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[email protected][_2_] nailshooter41@aol.com[_2_] is offline
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Default Man, am I an efficient cook or what

On Nov 7, 5:48*pm, Tutall > wrote:

> > Weird how the times can range so much, isn't it? I once had a
> > 9.5 lb brisket finish in under 4 hours at 250 F. I kid you not.


Crap!! Was this in your convection/microwave/gamma radiation cooker?
You're talking less than 30 minutes a pound at 250 for beef? Did it
glow in the dark <kidding!>.

Stranger things have happened. Mine seem to go the other way. It
isn't a precise science, but that's what draws so many to smoking I
think.

> Thanks Reg, what I thought was wierd is that I've done two good cooks
> of brisket, cooking 9 different pieces of meat and all 9 took less
> than 6 hours.


Now don't get testy here... it's just a question. Brisket is very
forgiving, and not nearly as hard to cook as some think it is. It is
well protected and stands high heat from cooking and spikes very
well.

One batch at Indy car time, I could understand. But TWO? And all
pieces cooking exactly the same? Do you trust your thermos? Could
they be off? That's amazingly similar and unusual results over a lot
of pieces of meat.
I usually cook mine at 275 - 300F and sometimes beyond if really
fatty. A fatty brisket will stand 325 - 350 easily, and you can turn
out quick times at those temps. But I still allow about 30 minutes a
lb to cook at around 300F. It works out to a little more with some
pieces of meat and a little less others.

I have calibrated my thermos (all within 5 degrees so doesn't get much
better than that) and have one in the meat, and an instant read to
back it up. I have two on the cooker to make sure the both agree. So
I am relatively confident in my temps in cooking. I just haven't had
one go off that fast at 250F, spike or no spike. (To me, spikes on a
big piece of meat are a little bit of nothing if you correct it right
away. I'm not talking about a 500 degree spike, here. But 50 degrees
for a half hour or so.... bah!)

Mind you, I am NOT saying it didn't happen, not by any means. I am
just trying to compare here as I have cooked more briskets than I can
count and never had two groups cook that quickly at relatively low
temps.

Inquiring minds, you know.

Robert