smoking time calculator

The meat will be done when it's done. Get a good thermometer and use it instead.

For ribs, start with the 3-2-1 method at 225 to 250 degrees. After some experience, you will learn to tell when they are done using the bend test or the bone twist test or the toothpick test.

For Brisket, they are all unique. Cook it at 225 to 250 until it reaches and internal temperature of 170 and then continue to cook it and wait. It can take a couple of hours for the temp to go above 170. When it reaches 195 to 200, it's ready.

For Pork shoulder, cook it like a Brisket. 195 to 200 internal temp is usually good for pulled pork.

Start early then go by Temp/Tenderness then Let it get a good nap (rest a couple hours) before serving. I think most say like 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound.

The problem is that each piece of meat has a different structure and takes a different time to get done. Also, each smoker has its own thermal characteristics, even at the same temperatures, so the time varies once again. That is why you will hear "it is done when it is done".

That being said, a very rough rule of thumb is 1 1/2 hours per pound for brisket and pork butts when you cook low and slow.

http://wyntk.us/smoking-times-and-temperatures

this is a pretty good rule of thumb.

Great linky for newbies like me! Thanks!

I just made something for this...

Hey guys (and gals),

I just made an online Meat Smoking Calculator for this. I had an excel spreadsheet which I used that did all the math but I figured I'd create an actual online tool...

I'm curious to get your thoughts.

Now, it's still very much a work in progress but I think it's ready to be shared.

Check it out at http://MeatSmokingCalculator.com

Please give me your feedback - I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance,
John

jkirker said:

Hey guys (and gals),

I just made an online Meat Smoking Calculator for this. I had an excel spreadsheet which I used that did all the math but I figured I'd create an actual online tool...

I'm curious to get your thoughts.

Now, it's still very much a work in progress but I think it's ready to be shared.

Check it out at http://MeatSmokingCalculator.com

Please give me your feedback - I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance,
John

Click to expand...

Is this using only one temperature ?

Just stopped in to see how many times folks would say "it's done when it's done!" :wink:

MilitantSquatter said:

Is this using only one temperature ?

Click to expand...

Hi Vinny,

For now there is a default meat temp set based on the type of meat being cooked.

Everything is based on a 9 out of 10 recommend and my own cooking experience.

It's very "general" in essence at the moment - and very new...Great for beginners and intermediate folk I think and as I get more datapoints on different meats cooking at different temps, we'll expand it.

I'm a slow and low guy and I do everything typically between 210 and 235ish.

But that's me and I know everyone has their own style.

What do you think out of the gate though?

And the suggested rest times? Well, I've realized some great benefits from resting - and it also buys time for longer cooks. When it's done for me, it goes straight into the Cambro!

Give me some instructions and feedback and I'll use what I can to continue to refine it.

John

John - it's creative an nice, but my opinion is that aside from a general guideline, something like this can do more harm than good for a novice... There are just too many variables that cannot be accounted for that could cause a new cook to make bad decisions if they believe that they need to stick to a schedule even if variables changes and don't know how to adapt.

Just tried it. To make a 14 pound brisket for slicing, it takes 36 hours from the time you put it on the heat until the time it's ready. Had to check if I said brisket...or jerky. Nope, I put in brisket. Something tells me it may be a bit dry.

Silly

Im out to dinner but just tried it on my phone and a 14 ounce based on the 90/pound rule suggested 21 and not 36.

Can anyone else verify Chucks math?

Come on man. Help a brother out.

And this is a "guide". How many times has it happen when someone cooks and they don't end up serving until 10pm bcause they didnt anticipate the time of the cook?

I've seen it and it's happened to me more then once. I've even seen. Ompetition friends bonehead it.

Also Chuck there's a suggested rest in there. Perhaps you read it wrong?

And if you do it again and it's jacked up please send me a screenshot and I'll figure it out.

Got home and checked it. I can't get it to show me a 36 hour cook. How did you do that??? Let me know.

Ps. We'll be cooking 130 lbs of goodness starting tomorrow night for the Super Bowl... 4 different cookers.

I plan to put the calculator to the test on each piece of meat. It'll be an interesting experiment.

Thanks for taking the time to write - and any feedback on ways I can make this thing better would be appreciated. Love it or hate it, it's probably not for everyone.

Because meats/pits don't cook identically, your calculator will always be a guide.

Nothing wrong with that.

It's another tool in the tool chest.

I think you did a great job.

jkirker said:

Im out to dinner but just tried it on my phone and a 14 ounce based on the 90/pound rule suggested 21 and not 36.

Can anyone else verify Chucks math?

Come on man. Help a brother out.

And this is a "guide". How many times has it happen when someone cooks and they don't end up serving until 10pm bcause they didnt anticipate the time of the cook?

I've seen it and it's happened to me more then once. I've even seen. Ompetition friends bonehead it.

Also Chuck there's a suggested rest in there. Perhaps you read it wrong?

And if you do it again and it's jacked up please send me a screenshot and I'll figure it out.

Click to expand...

I like the idea, and I want it to work. Hell, I'm doing my first comp soon, so I'd love to see this work, so I could use it as a guide.
Just tried it again.
Can't send a screenshot from my phone. Sorry.

This time, I got a 26-hour cook. Better, but still too long. And yes, I realize there's a rest time (and I appreciate that being included).

Put in march 14, 2 pm as desired completion time. (Somewhat random, but simulating a comp turn-in time). It tells me to put the meat on the grill at 12 noon on march 13.

Is it just me?

Just tried it again, different dates. Same results. 21 hours from time meat is on smoker till meat is done at 180*. Then rest.
I imagine that these numbers might be true if you're smoking at 190*, but too long at 225 or 235* for a 14 brisket to be sliced.

Is it my phone? I will try my desktop in the morning.

It tells me I can cook a 12 lb brisket in 6 hours?

cireksu said:

http://wyntk.us/smoking-times-and-temperatures

this is a pretty good rule of thumb.

Click to expand...

This is a terrible chart for finished temps!

160 for meat loaf?
167 for thighs & turkey?
At 180 you can certainly slice brisket but it won't be edible?

So sweet - thanks for the comments and PM's so far... I've added some instructional dialogue to the site.... Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Hey, would any of you guys be willing to share some data with me via comments on the site or via PM?

My goal is to make this as accurate as possible - within reason of course.

I totally understand that two cookers sitting side by side will cook two different pieces of meat entirely differently. I also understand that two pieces of meat weighing the same will cook differently based on their geometry, muscle/fat/moisture content, etc. So there will likely never be a perfect tool unless you put the piece through an MRI machine.. We'll try that next.

Here's the bottom line...I just want to create something cool and useful ya know... So with some guidance and some help, maybe I can make it happen. Maybe I can make something that will self-adjust automatically for larger pieces of meat, etc. You know, something that will be a little more accurate than picking up a book that will tell you that your 16 pound piece of meat will be done in 24 hours which certainly sounds a lot on the long side.

So if you are willing to take the time and open to sharing with me, I'd love as much data as I can get. And I'll use it to make improvements.

What data would help?

1) Type of meat
2) Post trim meat weight (the weight of the meat at the time it was added to the heat)
3) Average pit temp during cook & your target cooking temp
4) # of prolonged spikes (how hot did it get and how long did they hold)
5) Total cook time
6) Internal finish temp when done
7) Thoughts on how it turned out (moist, dry, brittle, crumbly, tough, total perfection on a plate)
8) Whether conditions
9) Cooker type

And whatever else you can think of that I'm missing. It's not even 6AM yet hre and I haven't had my coffee... It's going to be a LONG weekend of this, cooking and beer.