Smoking the largest packer ever....

Need some insights on temp.  225, 250, 275....Franklin style at hot and fast.  Heard I can go 1-1.5hrs per lb or go hot and get it done in a lot less time.

It needs to be ready at 9a on Wednesday.

Any pointers?  Techniques?

On a Traeger....

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Welcome to the site. Personally, I'd go low and slow (160-200°)until the stall (~160°), wrap with some moisture (maybe beef broth), raise the pit temperature to 250° and cook until probe tender (~195-203°). All of the other methods that you mentioned will probably work but this is just the one that works reliably for me. As for timing, 9:00 am is going to be problematic and probably cost you some sleep. Each piece of meat cooks differently and will require some attention during the last 3-4 hours. I'd shoot for 6:00 AM and FTC until 9:00 AM. Using my method, I'd start around noon tomorrow and if things are moving too slow raise the temperature toward the end.

I cook everything at 275°.  I would cook it until the internal temp hits 160° and then wrap in butchers paper until it gets in the 200°-205° range and the probe goes into it like butter.  Then pull and slice.  I am not a big believer in letting sit in a cooler for hours.  I like to keep my cooks simple.

Unfortunately, I don't know what to tell you for time as I usually don't cook to have done at a certain time like you have a requirement to do.  If I recall, it usually takes about 6-8 hours before something that big would get close to the 160° range before wrapping, and I don't remember how many minutes per pound after that once wrapped.

Good luck and show us some pics of the finished product with your assessment of how you liked it.

>Heard I can go 1-1.5hrs per lb or go hot and get it done in a lot less time.


My briskets cook at less than 1hr/lb at 225F in my Memphis. Pellet grills have a lot of convection and cook food faster than other smokers at a given temp.  My last 17lb brisket (14lb after trim) took 12 hours.
I've done a few hot and fast briskets and they turn out good, but noticeably less smoke flavor.

What's the largest brisket you've cooked in the Traeger and how long did it take?

>Heard I can go 1-1.5hrs per lb or go hot and get it done in a lot less time.


My briskets cook at less than 1hr/lb at 225F in my Memphis. Pellet grills have a lot of convection and cook food faster than other smokers at a given temp.  My last 17lb brisket (14lb after trim) took 12 hours.
I've done a few hot and fast briskets and they turn out good, but noticeably less smoke flavor.

What's the largest brisket you've cooked in the Traeger and how long did it take?

My last one was 12lbs....took about 11hrs.  I did the crutch....so I'm not sure how much that sped things up.

Thanks for sharing.

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I am not a big believer in letting sit in a cooler for hours.

I added the three hours of FTC in order to account for the uncertainty of cooking time, I did not mean it to be it to be procedural.

I am not a big believer in letting sit in a cooler for hours.

I added the three hours of FTC in order to account for the uncertainty of cooking time, I did not mean it to be it to be procedural.

No direct knock on you.  In fact, I read it so fast I didn't even notice that was in your post.  That is a good approach if you are done early and have no other method to keep the food hot.

It may also be a good approach for competition cooking too.  I don't know.  I don't competition cook.  Over the 20 or so years I have been doing this, I have found the less work I have to do related to a cook the better and in the majority of the cases I couldn't tell a difference in the taste of the food.

I quit doing the following:

Applying rub and letting sit in fridge overnight
Putting in foil or some other covering and putting in cooler to let rest before slicing or pulling
Applying "glue" before rub (only tried this a few times)
Starting low for smoke and changing temp setting during the cook to higher temps
Spritzing
Applying a rub - sometimes I don't use one nowadays
Thawing food before cooking - sometimes I just throw on the smoker frozen
Etc

I am not a big believer in letting sit in a cooler for hours.

I added the three hours of FTC in order to account for the uncertainty of cooking time, I did not mean it to be it to be procedural.

No direct knock on you.  In fact, I read it so fast I didn't even notice that was in your post.  That is a good approach if you are done early and have no other method to keep the food hot.

It may also be a good approach for competition cooking too.  I don't know.  I don't competition cook.  Over the 20 or so years I have been doing this, I have found the less work I have to do related to a cook the better and in the majority of the cases I couldn't tell a difference in the taste of the food.

I quit doing the following:

Applying rub and letting sit in fridge overnight
Putting in foil or some other covering and putting in cooler to let rest before slicing or pulling
Applying "glue" before rub (only tried this a few times)
Starting low for smoke and changing temp setting during the cook to higher temps
Spritzing
Applying a rub - sometimes I don't use one nowadays
Thawing food before cooking - sometimes I just throw on the smoker frozen
Etc

Wow....there's some wisdom in there!

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Hey I cook my briskets like this:

Brisket Cook

Start Oven at 180 Degrees

Place Briskets Once at Temp

7 hours later set Hold Temp to 250 (Yes go UP!)

3 hours later (10 total) Wrap Briskets in Paper

3.5 to 4.5 hours later should be getting close to finished

This is from my FEC120- it has a lot of smoke and a hold mode - not sure if your traegar.  This is a 14-15 lb packer and turns out fantastic every time.  I do only kosher salt and pepper.  Most of the time I will trim in advance and salt and pepper and put in the fridge until I'm ready.  Just breaks up the work.  Is it necessary probably not.  I don[t put any mustard or hot sauce to glue the salt and pepper it seems to stick pretty good and I put it on heavy.  good luck!

I am not a big believer in letting sit in a cooler for hours.

I added the three hours of FTC in order to account for the uncertainty of cooking time, I did not mean it to be it to be procedural.

No direct knock on you.  In fact, I read it so fast I didn't even notice that was in your post.  That is a good approach if you are done early and have no other method to keep the food hot.

It may also be a good approach for competition cooking too.  I don't know.  I don't competition cook.  Over the 20 or so years I have been doing this, I have found the less work I have to do related to a cook the better and in the majority of the cases I couldn't tell a difference in the taste of the food.

I quit doing the following:

Applying rub and letting sit in fridge overnight
Putting in foil or some other covering and putting in cooler to let rest before slicing or pulling
Applying "glue" before rub (only tried this a few times)
Starting low for smoke and changing temp setting during the cook to higher temps
Spritzing
Applying a rub - sometimes I don't use one nowadays
Thawing food before cooking - sometimes I just throw on the smoker frozen
Etc

Wow....there's some wisdom in there!

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Tiny little hijack, there does seem to be a lifecycle of maturity on BBQ cooking and this as lead me back to simple cooks.  I still do half of what you've ceased doing, but through Covid I've had some really simple and successful cooks.  I don't use nitrates injections anymore on my brisket, ultimately didn't matter.  I got to a point I had to really dial back rubs as I ruined a few meals with too much salt.  Simple seems to be working for me.   No need to try out every new idea. 

What was the purpose of this?  Do you mean sodium phosphate?

I don't use nitrates injections anymore on my brisket...

What was the purpose of this?  Do you mean sodium phosphate?

I don't use nitrates injections anymore on my brisket...

yeah, old convo we had on this

https://pelletfan.com/index.php?topic=2712.msg34236#msg34236

I gave up on it. 

On the Traeger I would throw a lot of things on frozen, and leave the setup at 160 degrees until it was thawed.
You get a lot more smoke this way!
I did a turkey for thanksgiving. I put it on the night before frozen solid.
In the morning I put a pan under it, added some fluids, and did a slow cook.
Wonderfull!
Same thing for a pork roast. Amazing with almost no effort!

The results...

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Looks like it came out pretty good?  Were you happy with the technique you used?