Best time to start a brisket to serve at lunch?

[Matachi]

I am thinking of trying to do a brisket for lunch on Sunday, and trying to figure out the best time to start it so I get as much sleep as possible . I will aim for an ~10 lb packer cut, cooking it in the weber 22" with sns for the first time.

If possible I would like to only wake up once to wrap + refill coals at that time, but not sure that is feasible. I read the sns can last 8 hours on a chimney, but not sure if that is optimistic best case, or if I can plan on it.

What is a recommended schedule for when to start it, and when I would need to wake up?

Thanks in advance!

[Breadhead]

Welcome to the Pit Matachi ...👍

I'm going to let David Parrish walk you through this because he is the King of the Weber Kettle & Slow N Sear cooker. A full packer is usually bigger than a 10 pounder. Most I buy are 13 to 18 pounds. With briskets my attitude is go big or go home. The leftovers are very good and you can portion them and package them in individual serving sizes. None will go to waste.

It might help Pit Boss if you tell him what temperature you plan to cook at. Also understand that wrapping it during the cook, the Texas crutch, is optional. Some guys ALWAYS do it and some guys NEVER do it. If you are behind schedule you will need to do it.

Start early... Let the faux cambro be your buddy on this cook. I would try to pull it off of the cooker when it is badda soft to the probe test no later than 10:00am if you want to serve it at high noon. 2 hours cambro time will make it better.

Good luck on your cook! Pull this off just right and your friends and family will worship their new found Pit Master.👍

[Huskee]

I fit a 14.4lber on my 22", with maybe 1" of space on either side at the closest points. I've done both Prime and Wagyu on the kettle/SnS, and each took 10hrs of cooking (including naked time and wrapped time), plus 2 hrs cambro time. Total cook, 12hrs until digging in.

You should get at least 8hrs out of a full basket of Kingsford Original charcoal, cooking at ~225 or so, when the lighting procedures are followed. I've gotten closer to 10hrs in summer weather, and many report the same.

You will need to wake up around the 5hr mark, and tunk/stir the coals with your tongs and sweep the ash out. About this point the ash begins to build up and hamper airflow, and once you spend about 1-2 mins doing this you're good to go another 3-5hrs. You could shove the remaining coals to one side and add fresh coals at this time too, but you likely won't need to fill it all the way this second time. Don't worry about refilling your water reservoir after it runs out, unless you just want to because.

So if you want to eat at noon, and you're cooking a high quality brisket like Prime, I'd say light your charcoal at 11:15-11:30, and have the meat on no later than midnight. 10pm might be a safer bet. Maybe even 9pm if you're using a lesser quality brisket. This is all best-guess though, as no 2 hunks of meat are the same, I'm only sharing my experiences.

[sfrancis353]

I'd go as early as you can and utilize more wrap/rest time in the cambro. It's going to stay hot and the rest helps out the brisket. Worst thing is to get a brisket that stalls forever and you aren't done when you want to serve.

[Rodcrafter]

I would say use the crutch (at about 4hours in) because the smaller size of the brisket, in doing so there is no stall. That being said I can't see this taking more than 8 hours cook time. Whatever you do, don't slice it until you are plating it.

[HorseDoctor]

I would have it on by 9 or 10. Then I can watch for an hour or two to be sure all is going well before going to bed. Then up once in the middle of the night to check/shake ash/refuel & wrap (if you want/need to). You can always hold it once it's done, but you can't force "done" if it's not. Good luck!

[Matachi]

This has been super helpful, thanks guys.

To answer a few of your questions/ask a few more of my own:

- Brisket would only be choice, I cant find prime anywhere around where I live in fact I only know of this one butcher that has packers and it is $8/lb for choice! Does that impact cooking time?

- I haven't actually bought it yet, the butcher said they have them ranging from 10-15 lbs, I was planning on a smaller one since we will only have 6 people eating, and I am not super confident, but I may go bigger for leftovers.

- Is it recommended to wrap with the SnS? I have only done brisket in an electric smoker before. I have done wrapped and unwrapped, and both were actually pretty disappointing and dry. I was planning to wrap this to help make moister, but open to tips from the pros .

[HorseDoctor]

At $8/lb for brisket, I would cook a lot of beef short ribs!!! Isn't there a Sam's or Costco in the area??? I wrap brisket with butcher paper after the stall & good bark, but that's with a BGE or COS not a SnS. Good luck!

[David Parrish]

Dry brisket is often confuse with brisket that hasn't been cooked long enough. What was the final temp on those dry briskets?

[Breadhead]

$8 per pound for a choice brisket... Shocking! I'd have to consider becoming a vegetarian at those prices.😡

[David Parrish]

This has been super helpful, thanks guys.

To answer a few of your questions/ask a few more of my own:
- Brisket would only be choice, I cant find prime anywhere around where I live in fact I only know of this one butcher that has packers and it is $8/lb for choice! Does that impact cooking time?

Have you considered Chuck Roast?

[David Parrish]

Here's my chuck roast recipe for the SnS: http://www.abcbarbecue.com/pulled-beef-chuck-roast

[Matachi]

Our Costcos only have flats, and no Sam's club. Smart & Final sometimes has packers, but they are not even choice. Everything around here is overpriced

Our Costco does have boneless short ribs in strips, but it is probably about the same cost. Are those good to bbq? Seems like they would cook quicker than brisket, which is nice.

Chuck roast recipe looks good, definitely want to try that sometime. It seems like cook time would be similar (~10 hours for a good sized one)?

[ecowper]

If you talk to the butcher shop at Costco, they can order you a full Packer

[Matachi]

I went to my Costco last night to ask them, and they said they dont do any custom orders. I found a select brisket for $3/lb at Smart & final, so I am running with that since I didnt think choice was worth more than double the cost (am I wrong?). They only had a 9.5 pounder, so I am planning on starting around 9 or 10, and assuming it will be done 6-7ish am, then wrap in cooler. Sound about right?

[ecowper]

Wow, really surprised by your Costco. I custom order with mine. Last Christmas they ordered two full hams for me, still in cryovac.

[gcdmd]

Matachi, did you talk to a manager or supervisor?

[Matachi]

Not sure, I just knocked on the window and someone opened and I asked them. Who should i be looking for? Store manager? Meat manager?