Brisket - at a loss

wmrrock

I feel like an amateur today.  Been smoking for sometime now and I have never had a brisket sit in the stall at 15 hours.  I put a 13lb brisket on at 2:30 am - 225 degrees.  It is now 5:15 pm and I had to reload the the BGE with lump and the brisket (full packer cut - kosher, prime) is still sitting at 148 degrees.  I have smoked larger 18lb briskets with at the same temp. and they have been done in 14 or 15 hours.  Cant figure out why this smaller guy with less fat content is still smoking away at 15 hours.  Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. 

Chris_Wang

Your thermometer has been tested and calibrated?

wmrrock

Chris_Wang said:

Your thermometer has been tested and calibrated?

Yes...I use a DIGIQ.  tested and calibrated.  Finally moving out of the stall - now at 155 degrees.  Longest stall i have ever experienced - over 7 hours.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

The math adds up to me. 225 = almost 2hrs per lb at my house. 13 hour brisket is 20+ hours at 225. you can bump it up to 275 to power it through but you have many more hours to go if you leave it at 225. 5-6hrs at least. if you want to eat tonight, bump it up to 275-300. Still a few hours left at that. I did have a 10 hr stall once at 225

loveTheEgg

I just pulled my 10lb off at 20 hours. IT was 188. guess all meat all different.

berndcrisp

'Prime' cuts usually have more fat and will take longer to do whatever it does to pull thru the stall.

Nature Boy

Sorry for the frustrations. It can be bit maddening cooking large cuts. We cook 15 pounders in about 12 hours all at about 240. But making sure the guru probe is in a good spot is the key. I try and place my probe pretty close to the meat, or as far from the edge of the grate that I can. You were cooking a bit cool apparently….was your probe too close to the edge? The air flows differently through the egg with each cook, especially with big chunks of meat….so I am guessing probe placement and a little bump up in cooking temp, and you'll notice a huge difference.

About 4 hours before eating time, if I haven't busted 180 internal, it goes in foil. Usually takes less than 2 hours once foiled. Better luck next time, and even if it's late….it'll be good.

Cheers!

Chris

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Hey Chris- I know we have discussed this before on here but I don't remember. do you guys wrap at all to get those cook times? I can't get anywhere near under 1hr per lb at 240 without wrapping. I'm like 1 hr. per at around 260-270.

wmrrock

This was by far...My longest cook.  I have cooked 15lb to 18lb briskets in 13 hours.  This 13lb was 22 hours at 185.  I pulled it at 185.  This has never happened to me before - hopefully it will never happen again.