starts to get below 140* toss it back in a slow oven.


  *X2*


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## SmokinAl




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## smoking tony

HOW LONG ON A  5.5LB  BRISKET IN A SMOKER AND WHAT TEMP TO PUT IT IN FOIL ???


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## bama bbq

Even though this post is a cpl yrs old, this is my take on your question Tony: the cooking time depends on the pit temp, the quality of the meat, how moist the air is in the cooker, if you injected, and how long you crutched and on and on. Most say 1.5 hrs per lb but that can vary widely due to all the factors mentioned. 

The foil question also depends. Answers anywhere between 150-170*F are common.  I like to wait until the bark is set and at least 150*F.


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