Beef How Long to Smoke a 5# Brisket

[Luscombe]

We bought a 1/4 cow from a local farmer and it came with a bunch of cuts. One of them was a 5# brisket.
So, in the next 24 hours I am going to cook it, the kids are coming over for dinner tomorrow.

I have no idea how long it will take. Most of the posts I have seen are for 10-20# full briskets and look like 12-16 hours or more.
I plan on following the Rec Tec recipe, 235 to an IT of 165 (8-10 hours? per the site)
Then wrap and cook until IT=203, probe, etc (4hours)
Pull and rest (1hour)
Not sure if the times apply to a brisket this small.

Yeah, this is my first brisket cook on the stampede so I want to get it close or we have hot dogs for dinner tomorrow.

Help much appreciated

 

[cookingjnj]

Like any cut of meat, cooking time is really just an estimate. You should really go on your internal temps more than a strict time. For a 5#, I assume, brisket flat, 8-10 +/- hours is probably a good ball park. I usually start my large cuts a little earlier than anticipated and use the FTC as my crutch to hold the meat longer if it is done too early (as my wife always jokes at me 'cause too early when smoking long cooks rarely happens for me...hahaha). I keep my temp probe in the meat while FTC to monitor internal temps and ensure the meat does not cool too much. I would think a 5# brisket would stay hot and safe 3 hours or so.

 

[Luscombe]

Thanks for the reply.
Well, I put it on at 6AM, 235. It just hit 165 IT, 4hrs later.
I wrapped in foil with a cup of Au Jus and put it back on in a tin foil pan.
I'm thinking it will be done around 12-1. I will pull, add more Au Jus, then wrap for an hour.
That gets me to 3ish. dinner is not until 5....... I may have to pull out the leftover pulled pork for street tacos...

 

[Luscombe]

Pulled it out at 2pm, IT was 203. Put in deep pan, added Au Jus and covered with foil.
It is resting now.

So I took a little bite and it was good!!