Smoking time calculator: brisket, pork, turkey, safe temps

Estimated smoker time by meat and weight, the start time to serve on schedule and USDA safe internal temperatures, kept apart from the doneness you prefer.

Smoking time: per-pound estimate and safe internal temperature

Smoking time ≈ weight × time per pound, plus a margin for the stall and the rest. The time is only an estimate: meat is done when the probe reads the USDA safe temperature, 145 °F (63 °C) then a 3-minute rest for whole beef and pork cuts, 165 °F (74 °C) for poultry.

Method

  • Cook time = weight × time per pound (or per kilo); start = serving time − cook time − margin − rest.
  • Smoker air between 225 and 300 °F (107 to 149 °C), tracked with one thermometer in the chamber and a probe in the meat (USDA FSIS).
  • Turkey of 8 to 12 lb: 20 to 30 minutes per pound in a smoker according to FSIS. Times for other meats are indicative ballpark values, not verified against an official source, and can be changed in the tool.

Example

A 6 kg (13.2 lb) brisket at 2.75 h/kg, or 1.25 h/lb (indicative value): 16 h 30 of cooking, plus a 1 h margin and a 60 min rest, so 18 h 30. To serve at 7:00 PM, it goes on at 12:30 AM. A 5 kg (11 lb) turkey takes 3 h 40 to 5 h 31 from the FSIS range.

Stall and limits

A large cut often holds at a steady temperature mid-cook (the stall): actual time can run several hours past the estimate, hence the margin. Doneness temperature, such as a brisket that pulls apart, is a texture choice, indicative only, and never replaces the safe minimum. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Sources and dates: USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart; USDA FSIS, Smoking Meat and Poultry; USDA FSIS, Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table (checked on 29/10/2026)

Frequently Asked Questions

What internal temperature makes smoked meat safe?

According to USDA FSIS: 145 °F (63 °C) then a 3-minute rest for whole beef and pork cuts, 160 °F (72 °C) for ground meat and 165 °F (74 °C) for all poultry. Color or time are not enough: only the probe counts.

How long to smoke a 13 lb brisket?

At an indicative 1.25 h per pound (2.75 h/kg), allow about 16.5 hours, plus a margin for the stall and the rest. Time varies with the cut and the smoker, so watch the internal temperature.

How long does it take to smoke a turkey?

FSIS gives 20 to 30 minutes per pound for an 8 to 12 lb turkey, with the smoker held between 225 and 300 °F. An 11 lb bird therefore takes 3 h 40 to 5 h 31, until 165 °F in the thigh, wing and breast.

Why does my meat temperature stall?

That is the stall: a large cut can hold the same temperature for hours mid-cook. Build a margin into the schedule and never lower the target below the safe temperature.

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