Really, really dumb brisket question.

[mjr]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I'm going to ask anyway.

My wife is afraid to let a brisket cook overnight. I have one in my refrigerator right now that I'd love to cook.

So, if I cut it in half near the flat/point, and cook both halves in my WSM, would that (theoretically) halve the cooking time?

In other words, let's say the brisket weighs 12 pounds. Rough calculation is that would be a 15-18 hour cook.

But if I cut it in half, and put half on the bottom rack and half on the top, can I cut that time down to 7.5 to 9 hours?

I'm assuming the answer is probably "no, you can't do that you dummy", but I thought I would ask.

See? I told you it was a really dumb question.

[SmittyJonz]

No. May cut time by 10-15%. Cook Hotter - I run 300* ish and knock out 14-15 lb Briskets in 6-7 hrs.
275* - 8-10 hours. Selects n Choice - Prime can take Longer sometimes

275* is The Best BBQ Temp.

[ronbrad62]

It will definitely shorten the time, but not that much. Some folks do hot and fast briskets for competition, so that may be your best bet. I prefer long cooks, so I can't give you any solid advice, but Google it or ask here, and you will get plenty of ideas.

[Jason TQ]

I make it my goal to only ask dumb questions here .

But cutting in half doesn't really halve the time. If you run a higher temp like smitty says (say 300) a 12lb brisket is done in ~6hrs easy.

Nothing wrong with cutting it in half, but you don't need to to cook it faster.

[93_confirmed]

The WSM is tailor made for overnight cooks an works flawlessly. What are her concerns? All you have to do is get a digital probe in there to monitor the temp and keep it in a safe, protected area. The biggest risk is your fire going out.

[mjr]

Originally Posted by 93_confirmed

The WSM is tailor made for overnight cooks an works flawlessly. What are her concerns? All you have to do is get a digital probe in there to monitor the temp and keep it in a safe, protected area. The biggest risk is your fire going out.

I don't know. I'm guessing that since we'd be sleeping, and not monitoring it from time to time she's concerned something bad will happen.

[Rusty Kettle]

Originally Posted by mjr

I don't know. I'm guessing that since we'd be sleeping, and not monitoring it from time to time she's concerned something bad will happen.

Well stay up and watch the smoke roll. Grab some beer and make a night of it.

[blazinfire]

Man i'll be the guy to say it.... I'm not a fan of over night cooks.. I know plenty of people on here do it, But Something about leaving anything burning while your asleep can potentially be dangerous. Makes me paranoid.. and I've had my fair share of weird stuff happen while cooking no way I'm interested in cooking while i'm sleeping..


As other says, cook 275 u can have that brisket done 6-8 hrs

[JAKs Q & brew]

Separating the point and flat would cut down on cooking time more than cutting it in half. Thickness is the biggest factor in how long something takes to cook.

But like everyone else said, cook it hotter and get it done faster works too

[SmokinAussie]

As has been said.

The WSM is made for overnight cooking. Fire it up to put on the brisket at 10pm. Watch it for 30 mins to stabilise @ your preferred temp.

Go to BED!

Get up as early as you like but me, I can go till 6am and it's still chugging away at 250 F or thereabouts. There is honestly NOTHING to worry about except for the things that might happen every night / any night in your life that you can't control anyway.

You may get hit by a bus tomorrow, so smoke your brisket TONIGHT!

Take it easy.

[Gary Tomato]

I’ve done plenty of overnight cooks on my WSM and Backwoods Chubby and never had a problem. It’s a great way to get the first 6 hours done without looking at it!

[frognot]

Another option is cook for around 3-4 hours (take off when IT 160-170) at 275-300 on WSM then wrap (I usually put in foil pan) and finish in oven at 210-220 overnight.

[LordRiffenstein]

I know the question has been answered but I still want to answer your question with another question:

How much is half of "It's-ready-when-it's-ready"?

[Hill Country BBQ]

You can finish the Brisket in 10 - 11 hours by put it on the Smoker at midnight at 230 and on around 7 am you wrap it up and start probing after an hour, then every half an hour till it's finished ! works for me every time when i make brisket for lunch !

cheers

[smoke ninja]

Originally Posted by blazinfire

Man i'll be the guy to say it.... I'm not a fan of over night cooks.. I know plenty of people on here do it, But Something about leaving anything burning while your asleep can potentially be dangerous. Makes me paranoid.. and I've had my fair share of weird stuff happen while cooking no way I'm interested in cooking while i'm sleeping..


As other says, cook 275 u can have that brisket done 6-8 hrs

I'm ok with cooking overnight but it should be a setup away from buildings or areas that could catch fire. a good remote therm with an alarm helps too