cook times

BigA

i have a 9.5lb whole brisket. if i want to eat at 7pm, what time does the brisket need to be on the egg. I read post saying that it takes 18 - 20 hrs, then the next post says 1.5 hrs per pound which would be 14.25 hrs. just dont want to put it on to early then have it ready to early, then i could put it on and it could be done late!

WessB

Go with the post you trust...if their wrong..you'll know not to trust them next time...for anyone to generalize anything will be done in "18-20 hours" is rediculous....hours per pound is much more reliable...

Hoss

Lotta ifs.If you cook @ 250 dome and if it is not a stubborn briskie and everything goes right like heat temp maintenance,you can figure 1.5-2 hrs /lb.YOU MUST cook to temp,(brisket is ready between 185 & 195 I.T.)not time.If it gets ready early,double wrap in HDAF place in a preheated cooler and finish filling the cooler with towels or crumpled up newspaper and it will hold several hours.Good Luck!

Rolling Egg

The art of being able to guess at what time to put meat on to have at done at a certain time comes with some calculation and a lot of experience. As you cook more and more briskets you will get better at it. Too many things come into play to bet on it cooking in 18 hours just because someone elses did. Was his thermo calibrated? Was he really cooking at 250? How many times did he fan the lid? Just go with 250 dome and allow enough time for 1.5 to 2.0 hours per pound. If it lags behind and your coming up on dinner time in a few hours, you can always foil and raise the temp without sacrificing a thing. One thing that I found when I first started is always read as many post as you can on whatever your cooking. You will see a trend of people doing it a certain way with good results. It easier to believe 10 different people vs. just one you read. Good luck dude.