How long does it take for a 10 lb brisket to smoke?

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Smoking a brisket is a lot of work but also a lot of fun, and if done right, the results are one of the most tender, juicy, and flavorful meats you can have. Knowing how long to smoke a brisk is the first step to attaining good results.

To achieve the best results when smoking a brisket, you need to know a few basics. If you ignore these basic guidelines, the end result will be a dry brisket.

So in this article, we are going to address the most important factor when smoking a brisket, how long to smoke the brisket per pound, cooking temperature guidelines, and how long to smoke a brisket per pound at 225 or 250 degrees. F.

Follow this article to learn a few basics, and you will enjoy the best brisket of your life.

How long to smoke a brisket per pound – With Calculator and examples

They are different ways and styles to smoke a brisket, including temperature preferences. However, the overall consensus to smoke a whole brisket is to cook at a low temperature from 225 to 250 degrees F.

A 25 degree difference will only shorten cook times by a few minutes, so aim for the 225-degree temperature to cook brisket.

For the proposes of this article, we will use a cooking temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit as our set temperature to show you specific breakdowns and examples of smoking temperatures per pound.

If you choose a different temperature to smoke, remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Temperature and Cooking Times Guidelines:

It is recommended to smoke one pound of brisket for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are going to smoke a little faster or your smoker or grill does not operate well at low temperature, here is another guideline:

It is recommended to smoke one pound of brisket for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here is a breakdown of smoking times

How long should I smoke brisket per pound for best results? Cooking Times Per Pound of Brisket

How long should I smoke a 18 lb brisket

18lb brisket smoke time

At 250 Degrees Fahrenheit

18lbs x 1.25 hours= 22.5 hours

At 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

18lbs x 1.5 hours = 27 hours

How long should I smoke a 16 lb brisket

Smoking a 16-pound brisket is a long process and will require some patience.

At 250 Degrees Fahrenheit

16lbs x 1.25 hours= 20 hours ( What ?)

At 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

16lbs x 1.5 hours = 24 hours

How long should I smoke a 10 lb brisket?

A 10-pound brisket is more manageable and will require less time than a large 16-pound brisket. Your meat thermometer is your friend, and always check the brisket’s temperature to know when it is ready.

At 250 Degrees Fahrenheit

10lbs x 1.25 hours = 12.25 hours

At 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

10lbs x 1.5 hours = 15 hours

How long should I smoke a 4 lb brisket

A 4-pound beef brisket is big enough for a small family and will take less work and time. Larger briskets will sometimes stall, requiring you to wrap the brisket.

At 250 Degrees Fahrenheit

4lbs x 1.25 hours = 5 hours

At 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

4lbs x 1.5 hours = 5.5hours

How long should I smoke a 2 lb brisket

A two-pound brisket will require less time and is a good size for beginners. This is how long to smoke a 2lb brisket.

At 250 Degrees Fahrenheit

2lbs x 1.25 hours = 2.5 hours

At 225 Degrees Fahrenheit

2lbs x 1.5 hours = 3 hours

How do I smoke brisket?

Here at BBQGrillAcademy.com we love brisket and have an amazing smoked brisket recipe simple enough for everyone to try.

The secret to tender brisket is to smoke it at a constant temperature using the low and slow method at the temperatures listed in this article.

How do I prepare brisket for smoking?

It is not difficult to prepare the brisket and get it ready for the smoker. In our step-by-step guide to smoking a brisket, we teach you how to trim the brisket so it cooks evenly and without burned ends.

Seasoning

Seasoning is one of those areas where people go bananas and overthink everything. Yes, you may use garlic powder, and some people even inject broth into the meat.

If you follow any of the top Pit Masters, including Aaron Franklin, you will know that when it comes to briskets, simple seasoning can provide fantastic results. You do not want to season the meat in such a manner that it overpowers the smoke flavor.

To season your brisket, a simple mixture of salt and paper will be enough.

IMPORTANT: Choose The Right Brisket

The key to a fantastic brisket is not the aluminum foil weave or the sort of beef broth you inject into it. Everything starts with the quality of the meat. Yes, the meat quality will dramatically impact how tender and juicy your smoked brisket will be.

We recommend companies like Snake River Farms as they offer prime meat cuts and fresh choices.

Best beef

What creates great smoked beef brisket is quality beef.

If you want to cook the best-smoked brisket, start with the best quality cut of beef possible. If you are new to smoking brisket and want to do test runs, then your local supermarket meat will do but when you are ready to move up, use nothing but the freshest and high-quality meat.

How can I shorten the cooking time?

You can also use the Texas Crutch method in a stall to speed things up. This method involved warping the beef brisket.

Preheat your smoker to 350 F and turn the brisket fat side down to prevent the bottom from burning. So at 330 degrees, your brisket will cook considerably faster, but you can end up with a tougher brisket.

Wrapping the meat can save around 45 minutes per pound without compromising its smokey flavor or bark, but be aware that beef brisket cooks more tender at low temperatures.

Other factors to consider

The bigger the brisket, the longer it takes to cook per pound because the heat takes longer to penetrate and reach the center of the beef cut.

Your cooking methods and the type of smoker will affect the cooking time per pound.

Burnt Ends

The brisket point end is more marbled with fat than the flat lean cut end, which is commonly used for slices. The point is utilized for chopped brisket or burned ends.

These slices, sometimes known as “meat candy,” are not truly burned; they merely appear that way due to the Maillard effect. And they are especially sweet, generally served with a sweet BBQ sauce and cooked separately from the rest of the brisket.

How do I wrap brisket?

When the smoke brisket is at 165 degrees F, we remove the meat from the smoker and wrap it in pink butchers paper. This is often called a Texas crutch. 

Wrapping permits the brisket to reach a higher internal temperature without drying out.

Wrapping the brisket prevents what is called the “stall” when evaporation from the surface of the meat halts the cooking process. Cook times vary from 8 to 16 hours depending on the size, temperature, and the brisket cur.

The average smoked brisket takes approximately 17 hours when cooked at 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

How long does it take to smoke brisket?

We have a specific species of animals; there is nothing universal in all cuts. You use weight to estimate the smoking time of your brisket. Remember, internal temperatures always control things.

Beef is considered done when it reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees, but brisket is done when it has reached a 190° to 200° internal temperature.

Best wood pellets for smoked brisket

Post oak and smoked brisket go very well together and this is the wood choice for Aaron Franklin. Our full list of wood pellets for smoking will help you find the best flavor to use in your pellet smoker.

If you are going to smoke a brisket for the first time I recommend you try a few wood mixes before you settle on one flavor. You might find you enjoy fruity flavors like apple, cherry, or even maple.

Enjoy and happy grilling!

BGA BBQ Team

The BGA Writing Team is a group of BBQ enthusiasts and experts with unique gifts and talents. The team is responsible for researching and testing products for our articles and interviewing food industry experts - they never sleep! [email protected]

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How long to smoke 10 lb brisket at 225?

A 10 pound brisket will cook for 10-12 hours at 225. A general rule of thumb is 1- 1.25 hours per pound cooking time. Your specific cook time relies on how consistently you can keep your smoker temperature at 225 degrees.

How long does it take to smoke a 10 lb brisket at 250?

You'll need to cook brisket at 250° for about 30-40 minutes per pound. Upping the temperature to 250°, from the established tried and true rule of smoking at 225°, has some shocking and actually delicious results! You see, when we smoke brisket at 225° F the timing is around 1-1.25 hours per lb.

How to smoke a 10 lb brisket?

Generally plan 60 minutes for every pound of smoked brisket, including the rest (or hold temperature), when cooking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The total length of the cook can be anywhere from 8 hours to 16 depending on the size of the cut. It is normal that every brisket you cook will vary in time.

How long does it take to smoke a brisket at 225?

How Long to Smoke Brisket at 225 Degrees Fahrenheit. When your smoker is set to 225 degrees, you can expect the brisket to cook at a rate of about 1-1/2 to 2 hours per pound. Therefore, if you buy a whole packer brisket that weighs 12 pounds after trimming, you should plan on an 18-hour cooking session.