Smoked Brisket
at 225°F
15 hr – 18 hr Plan on 75 to 90 minutes per pound in a 225°F smoker. A 12 lb smoked brisket lands around 15 hr – 18 hr. Done is 145°F on a food thermometer, plus a 60-minute rest — never the clock alone.
Time by weight at 225°F
Planning ranges for a fully thawed, fridge-temperature smoked brisket. The right-hand column is when to take the first thermometer reading.
| Weight | Estimated time at 225°F | Check thermometer from |
|---|---|---|
| 8 lb | 10 hr – 12 hr | 8 hr 30 min in |
| 9 lb | 11 hr 15 min – 13 hr 30 min | 9 hr 35 min in |
| 10 lb | 12 hr 30 min – 15 hr | 10 hr 40 min in |
| 11 lb | 13 hr 45 min – 16 hr 30 min | 11 hr 40 min in |
| 12 lb | 15 hr – 18 hr | 12 hr 45 min in |
| 13 lb | 16 hr 15 min – 19 hr 30 min | 13 hr 50 min in |
| 14 lb | 17 hr 30 min – 21 hr | 14 hr 55 min in |
| 15 lb | 18 hr 45 min – 22 hr 30 min | 15 hr 55 min in |
| 16 lb | 20 hr – 24 hr | 17 hr in |
Start checking the internal temperature well before the low end of the range — an early check costs nothing; a late one costs the meal. Done means 145°F on a food thermometer (see the pull-temperature note below).
When is it actually done?
145°F internal The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 145°F, followed by a rest of about 60 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
Pull temperature vs safe temperature: Brisket is safe at 145°F and inedible at 145°F. It is pulled at 195–203°F — most pitmasters probe for 'butter-soft' around 203°F in the flat — because only there has the collagen fully rendered.
Worth knowing before you start
- Plan for the long end of the range plus an hour of buffer. A brisket that finishes early holds happily for hours wrapped in a cooler; a late one ruins dinner.
- The stall (150–170°F, sometimes 2–4 hours of no progress) is evaporative cooling. Wrapping in butcher paper or foil pushes through it faster at some cost to bark.
- Thickness beats weight: a thick 10-pounder can outlast a thin 14-pounder. That is why every serious time estimate is a range.
- Rest a minimum of one hour, wrapped. Many BBQ joints hold brisket 4+ hours — the rest is part of the cook, not an afterthought.
Answers people ask
How long does a whole packer brisket take at 225°F?
Plan on 75 to 90 minutes per pound at 225°F. A 12 lb example takes about 15 hr – 18 hr. It is done when the internal temperature reaches 145°F on a food thermometer, not when the clock runs out.
What internal temperature is a whole packer brisket done at?
145°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part, then rested about 60 minutes. That is the USDA FSIS safe minimum. Brisket is safe at 145°F and inedible at 145°F. It is pulled at 195–203°F — most pitmasters probe for 'butter-soft' around 203°F in the flat — because only there has the collagen fully rendered.
Is 225°F a good temperature for a whole packer brisket?
It is one of 3 temperatures this site publishes for this cut (225°F, 250°F, 275°F). Lower runs longer and more forgiving; higher runs faster with more browning. 250°F is the most common choice.
Where these numbers come from
Ranges are anchored to USDA FSIS published timetables where they exist, and derived from that anchor plus cross-checked published sources where they do not — widened to cover the disagreement between sources rather than split down the middle. The full reasoning is on the method page. If a figure here looks wrong, say so — corrections are prioritised.