Food & cooking · BBQ
BBQ cook start time calculator.
Work backward from dinner: when to light the smoker and when to pull the meat, with a buffer for the stall and a rest in a cooler.
Inputs
Your schedule
Pick a serve time and cook time.
How do I time a smoke so dinner is hot at serve time?
Work backward: start time = serve time, minus the rest, minus the cook time plus a buffer. Meat that finishes early can rest wrapped in a towel in a dry cooler (hold it at 140 F or warmer per USDA FSIS, and the 2 hour refrigerate clock still applies), while meat that finishes late means hungry guests, so the buffer is added to the cook only. USDA FSIS asks for at least 3 minutes rest for beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts; the longer rests used for brisket and pulled pork are a common practice, not an FSIS requirement, so the rest here is your own choice. The 15% default buffer is a rule of thumb.
Worked example. You want to eat at 6:00 pm on Saturday. The brisket should take about 12 hours and you want a 2 hour rest with a 15% buffer. The cook with buffer is 13.8 hours, so pull the brisket at 4:00 pm and light the smoker at about 2:12 am Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
What time should I start smoking to eat at 6 pm?
Subtract the rest and the cook time with a buffer. For a 12 hour brisket with a 2 hour rest and a 15% buffer, you pull at 4:00 pm and start at about 2:12 am.
How long should smoked meat rest?
USDA FSIS requires at least 3 minutes for beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops and roasts. Longer rests for large cuts are common practice and are your choice here.
Why add a buffer?
Cook times vary with the meat, the weather and the heat, so a buffer protects the serve time. The 15% default is a rule of thumb you can change.
Is it safe to hold meat in a cooler?
Keep it hot: hold at 140 F or warmer (USDA FSIS says to keep cooked meat hot at 140 F or warmer until served), and the 2 hour refrigerate clock still applies. FSIS says to refrigerate within 2 hours of removing meat from the smoker, so do not extend the rest for hours without checking the temperature.
Sources
Checked
- USDA FSIS: Smoking Meat and Poultry
- Health Canada: Safe internal cooking temperatures
- USDA FSIS: Grilling and Food Safety
The FSIS statements are the 3 minute rest, the 140 F hot-holding temperature and the 2 hour refrigeration limit. Health Canada's figures are higher for pork (71 C / 160 F) and fish (70 C / 158 F); see the food safe temperature chart. Pork and fish need 160 F and 158 F by the Canadian figure, so the FSIS 3 minute rest wording is a US minimum. The buffer is a rule of thumb. Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Scope
Times and temperatures are estimates; use a probe thermometer and cook to the safe internal temperature. Food safety guidance, not professional advice. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly or cooking for young children, follow the stricter advice of your health professional.