Favored Brisket Temp range

What is your average TARGET cooking temp for Brisket. NOT INTERNAL, the house temp

  • 180-200 Fopr total smoking NOT ring set

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • 225-240

    Votes: 23 28.4%

  • 250 to 325

    Votes: 51 63.0%

  • 330-350

    Votes: 5 6.2%

  • 355 to - anything below 425 BLAZING SPEEDS

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    81
  • Poll closed .
You have seen both of my beasts. I came to the same conclusion too Obviously. I once did calzones at 425 and above and I felt like I was a stoker in the titanic keeping the temp up. Lots of chopping wood into smaller wrist size sticks to get it up high. and Always stocking the box.

MilitantSquatter said:
I never cooked at 225.

With my first pit (a Pitts & Spitts) I usually rode around 235-240 as seemed like it gave me a cushion at the time if temps dropped or spiked a bit.. When I had the WSM's, 245-255 was where I used to lock them in at. Then I moved to the Spicewine and carried the 245-255 over with a Guru but cooked the briskets hotter to the top and rear where I believe it was more like 260-270. Haven't done a brisket in the BGE.

Now, based on my initial experiences with the Klose as primary brisket cooker, I'll likely be in the 275 range and I can also work closer to firebox for more heat if I choose but I don't forsee pushing 300+ regularly.. I like the 275 range as a happy medium.
Click to expand...
 
Until this spring, my previous 8 yrs. worth of brisket was all done in the 225-245 temperature range. But after spending the winter months reading Brethren posts about "hot and fast", I decided to give it a try. Now my fire in the furnace may have left some grey on my face, but I am still "young" enough to be adventureous with my cooking. After turning out some of my best brisket ever with hot and fast, I AM HOOKED. Less time, great taste, and even more compliments; what more do I need. I now cook in the third heat range.:becky: :thumb:
 
Last edited:
I always sit at a 250 minimum, due to the fact my smoker seems to "favor" that amount, I'll let it get to 300, but anything above that starts to freak me out. Not sure why. Maybe it's because of the "tradition" of my youth.
 
I smoked a 14# choice whole packer on friday for 8 hours in the 275-300 range on the WSM and it turned out perfect. I like the higher heat, thanks Donny. BTW no foil was used except to line the water pan.:biggrin:
 
I feel left out in this poll? I keep my WSM dialed into the 240 to 250 range and if I'm feeling crazy I'll give the 325 to 330 range a whirl. : )

Sorry - couldn't resist. Great idea for a poll Pop! Seriously, we have been in a comfort zone of 250 to 275 for a while but those temps are increasing slowly the more brisket we cook. Did one with a new recipe over the weekend and kept it pegged between 275/285. Have to ditch the water pan on the WSM to go higher. The next brisket poll should be what internal do you pull and wrap and for how long.

We need to come up with a catchy term for this middle ground of temps. Low & Slow is nice and relaxing while Hot & Fast is sexy! Medium & Medium just doesn't have that nice ring to it?
 
I like 330 - 350 but I have gone higher several times in the 355 - 400 range with great results also. I love HH. I love low and slow cooked briskets also but only when someone else cooks it because I don't have the patience too cook one for a long time. :-D
 
Neil said:
I smoked a 14# choice whole packer on friday for 8 hours in the 275-300 range on the WSM and it turned out perfect. I like the higher heat, thanks Donny. BTW no foil was used except to line the water pan.:biggrin:
Click to expand...

Sorry this is a bit off topic or smoker specific but the I think the ? is still relevant discussing temps.

Hi Neil,

Are you using an 18 or 22 WSM? What type of charcoal are you using? Water or sand in the water pan? Stoker?

On our 22's, full simmering water pan (which we get great results with and aren't about to ditch for sand or alt), all vents wide open, no stoker, Royal Oak charcoal, we are hard pressed to get above 285 and keep it there - always settles back into the 250 to 275 range which is partly why that has become our comfort zone - this also gives us some vent control depending on wind and ambient. Will run in that zone with full load for a good 5 hours.

For hot and fast we just leave the water pan in but empty. No problem getting 350/375 when needed. But big fan of water smokers and the results. Sounds like your maintaining higher temps approaching 300 with a full water pan? Is this correct? If so how?

Thanks!
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
I wish I had all the sleep back I missed from 1997 to about 2003 when for some reason after all the time I spent at Kreuz, I lowered my temps to that 230 range. Lots and lots of sleep missed.

Here is an example of what I mean. I got word at 10:30 that we had company over and I didn't want to go to the store and had a brisket in the fridge. I cranked up the weber kettle (no way I am pulling the meat mama out of the garage anymore (A pit that can do about 24 Briskets or my Brazos which can do maybe 80 if you bank them) and go buy extra ribs and extra briskets to make the 1/4 cord face of wood that feeds that beast worth the effort.

Sop anyway I put it on at 11:00 By 3 it was ready to wrap, and yes I did pan and wrap it in foil because I had no time to waste. At 4 I check the flat portion and it was done. I just snatched a piece and it was phenomenal. Sure I will have a about an inch at the tip of the flat that's two dry to do anything with but BURNT ends but the rest is juicy, smokey, BEEFY and tender and drenching like a hot 3rd cousin in the back seat of my Corvair after we both ate a spiked Cantelope at my family reunion.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm shootin' for in my brisket!! :-D.....300-325 range in my BDS
 
Been a while since I posted here, but i'm still smoking in the background. Brisket, H&F, HH, whatever, 325-350 for me in the UDS. for the last hour I generally ramp up to about 400 by the time it's all said and done. The guys I cook for at my facility don't care so much about the smoke ring as they do the great taste of brisket so cooking them fast works out well and the longest i've had one take is 4 hours and 5 minutes start to finish. That's a lot of gained sleep!!!!
 
When I mainly used my Chargriller w/SFB, the best I could get was about 225. On a good day, had a little more range up to 275. With the UDS, I have been cooking brisket in the 275 -290 range and love it. The brisket is good and I don't have to spend all day baby sitting the cooker.
 
Boshizzle said:
When I mainly used my Chargriller w/SFB, the best I could get was about 225. On a good day, had a little more range up to 275. With the UDS, I have been cooking brisket in the 275 -290 range and love it. The brisket is good and I don't have to spend all day baby sitting the cooker.
Click to expand...

I am willing to bet my UDS at high temp will be stellar.... maybe I can crank to 350... I have uped the inlets to one inch, four of them
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
tender and drenching like a hot 3rd cousin in the back seat of my Corvair after we both ate a spiked Cantelope at my family reunion.
Click to expand...

The time I saved switching to hot & fast just got wasted on the time I'll be spending cleaning up my keyboard and monitor!! :lol::lol::lol:

Ramp up from 250 to 325 now!
 
Anybody have thoughts on ramping temps up or down during a cook?

Wondering if varying temps to hit a target time for a brisket to be ready would be a valid strategy - normally it'd probably be ramping up, cause if you get done early you can just hold it in the cooler. I would imagine the comp folks would have some insights into this.
 
My first 3 briskets I followed Donny's video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQCeXzhWz3U) to a T. Pan temp foil etc.
My last two I didnt have time to babysit due to family in town and what not.

Parked the UDS at 300* trimmed rubbed and threw on the Brisket. 10 hours later pulled off the following.
No panning, no wrapping, No flipping.

Anyone who knows the walmart turkey frying thermos, know that 300* is straight up and you can see it on the third picture. Note, its the second thermo. The top walmart thermo is my probe to test for doneness.

5198688250_572ac66300_z.jpg


5198689828_8fbd9b613d_z.jpg


5198855721_44c87ffc2e_z.jpg


5199826105_409822de6d_z.jpg

5199824945_268546e4b7_z.jpg


5200414832_5338282032_z.jpg


5199821435_e74e8f7755_z.jpg
 
I hereby Bump this poll since we are discussing it anyway.
 
When I learned to smoek, I'd target 225 to 250. But my last brisket the temps were more 275 to 300 at times. Still tasted about the same. :shrug:
 
Anybody think it's curious that 3 of the 4 ranges are 15-20 degrees wide, and the one that the vast majority fall into is 75 degrees wide?

Skewed poll.
 
ccarter said:
Anybody think it's curious that 3 of the 4 ranges are 15-20 degrees wide, and the one that the vast majority fall into is 75 degrees wide?

Skewed poll.
Click to expand...

I didn't think we were to talk politics in threads. ;)


Sorry, I read poll and that is all I can think of, the mind control commercials are working.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top