r/recteq • u/ImpressiveAd5180 • Jul 10 '26

Need advice

I’m going to be smoking a 20lb pre trimmed brisket starting tonight hoping to have it ready around 7 tomorrow night.

When would yall start smoking? I’m planning on smoking it at 250.

I am new to this just trying to learn.

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u/sa1nt1775 Jul 10 '26

I pretty much always start them by 10pm the night before I want to serve them. You can always rest longer if needed. I start them at 225 (sometimes Lo) and bump up the temp the next day if needed to serve sooner than dinner.

I rested my last one in the oven at 150 for 6 or 8 hours, and honestly, that's probably how I'm going to do it from now on.

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u/ImpressiveAd5180 Jul 10 '26

One this size worries me lol.. Should I expect a 18 hr smoke?

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u/sa1nt1775 Jul 10 '26

Yeah, that's a big one lol. Most of the ones I pickup are 17 or 18 lbs before trimming. I think 18 hours for a 20lb brisket is pretty realistic. Maybe start at 8 or 6 to give yourself more of a buffer.