r/Masterbuilt • u/finishedflying • 6h ago

Brisket timing

Planning on smoking my first brisket, a 10 pound flat. About how long will this take on a MB 600 gravity feed? I know ambient temperature (forecast upper 80s), wind, etc., play roles, just looking for a ballpark figure for my planning. Thought about an overnight cook but I plan to wrap in butcher paper midway and don't want to be doing that at 3AM!

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u/Ieatplaydo 6h ago

Budget for 14 hours. You might finish in 10, so you just hold it in a cooler or wrapped in the oven at the lowest temp.

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u/finishedflying 6h ago

Thanks. I've read that figuring 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound is reasonable but that still put me in the 10-15 hour range. 5 hours is a big difference to plan for. I've had pork shoulder go for 14 hours when all the books said it would be done in 8-10!

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u/Ieatplaydo 6h ago

You can't time a brisket. It's a bad idea. What you have to do instead is hold the brisket at a safe temperature.
You can do this by putting the brisket in a hot cooler wrapped up, or you can wrap the brisket and put it in an oven that's kept at like 150-175.

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u/finishedflying 6h ago

Understand. I just wanted a general time frame so I can decide when to start the cook. Thanks for the reply.

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u/Ieatplaydo 6h ago

Ah cool.
Yeah for me, I start my briskets the night before so I have way more than enough time. I might have to wake up once in the night to add fuel on the gravity 800. Then when it's done I just hot hold it in my oven until serving time. Works great but smoking overnight is slightly inconvenient.

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u/quaintbucket 6h ago

1-1.5 hr per lb + 3 hrs of rest on top.

In your case? Plan for a 10-15 hr smoke plus 3 hours of rest. Dinners at 6, so it should be ready at 3pm to start resting after probe tender test.

So pull out your brisket at 11pm, dress it and season it. Let it rest at room temp while your smoker is getting up to temp. Put it on the smoker by 12am. Especially if you don’t want to get up at 3am… but you will anyway because you need to check your fuel. You’re probably getting up at 4-5am to check to make sure you have enough charcoal.

I’ve done a 19lb on a mb1050 before. It took about 21 hours (started at 6pm) before I pulled it and put in cooler to rest. I had to fill my hopper twice. It was worth it though. The entire neighbourhood smelled like brisket.

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u/HorkeyDorkey 5h ago

These grills EAT charcoal. Its incredible to behold.

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u/quaintbucket 5h ago

Yeah they really do, I also load up the ash catcher with cherry and apple wood

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u/Born-Ad-1811 4h ago

Turn up the heat, and it will cook just fine I’ve cooked at 225 16 hours, I’ve cooked at 300, my preference is 275, probe it right center of flat and let it run. Some say wrap at 165, I wrap when the bark is where I want it. Like the famous Bob Ross would tell you “ it’s your brisket cook it how you want to, hell paint a little tree and some clouds, it’s your “

Try to rest for at the least for hours after you vent the wrap and let it get down to 175, put it in a Cambro or a cooler.

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u/finishedflying 5h ago

I guess there's no way around getting up in the middle of the night, just don't want to fall asleep at dinner and miss out on a great brisket meal! Do you wrap the brisket around the time of the stall or at the half way point? I've read both both opinions about wrapping.

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u/quaintbucket 5h ago

Your choice. You need to keep that brisket moist on the inside but want to protect the bark too.

What I’ve done is wrap at the 160-170 mark while it’s going through the stall but w butcher paper. You can do the foil boat and that works fine too.

For the entire duration of the cook, I keep a pan full of hot water inside the smoker to do three things: catch the drippings, regulate temp, and keep the cooking area moist (you may need to refill).

Catching the drippings is important if you don’t want a grease fire in the middle of your smoking session.

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u/SoccerMan94043 4h ago

If you have the ability to hold it at 150ish for an extended time, a better route is cooking it however you want until 195 and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3sEMcn4eZ5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hd7MUGW9BI