# Franklin's recommended brisket temp and times



## leftcoastsmoke (Jan 27, 2017)

I've cooked a few briskets on my LBGE at 275'. I think this is the temp Franklin says he cooks his. Consistently mine are done hours before his estimated times. Am I missing something? I see here and elsewhere that most people come in around 240' to 250'. I mean it tastes great, but I don't know if more time in the smoker would make it even better..

Scott


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## erik (Jan 27, 2017)

Are briskets you're cooking the same size as his?


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## firemanjon (Jan 27, 2017)

I have noticed when I do mine hotter they do get finished sooner as it seems to push through the stall faster. I do brisket on the wsm and when I do a "hot and fast" cook I push it to around 300-320. I am changing a lot of things up at the moment trying to find out that same thing for myself. I do think the overall cook time is going to vary so much between each brisket I don't go by time I just put it on early enough to make sure it's finished early and let it rest until ready to serve. I think the cook time has much to do with the fat content of each individual brisket, such as if yours are very much leaner than what Franklin used yours will cook faster. Most of our smaller packer briskets around here are very lean to my liking and they cook very fast.


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## sirsquatch (Jan 27, 2017)

I'm no expert by any means, but I don't think a faster cooked brisket is going to make it taste any better/worse than any other amount of time. If you get it smoked, tender and with the bark you like, you're good to go.


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## leftcoastsmoke (Jan 27, 2017)

The briskets I've cooked thus far have been choice grade and between 12-14lbs. With respect to pushing through the stall I have definitely noticed that there is little to no stall at that temp. I have watched pork butts go into the stall and go backwards. Of course that was at 220'. Anyway, the end product is excellent. The flat might be a little to dry for my taste but I've only done three thus far so still trying to hone in on the right formula. The reason I went with Franklin's numbers is because I visited there a couple of months ago and wow...That was awesome.

Scott


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## leftcoastsmoke (Jan 27, 2017)

Oh yes, also- I took delivery on my 48" custom offset smoker a month ago and I;m still getting the hang of temp control using nothing but wood. I will say there is a huge difference between the ribs I've cooked on the offset and my BGE. I haven't tried a brisket on it yet.  I really love the BGE for certain cooks but in my opinion the offset has the advantage in other situations. I'm very fortunate to have both, frankly- this is do in no small part to a wife willing to let me indulge my hobbies :)

Scott


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## sxfxz (Jan 27, 2017)

I cook all my briskets at 275 in butcher paper...14lb briskets usually finish in 12-13 hours...I cooked a 12lb brisket at 300 last weekend and wrapped in foil...cooked to 205IT in 6 hours . Didn't have enough time for fat to render. Was a little tough and too much of the fat cap was left over. I've found that anything slower than 275 is just a waste of time. No need to go that slow.


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## crankybuzzard (Jan 27, 2017)

It's all personal preference as to how one smokes a brisket... What smoke temp, what the finished temp is, foil/no foil, etc...

However, you cannot cook one to time, It'll be ready when the meat decides to hit the temperature you've chosen as the completed IT.


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## hardcookin (Jan 27, 2017)

I don't really think that you will get the results that Franklin gets. There is a big difference between cooking 1 brisket on a BGE and smoking 30 briskets? on a offset...A who different cooking environment.
He uses good quality brisket and hand selected firewood.
The more brisket you cook the better you will get....take notes.
And as Cranky said brisket is done when it is done.


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## hb99 (Feb 2, 2017)

Franklin?  What does he know about brisket?  LOL!  I think he has some pretty good/informative YouTube videos.

If there's one thing I've leaned about any kind of cooking is if you cook to temperature you're never wrong.

Not caring if it's sacrilegious or not, I always separate the flat and point prior to smoking since they finish at different times.

I'll take "delicious" over "sacrilegious" any day of the week.

I've yet to use the "pink paper", but with the Amazon gift card I got from the kids at Christmas I've been considering to buy a roll...the 24", not the 18".


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## 23Stephen23 (Jun 17, 2018)

I know this thread is a year old but sure others who are seeking answers will read this so here is my 2 cents. I think that cook temp and meat quality have everything to do with what internal temp you pull a brisket. It also has everything to do with what your cooking for. The briskets I have cooked in competition are taken off much earlier then what I cook for friends and family as in competition you have the slice thickness test and pull test as part of your scoring. I like my brisket a little more tender for personal preferences. I think Aaron may say 195 degress IT because he is cooking hot to save labor time of cook. At higher cooking temp then your going to see a greater rise in internal temp after you pull that brisket from the smoker. You'll see at 10 degrees rise in internal temp right after you pull brisket from smoker if your cooking at 275. On the other hand, if your cooking at 210 then you'll be lucky to ever get an internal temp over 200 and the brisket will start to drop IT almost as soon as you pull it from smoker. Both ways work and give the same end result with the same IT once the brisket is left to rest. My preference with briskets at home is never over 225 and like to try to keep it dialed in at 210. I like to hold mine in a Yeti for up to 5 hours straight from smoker. Of course I could not do this in competition because time would not allow for that since competitions are on a time clock. The way I cook in competition or how I would in a restaurant is completely different then I cook at home. At home I take my time. Both ways I do use USDA prime briskets from Coscto aged to the max before they go bad


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## BKING! (Jun 17, 2018)

Something that people forget or dont know about franklin’s technique is after his brisket is “finished” in the smoker he puts it in a heated cabinet at around 165 deg to “hold it” for upwards of 12 hours. Now anyone that does sous vide knows that you can infact cook at those temps and it’s around that internal temp that collagen begins breaking down to further tenderize the meat. It is when he takes it out of the heated cabinet that the brisket is finally finished and it is my opinion his secret to awesome brisket.


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## Byrney (Apr 23, 2019)

Sorry to dig this one up from the tomb but BKING lets us in on a trade secret here.

When he says when the brisket is finished then put into the caninet


Does he mean this:
Brisket is smoked to IT of 203, taken off then placed into the cabinet which has a temp of 165. *Or* is he saying the brisket itself is being taken off at 165 IT and placed in a cabinet (unknown temp) to cook for 12 hours until it gets to 203?

Dave


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## schlotz (Apr 24, 2019)

I doubt 'finished in the smoker' part equals an IT of 165º. More likely the IT would be in the 190-200º range then held in a 165º cabinet until served. JMTC


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## zwiller (Apr 24, 2019)

+1 Another trade secret is he dry brines/rubs and holds overnight before smoking.  I personally think the pepper plays a bigger role than many think.  Fresh course ground pepper is several levels above plain jane store bought.  

Read the reviews:


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## krj (Apr 24, 2019)

Byrney said:


> Sorry to dig this one up from the tomb but BKING lets us in on a trade secret here.
> 
> When he says when the brisket is finished then put into the caninet
> 
> ...



No, the brisket is smoked to 203(or whatever Franklin does his temps to) and then it is put into a warming cabinet set at 165 to hold the meat at temperature. I watched a video of Franklin saying he likes his brisket to be sliced to order to maintain the juices in the meat. This is tough to do with as much meat as they go through in a day, so the warming cabinet is a must.


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## hb99 (May 6, 2019)

IMO, 12 hours at 165F while slowly coming down from 203...is still cooking.


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## zwiller (May 6, 2019)

Yep, think sous vide.


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## worm304 (May 9, 2019)

SO now I have to buy a metal warming cabinet.  Gotcha.


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## krj (May 9, 2019)

worm304 said:


> SO now I have to buy a metal warming cabinet.  Gotcha.



I know it's on my list of equipment to buy, but I'm starting to build a food truck/mobile kitchen to have a dedicated workspace for business.


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## zwiller (May 9, 2019)

I think using your oven at 170F would be doable and as I mentioned SV.  I have not seen any info on it but if you wrapped a brisket and placed in cooler it might stay in the proper range for 12hrs since you are putting it in around 200F.  I see references of 10F lost in 4 hours so, for 12hrs that's 30F (200-30=170F).  Some guys have compared the expensive coolers to cambrios and apparently coolers work quite well but the cambrio is designed for hotel pans etc.


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## worm304 (May 9, 2019)

krj said:


> I know it's on my list of equipment to buy, but I'm starting to build a food truck/mobile kitchen to have a dedicated workspace for business.



Yeah.  They aren't cheap.  I wasn't as serious as you but looked it up for the fun of it.  Good luck with the future business venture!  My crappy coleman will have to do.  Or as mentioned I guess an over would do just fine if at home.  For some reason I didn't think of that.


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## jokensmoken (May 9, 2019)

hb99 said:


> Franklin?  What does he know about brisket?  LOL!  I think he has some pretty good/informative YouTube videos.
> 
> If there's one thing I've leaned about any kind of cooking is if you cook to temperature you're never wrong.
> 
> ...


I humbly disagree about cooking to temperature.
I too was steadfast to temps but my results improved when I adopted the."probe tender" ideology.
Prior to that I had no real consiatancy...
A butt cooked to 203° one time would be perfect, the next off a bit...
Not true probing for tenderness...
Texture, moisture and pullability (is that even a word...lol) are much more constant...
With briskets I've found some to be perfect at 203 and some a bit tough (A BIT)...again not true if you probe...
I use IT a a gauge as to when to start paying close attention probing...
My IT target is 185° on briskets and buttsthen probe till done.


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## hb99 (May 10, 2019)

jokensmoken said:


> I humbly disagree about cooking to temperature.
> I too was steadfast to temps but my results improved when I adopted the."probe tender" ideology.
> Prior to that I had no real consiatancy...
> A butt cooked to 203° one time would be perfect, the next off a bit...
> ...



I hear you, but...we all get what we get and use what works for us.  FWIW, I take my butts and briskets to 207F and let them sit at least 3 hours.  No complaints yet...


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## jokensmoken (May 12, 2019)

hb99 said:


> I hear you, but...we all get what we get and use what works for us.  FWIW, I take my butts and briskets to 207F and let them sit at least 3 hours.  No complaints yet...


I'm absolutely in agreement with "go with what you know" or what works...
I never tried letting the IT get that high when I was going by temp alone...203° was my target temp..
That could explain why I was inconsistent. 
Now that I probe tenderness I dont check IT at the finish.
Based on what you're saying, I'm going to start...would sure be more convenient to have a "go to" temp that always worked.


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## zwiller (May 13, 2019)

Do what you want but remember pulling brisket too early is the classic fail.  Brisket is unique in that overdone is better than underdone.


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## jokensmoken (May 13, 2019)

zwiller said:


> Do what you want but remember pulling brisket too early is the classic fail.  Brisket is unique in that overdone is better than underdone.


That's why I probe now...since I started probing for tenderness to judge doneness my results have improved drastically and I'm never under cooked...
That being said, when I adopted probing for doneness I abandon checking IT beyond a certain point...
Based on hb99s comment about 207° never failing I am going to start measuring IT when my briskets are done using the probing technique to see if I can establish anything consistant...


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## hb99 (May 30, 2019)

To add to the above, I have never experienced that "mushy" meat (at 207F) that some people have mentioned.

In the beginning (being a newbie smoker), I was concerned about overcooking.  I tried the rest at 1, 2, and 3 hours and 3 seems like the magic number to me.  I think the longer 3 hour rest gives the meat time to stabilize itself.


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## humdinger (May 30, 2019)

hb99 said:


> To add to the above, I have never experienced that "mushy" meat (at 207F) that some people have mentioned.
> 
> In the beginning (being a newbie smoker), I was concerned about overcooking.  I tried the rest at 1, 2, and 3 hours and 3 seems like the magic number to me.  I think the longer 3 hour rest gives the meat time to stabilize itself.



I agree, your extended rest time is probably the reason it doesn't end up mushy. When the meat is hot out of the cooker, the water in the meat is 'rushing' to escape (especially when cut or pulled), but a long rest allows the juices in the meat to stabilize and meat fibers to firm up a bit. 

As always, stick with what works, but if time is ever an issue, maybe try cooking to a slightly lower finish temp and resting for only one hour. I'd be curious to see what the results were for that.


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## bbqprep (Jun 7, 2020)

hb99 said:


> IMO, 12 hours at 165F while slowly coming down from 203...is still cooking.



Cooked meat in my Alto-Shaam on hold mode keeps the internal temperature of the meat about 10 degrees less than the setting. A setting of 165 will hold the meat at 155. I read somewhere that Aaron Franklin keeps his wrapped meats on cooling racks until the internal  temperature drops low enough to put them into the hold over ovens. I cooked a 16 pound brisket last night on my Weber 16.75 using the Slow and Sear I just purchased. With vents adjusted correct the grate temp stayed at 225 from 8:30 pm until 5:00 am on one fill with briquets. I'm going to try the pull and open rest and then into the holdover after the internal hits 145.


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