Cooking Two Large Briskets At Once

dlk7

I'm smoking two 15 pound briskets in my XL that I need to have ready for carving by 6:00 PM Saturday.  I have only smoked one brisket at a time in my short egging career and all of them were between 7 and 9 pounds (both took about 18 hours).  Does doing two at a time increase the smoking time?  I'm trying to guesstimate how long to smoke them at 225 degrees to reach about 195 degrees internal.  Do you think if I put them on at 6:00 PM Friday night that 24 hours will be enough or should I start earlier?  I appreciate your thoughts - I really don't want 30 plus hungry people (with knives) waiting on dinner.

tgkleman

Cooking 2 at once shouldn't change the cooking time.  I cooked two 10lb butts this past weekend, and took the same time as cooking one 10lb butt.  Make sure they are not touching though

Briskets are tricky, and you may have one that just takes longer than the other one though, but not because you are cooking 2 at once.

Good luck.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I assume you have an adjustable rig or something like that? 2 15lbers won't fit on one grid on an XL will they?

dlk7

I assume you have an adjustable rig or something like that? 2 15lbers won't fit on one grid on an XL will they?

It looks like they might just barely fit.  If not I was just going to cut a piece of the flat end off of each one to get them to fit.  So they would end up being about 12 pounds each.  I could put one on a second tier but I didn't know whether that would make one cook a lot faster than the other.

tyenic1

I had this same question a few months back, and Cen-Tex helped me out a ton. Although my two briskets were not that big, it does not increase the amount of time it takes to smoke them. My only advice is to listen Cen-Tex advice and you will be just fine. Remember you can always do the foil-towel-cooler method if your done early. You also may want to try seperating the point from the flat after the cook and make some burnt-ends. I did this for this first time with my last brisket cook and they were unreal!! Good Luck

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I had this same question a few months back, and Cen-Tex helped me out a ton. Although my two briskets were not that big, it does not increase the amount of time it takes to smoke them. My only advice is to listen Cen-Tex advice and you will be just fine. Remember you can always do the foil-towel-cooler method if your done early. You also may want to try seperating the point from the flat after the cook and make some burnt-ends. I did this for this first time with my last brisket cook and they were unreal!! Good Luck

Well I'm gald it all worked out but let's not get carried away here. I make most of this stuff up so take it for what it's worth. )

The Cen-Tex Smoker

I assume you have an adjustable rig or something like that? 2 15lbers won't fit on one grid on an XL will they?

It looks like they might just barely fit.  If not I was just going to cut a piece of the flat end off of each one to get them to fit.  So they would end up being about 12 pounds each.  I could put one on a second tier but I didn't know whether that would make one cook a lot faster than the other.

OK- you can trim the thin parts of the flat off (I never eat those anyway- too dry). If that makes them fit, then tha'ts ok. You can go upper grid if you want. One may be done sooner than the other but that will most likely happen if they are cooking side by side. They are all different and they can cook hours apart under the same conditions. If they touch, you won't have bark where they touch but that's about it. If you do one on the top grid it will drain out on the one on the lower grid and could affect the bark too.. If you can put them both on the bottom grid, I like that. You can use wooden skewers to keep them apart if you need to angle them together to make them fit.

dlk7

I had this same question a few months back, and Cen-Tex helped me out a ton. Although my two briskets were not that big, it does not increase the amount of time it takes to smoke them. My only advice is to listen Cen-Tex advice and you will be just fine. Remember you can always do the foil-towel-cooler method if your done early. You also may want to try seperating the point from the flat after the cook and make some burnt-ends. I did this for this first time with my last brisket cook and they were unreal!! Good Luck

Thanks!  I looked at the other thread.  Sounds like you started at 3PM but I can't tell how many hours you had them on.  Mine are a little bigger so I'm guessing they will finish in 20 to 24 hours.  I'll use my maverick probe in one and the digiq probe in the other and pull them as each gets done.

MaskedMarvel

We'll need pics...

...And you should ALWAYS Foil-Towel-Cooler your briskets (at least an hour)...

tyenic1

@dlk7- I did start at 3pm and took them off at around 9am. I FTC'd them and sliced it at the event I was cooking for. The hardest problem I had was dealing with the stall that happenend with one of them at about 165 degrees. It sures makes this guy nervous.

cazzy

Sorry to high jack (kind of), but do you think two briskets would fit on a large?  I have a AR and the rig extender.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

MM- Why? (full disclosure, loaded question)

Caz- you can do 2 with the AR. Not sure how the bottom bark turns out with the top one leaking a gallon of juice on it over 18 hours but i would love to know.

Griffin

Well I'm gald it all worked out but let's not get carried away here. I make most of this stuff up so take it for what it's worth. )

)  And here I thought I was the only one.

dlk7

Each of the 15 pound briskets I have are 20 inches long, 9 inches wide, and about5 inches thick at the point.

BigTex33

I have smoked two 15-17lb. briskets in my XL on at least 3 occasions.  I did not notice any additional cook time although I was very careful to make sure they were not touching and everything was up to temp and stable before I put on both chunks of cold brisket.

When I smoke briskets, I usually will smoke at 325* until the thick part of the flat is around 190*.  I go fat side down and I use a drip pan with water.  It usually takes me about 6-8 hours to smoke the briskets and they turn out moist, tender, and have a great smoke flavor (and ring, if you are into that sorta thing).

Just my two cents.

Duganboy

325 that would be Turbo Briskets.  Never tried one that high.

BigTex33

325 that would be Turbo Briskets.  Never tried one that high.

I have done the 225-250* smoke for 18 hours before but after trying the Turbo Brisket way, I was sold.  I used to do overnight cooks all the time but I like being able to put a brisket on in the morning and have it ready for dinner.  I have done it with great success on 6lb. flats or 17lb. packers.  It's definitely worth a try if you haven't tried it.

dlk7

325 that would be Turbo Briskets.  Never tried one that high.

I have done the 225-250* smoke for 18 hours before but after trying the Turbo Brisket way, I was sold.  I used to do overnight cooks all the time but I like being able to put a brisket on in the morning and have it ready for dinner.  I have done it with great success on 6lb. flats or 17lb. packers.  It's definitely worth a try if you haven't tried it.

Do you foil, towel, and cooler on the turbo and if so for how long after you reach 190 in the flat?

BigTex33

I do not foil until I pull the brisket from the egg when I hit 190*-ish in the flat.  Then I drop it in a cooler with towels for a couple of hours or until ready to eat.  Juices redistribute and the final product is tender and juicy.  I think "fat side down" on high heat helps prevent any leatherizing of the brisket but that's just my opinion.

BTW: I use mesquite and usually put 5-6 fist size chunks on the hot coals right when the platesetter goes in.

Duganboy

325 that would be Turbo Briskets.  Never tried one that high.

I have done the 225-250* smoke for 18 hours before but after trying the Turbo Brisket way, I was sold.  I used to do overnight cooks all the time but I like being able to put a brisket on in the morning and have it ready for dinner.  I have done it with great success on 6lb. flats or 17lb. packers.  It's definitely worth a try if you haven't tried it.

I've got a choice packer in the fridge.  going to try your way this weekend.

BigTex33

Sounds good, let us all know how it goes!