Taking Forever

[Gene68]

Enjoy my Smokin it #2, but it takes a long time to get the meat done. I put in a brined 3 lb brisket at 8 AM, and it took 8 hours with the smoker set at 250. Seems long to me. I took it out at 198 degrees. Another concern is if I end up leaving it in too long it runs the risk of drying out even by using a water pan. Thoughts on why it may be taking that long or is it normal?

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[DivotMaker]

Gene, the size of your brisket is why it's taking so long.  Small cuts, like your 3 pounder, take as much as 3 hours per pound to cook!  Not sure of the science behind it, but it is certainly the case.  I once did a <4 lb corned beef brisket that took 11 hours! 

Next time, get a larger cut of meat (for briskets or pork butts).  Small cuts, like tenderloins or pretty much anything else, cook normally.  Itty bitty brikies take forever!!  Nothing wrong with what you're doing, just the nature of the beast!

[Gene68]

Thanks much! I'll give it a try!

[va_rider]

Could always go the other way... Every brisket I've done has finished a lot sooner than expected. A 12.5 pounder took 14 hours. My last one, a 16 pounder, took 13.5 hours. Well less than an hour per pound.

[DivotMaker]

Now, that's just a bonus, Aaron!

[va_rider]

It makes it a pain to try to schedule the cook to eating times. A 16# brisket put on at 6pm, I was planning for it to come off at noon-1pm the next day, to eat around 4pm. As it was, coming off at 9am, it sat in the cooler for an awful long time.

[DivotMaker]

It makes it a pain to try to schedule the cook to eating times. A 16# brisket put on at 6pm, I was planning for it to come off at noon-1pm the next day, to eat around 4pm. As it was, coming off at 9am, it sat in the cooler for an awful long time.

Aaron, when you have to wait that long, you can put your double-wrapped meat in the smoker, set to 140 for a long time.  Keep the door open, for a bit, so the smoker will cool down to 140, then throw the foiled meat in there.  It will stay at a "food safe" temperature," but won't be cooking anymore.  Move to the cooler 1-2 hours before serving, for a rest.  Works great, and I've done it many times with no problems. 

As a side-note -  That's the what makes our hobby fun; the unpredictability!  We can try to control as much of this process as we can, but it only goes so far.  The meat has its own agenda, and really drives the bus!