How Long To Smoke A Brisket At 250?

Jessica Wiest
Last updated: March 16, 2024

Are you craving a tender yet juicy brisket? If yes, smoking a brisket at 250° is indeed an excellent idea. So how long to smoke a Brisket At 250°F? We will generally recommend smoking for about 1 to 1.5 hours. Thus, the 14 lb brisket smoke time will be around 14 to 21 hours.

Honestly, it is actually a rough estimation. I don’t usually smoke the brisket at the extreme end of the provided time. I prefer to finish smoking my 15 lb brisket within 17 to 18 hours. You can also wrap it up with butcher paper to speed up the smoking procedure.

Some chefs prefer to trim down the brisket before smoking. It can also reduce the smoking time significantly. Hang on with us till the end for further tips and tricks to smoke your brisket right away!

What You will Know show

Why is smoking a brisket at 250°F Better?

Some cooks may prefer to smoke the brisket at 225°F or lower temperatures. In contrast, some even go for high temperatures like 350°F.

I usually smoke slowly at a low flame. Thus, my favorite temperature for smoking brisket is 250°F. That’s because –

There is a low risk of drying out the meat.
If you need to speed up smoking, you just need to wrap it up.
The brisket will definitely turn out tender yet juicy.
You will get the perfect flavor you are craving for.
Smoking at 350°F might overcook and dry up the meat instead.
Smoking at 250°F will obviously take less time than at 225°F. You can save around 30 minutes while smoking each pound of brisket.

So, if you are up for smoking a large piece of brisket, 250°F is indeed the optimum temperature.

Time To Smoke Brisket At 250°F: Check Out Our Detailed Chart Now!

How long to smoke a Brisket At 250°F? It’s indeed a tricky question. After all, smoking it for too long might overcook the meat or dry it up. So, cooking it for an adequate period is a must.

That’s why we have included a detailed chart for smoking a brisket at 250 degrees. Among all factors, we have mainly considered the brisket weight. After all, a heavier piece will take longer to cook.

Weight Of the Brisket	Time to Smoke the brisket
1 pound	60 minutes to 1.5 hours
2 pounds	2 to 3 hour
3 pounds	3 to 4.5 hour
4 pound	4 to 6 hours
5 pound	5 to 7.5 hour
6 pound	6 to 9 hours
7 pounds	7 to 10.5 hours
8 pounds	8 to 12 hours
9 pounds	9 to 13.5 hours
10 pounds	10 to 15 hours
11 pounds	11 to 16.5 hours
12 pounds	12 to 18 hours
13 pounds	13 to 19.5 hours
14 pounds	14 to 21 hours
15 pounds	15 to 22.5 hours
16 pounds	16 to 24 hours.
17 pounds	17 to 25.5 hours.
18 pounds	18 to 27 hours.
19 pounds	19 to 28.5 hours
20 pounds	20 to 30 hours

The time to smoke might alter slightly as per the thickness, connective tissue, and water content of the meat.

How Does Weight Affect The Smoking Time Of A Brisket?

As per the general principle of cooking, a large amount of food will obviously take longer to be cooked.

When you are heating up, first, the heat needs to spread equally throughout the meat. Then, the internal temperature will gradually increase.

As per our rough estimation, the time of heat distribution is almost proportional to the weight of the meat. Other factors like – internal moisture, thickness, and connective tissue structures can also alter the time. After all, connective tissues need more time to heat up and break down.

If you are smoking two briskets of the same thickness, the heavy one will indeed need more time to be smoked.

Should You Wrap The Brisket For Smoking?

Yes. Wrapping up brisket for smoking is a pretty common trick. But why are you even wrapping the brisket? The simplest answer is that it significantly decreased cooking time. So, if you are in a hurry, butchering paper is there to help you right away!

But when to wrap up the brisket? Should You wrap it just before stalling? Well, yes, some cooks prefer to wrap just before the calculated stall time. However, I personally prefer to wrap when the meat has passed the stalling. At this point in time, the fat breaks down and provides the juicy texture you are craving for!

A Quick Guideline To Smoke Your Brisket Right Away!

First, unpack the brisket and trim it down.
Before seasoning it, we prefer to use a binder like a hot sauce/ mustard or other cooking oils. For seasoning, we recommend using a mixture of black pepper and kosher salt at a 1:1 ratio.
Keep the smoker at a medium temperature, preferably at 250°F.
Smoke the brisket for about 3 hours.
Now it’s time to spritz it with water and apple cider vinegar.
The brisket might stall at the 8th hour. Now, you can wrap up the brisket with butcher paper. Don’t forget to wet up the paper with apple cider vinegar or beef tallow.
Smoke it continuously until the meat is tender. For 15 lbs of meat, it might take a minimum of 15 hours.

When smoking brisket, the choice between 250°F and 225°F can significantly impact the cooking process and final results. Smoking at 250°F generally results in a slightly faster cook time, while smoking at 225°F offers a slower, more gradual cooking process. Factors such as your preferred level of tenderness and the amount of time you have for cooking will influence your decision. To delve deeper into the nuances of smoking brisket at different temperatures, explore our guide on Optimal Smoking Temperatures for Brisket.

FAQ

Should you smoke a brisket at 250°F or 225°F?

Some cooks prefer to smoke at low temperatures like 225°F. However, I prefer to use a medium heat of around 250°F. It makes the meat really tender and juicy. Moreover, you can save around 30 minutes per pound of meat. In fact, the overall cooking time is around 50% quicker than before.

How long will it take to smoke a Brisket of 10 lbs at 250°F?

In order to make your brisket juicy and delicious, you should smoke it for 10 to 15 hours at 250°F. Wrapping it up with a wet butcher paper might speed up the process significantly.

Does brisket stall while smoking?

When you are smoking brisket, stalling is a common phenomenon. It usually occurs after a few hours of continuous smoking. At the stall temperature, the meat begins to sweat out. This may last up to 4 hours even after a few degrees drop in internal temperature. Thus, at the stalling hour, the temperature will still be between 160°F and 165°F. Just after stalling, you can wrap it up with aluminum foil and speed up smoking.

Should you marinate brisket before smoking?

Marinating can break the muscles and make them tender and juicy. However, slow smoking at low flame does it as well. So we won’t really recommend marinating. Instead, you can just trim down the brisket and season it with a 1:1 ratio of salt and pepper.

Final Verdict

How long to smoke a Brisket At 250°F? Honestly, this answer might vary from chef to chef. But a perfectly smoked brisket must be tender and juicy. So smoking slowly at a medium or low heat is indeed the ideal option. If you have decided to smoke at 250°F, you already know that you have to smoke per pound for 1 hour minimally. I hope our detailed weight-wise chart has helped you in this regard. So, get ready and enjoy smoking with your favorite smoker right away!