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How long to smoke brisket at 200
If you’re wondering how long you should be smoking a brisket when it is cooking at around 200°F, then you have come to the right place.
On average, most briskets are done at a cook through rate of about 1 pound per hour.
This however is exclusively for 225°F.
As you start to go a lot lower the temperature, to around 200°F, then you could probably expect a slightly longer cooking time around 1.5 pounds per hour.
Can you smoke at 200 degrees?
Smoking any type of BBQ at around 200° is not recommended.
Again, that’s because the collagen and connective tissue will need to be rendered down over a period of time that is way too long for anyone to handle.
It could be a great temperature to start a cook at, and perhaps even let the brisket get some nice smoke flavor, but outside of that I would not recommend it.
What is the lowest temp you can smoke a brisket?
It is recommended to never go below 225°F to smoke a brisket.
The reason you should never really go below that, is simply simply because it will take way too long to cook any meaningful size of brisket.
225°F is already lol, and can extend your cooking way past 24 hours if you’re cooking the monster brisket.
That means that if you were smoking a reasonable brisket at 200, then you will certainly be smoking it over 24 hours, more than likely.
Can I smoke brisket at 220?
Since 220°F is already pretty close to around 225°F, it won’t really make much difference in terms of the smoke in time for your brisket.
Just be sure to accurately measure the great temp as well as the internal temperature for your brisket.
Having an accurate reading and pulling the brisket off at the right internal temperature is what matters the most.
Can you smoke a brisket too slow?
Smoking brisket slowly is perhaps one of the most common things regarding smoking a brisket.
In other words, most Pitmasters out there will advocate for smoking your brisket low and slow.
Despite that, I would still not recommend smoking below 225°F.
It’s simply because the brisket is being cooked at a rate that is simply way too long and you will be sitting by the fire for way longer than you need to.
Brisket at 200 or 225?
Smoking at 200 versus 225°F, is a very interesting question and something that needs to be addressed. Just so you know, you should never go below 225°F.
Therefore, you should always consider smoking at 225°F versus only 200°. If you have a big piece of brisket, it will already take substantially long periods of time.
When you decide to bring it even lower than that, then you will certainly be cooking for even longer periods of time, and that is just frankly not necessary at all.
How long to smoke a 3 pound brisket at 200 degrees
At around 200°F, you can expect to cook a 3 pound brisket for about 4 to 5 hours.
It’s simply because the cookie rate is around 1 1/2 pounds per hour.
It’s a lot longer of a time than any other type of smoking that you’ll encounter.
How long to smoke a 10 pound brisket at 200 degrees
If you’re wondering how long it should take a 10 lb brisket to be smoked at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then it will take roughly 15 hours to fully cook through and render all the collagen inside of the barbecue completely tender.
How long to smoke a 4 pound brisket at 200 degrees
Smoking a 4 pound brisket at around 200 degrees would render it tender and ready to be pulled off the smoker at roughly six or so hours.
Always make sure to factor in about an hour extra for prepping the smoker, since that is a very common thing that many seem to forget.
How long to smoke a 8 pound brisket at 200 degrees
If you’re wondering how long to smoke your 8 lb brisket at around 200 degrees, then no it should take about 12 hours, give or take an hour extra for prepping the smoker.
This is purely an estimation but it is a good ballpark estimate to follow for smoking briskets at that low of temperature.
How long to smoke a 6 pound brisket at 200 degrees
If you’re going to be smoking a six pound brisket, at the low and very low temperature of 200 degrees, then it could possibly take about seven to eight hours to fully cook through.
Final Thoughts
Smoking a brisket of any size or weight will take a very long time to be smoked at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It honestly is never really recommended to go below 225 degrees Fahrenheit, since that is the lowest temperature that many seem to smoke a brisket at.
Not only that, but anything below 200 degrees Fahrenheit, will serve to extend the cook time we passed one and a half hours per pound.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.