Time Management

[Neil]

How do you plan what time you should load up the smoker? Most everyone talks about taking the meat to a certain internal temp before pulling, wrapping, and coolering which makes sense. What I would like to know, is there a standard formula for how long it should take to cook a 14# Brisket or 9#Butt? 1 hr./lb.?? If smoking more than one item do you add the total weight of all your cooking or plan on individual times for each cut of meat?

[Solidkick]

What I would like to know, is there a standard formula for how long it should take to cook a 14# Brisket or 9#Butt? 1 hr./lb.??

Depends on the cooker and the weather conditions. In the 'dera, I "plan" 1.5 to 2 hours per pound. If it's done sooner, all the better, it just gets held in the cooler longer. The last two 14# briskets I've done took about 18-20 hours.

The BBs double insulated "Blue Goose" cooker is just about rock solid at 1 hour per lb. or at least it was this summer and fall. I forgot to ask BellyBro how it performed last Thursday with the -15 wind chills. The weather didn't keep him from cooking, it did me! LOL

[chad]

What 'kick said. For a flat I "figure" about 7-8 hours and add a couple for cooler time. A packer is a bit more problematic -- the 1.5-2 hours formula will get you into the ball park. And then add an hour or so - figure coming up to heat time, etc.

[kcquer]

To help out with my time calculations, I keep a cook log. In the beginning it was very detailed, now just weather conditions, start and stop times, meat weights and some notes on internal temps and pit temps thruout the cook. I use it as sort of a database to guesstimate when I have to hit a serving time for company.

[BigBelly]

The fellas hit the nail on the head. But I always keep a close eye on the internal temps just to make sure they are not cooking faster then I expected. Like last night I was cooking a 6.9 Brisket and it was very darn cold outside. My temps were all over the board so it took longer then I expected to reach 140 so I could take that bad boy inside and finish in the oven.

The good Ol' dera has such thin walls the heat was just going to waist. I was forced to make larger fires and burn more wood darn it!

I also make sure that I place my fattys or any forced meat and poultry near the bottom and close tot he firebox to get the highest temps in the cooking chamber. I also don't want that stuff dripping on mah ribs or brisket ya know!

[Neil]

What about total time for multiple cuts?(i.e. 14# brisket and 9# butt) Do you figure 20-28 hours for the brisket and 12-18 for the butt, or do you figure 35-46 hours for both to come off at relatively the same time? I realize internal temp is the final and most accurate way. I ask this strictly pertaining to time management.

[BBQchef33]

What about total time for multiple cuts?(i.e. 14# brisket and 9# butt) Do you figure 20-28 hours for the brisket and 12-18 for the butt, or do you figure 35-46 hours for both to come off at relatively the same time?

Meat cooks in parrallel, so ya dont add the cooking times together, they stay seperate. Maybe add alttle extra time for a higher load, just due to additional tending, but that additional time goes to the end of each cuts individual estimate.

For angus briskets I go by 1hr to 1:15 per lb. Awagu or Kobe briskets 45 minutes to and hour per lb.

Pork butts 1:15 -1:30 lb and chickens 45 minutes lb.

All these are at 225-250 range.

I think that as long as you have sufficent circulation, the volume of meat doesn't add significantly to the lenght of time it takes to cook it. What does add to it is the increase in time the door is open to tend to more stuff in the chamber, or the additional volume restricting airflow.

Initially, it may take a little more fuel to maintain temps if your using cold meat all at once, but once the meat takes on a heat load it should level off. Key is the circulation. As long as the heat is moving, times should be pretty consistant.

[tommykendall]

or do you figure 35-46 hours for both to come off at relatively the same time

No Neil - a 225 degree pit is just that - 225 degrees. So whatever you have in the pit is going to take however long it normally takes to cook at, you guessed it - 225 degrees. There may be some deviations to when you get into huge loads of food, but I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[kcquer]

Initially, it may take a little more fuel to maintain temps if your using cold meat all at once, but once the meat takes on a heat load it should level off. Key is the circulation. As long as the heat is moving, times should be pretty consistant.

Neil, I don't cook big batches very often but Phil has it nailed down here. The big difference (IMO) is start to say 100 degrees internal. While a big bunch of meat is all cold in the chamber it takes some considerable BTU's to get the chill off and get the cooking started. Once you get it going I don't think there's much difference in a couple racks of ribs and full load as long as you leave enough elbow room for circulation. As far as time estimates go I'd guesstimate the length of the longest cooking item and add a couple hours for the slower start.