How long for the brisket point??

[GaryC]

I recently picked up the Meathead book (am enjoying). On page 260 he points out that the obvious that reheated meat is, well, reheated. He suggests to get a smaller hunk of meat and that if you can, just get the point (recommending the point over the flat) adding that "it will cook a lot faster."

Well, how long is "faster?" Have any of you done just the point and how long did it take? To what temperature did you bring it to? If I'm planning on inviting folks over for dinner, I need to know when to start this.

I'm cooking on a WSM.

Thanks!

[DWCowles]

Welcome GaryC I have never done just the point only a the full brisket so I can't help you there but someone will be along soon.

[Huskee]

Welcome to The Pit! I would say plan on your normal brisket time, 10-12hrs give or take, cooking in the 225-250 range. If it's done a bit early, you can store it in a faux cambro setup until chow time, which beats waiting an extra couple hours past dinner time to eat. You can probably get by with a finished temp of 195ish, but we always say check for probe tender, the point where a temp probe slips in easily and you can tell it's good & tender. That may not happen until 200, it just takes some 'feel'.

Me personally, this is what I'd do if I had guests coming at 6, I'd start the point at about 6am and plan for it to take 7 or 8 hrs to get out of the stall which is where I'll wrap, then to the ~9-10hrs mark to get to probe tender, and then allow for ~2hrs in a faux cambro. I wrap mine after the stall, when the meat hits about ~170-180, then let it go up quicker from there to the finish mark. This gets a really nice bark vs wrapping at the start of the stall, but you have lots of options.

If yours gets done quicker, a longer faux cambro hold won't hurt much. You can firm the bark back up by putting it in your oven for a while to dry the surface out before slicing it, if that matters to you.

[DeusDingo]

i usually separate the point and flat and the point, for me and my smoker and my environment, can be done an hour earlier. it's not every time but that's what i have experienced

[Thom Emery]

Size matters in how long it will take
We separate point from flat and cook on the drum at
300 degrees
flats take 4.5 hours points 3.5 wrapping at color
we want that is usually at the mid way point

[HorseDoctor]

Part of the reason the point is so good is the seam of fat between it & the piece of flat underneath it! Leave them attached. Cooking time is more about thickness than anything else so a full thickness point won't save all that much time. Agree with Huskee, plan on regular time. If it goes a little quicker, a little extra time wrapped up in a towel in a cooler (faux cambro) is good and only makes the end result better. Good luck & enjoy!!!!

[GaryC]

HI Folks,

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts. As I stated, my original reason was that MH said it would "cook faster" yet, with the exception of Thom Emery people are still talking the same 10-12 hours. Sooooooo, it seems that somewhere between 3.5 and 10 hours I'll have a cooked point! ;>)

That does narrow it down.

I guess I'll just have to do a test and see what happens. One thing to have a very early or very late dinner with the wife, whole different matter if company is coming over.

Again, I really do appreciate all of the thoughts and comments.

Doing my 2nd batch of short ribs this Friday for my sister and her husband. The first batch (several weeks ago) came out AMAZING!

Dis is fun!!!

[HorseDoctor]

If you get done early, you don't have to eat early. You should plan for a couple hours "resting" in a faux cambro anyway. That rest can easily be extended by at least 4 hours if needed. Way better to allow plenty of time than to have company waiting or serving under-done brisket. Relax & enjoy!

[Thom Emery]

A brisket point is what 3 maybe 4 pounds
how could it take a long time?
remember I cook on drums at 300 plus degrees
go get em!

[ecowper]

GaryC .... Thom Emery is cooking on a drum smoker, higher temps and different environment than a WSM. I've cooked a point only one time. It was probe tender about 90 minutes faster than I expected as compared to a 4 lb hunk o' flat. If you are running your WSM in the 225-250 range, I'd say 9-10 hours plus a faux cambro for 1-2 hours is a good way to time it. Like Huskee said, if you are gonna eat at 6 PM, get that point on at 6 AM.

[GadjetGriller]

GaryC I've read that the average time is 75 min per #. Its a nice place to start but unrealistic. Every Brisket is different one might be done in 5 hours but the next takes 9!?! The stall is the big ? how long will it take depends on if you wrap or not also if you wrap before the stall or after. I agree with Huskee its better to start early and wrap it and put it in a cooler (I've had the stall last so long it was 2am and I was to tired to worry with it so I put it in the cooler for 6 hours and it came out still warm! (I wouldn't suggest trying that but it worked that time for me) So start early and rest it until time to serve (maybe dry out and firm up the bark with a short turn in a 250 to 300 oven)

[Breadhead]

I always cook brisket at 225°. I always separate the point from the flat. I always place the point up higher in the dome than the flat. I never wrap meat during the smoking process. I never power through the stall. I rarely ever have a double stall.

Under those cooking conditions a brisket takes me 14 to 16 hours. Actually the point, up higher in the dome, usually gets probe tender 2 hours before the flat. I take the point out, cut it into cubes, and make burnt ends out of it. I put it in a foil pan and give it a little more smoke while the flat finishes up.

I always start a brisket 18 hours before I want to serve it. If the cook goes as usual the flat gets 2 hours in the faux cambro. If it goes faster than normal it gets 3 or 4 hours in the cambro.

The burnt ends, the caviar of BBQ, is always served right off the cooker, as a before dinner appetizers with adult beverages.👌

I NEVER serve a brisket late!!!

[Thom Emery]

Practice run seems wise ;o)