The amount of time required when smoking a pound of brisket depends on the temperature of your smoker, the weight and size of the meat, and the temperature of the coals.
On average, 1.5 to 2 hours per pound of brisket smoked at 225 degrees should provide moist, tender meat.
While the hours-per-pound method can be good as a beginning point for deciding how long to smoke brisket, it is not an absolute rule. Cooking time for a pound of beef is dependent on a variety of variables, the most critical of which are cooking method and temperature.
Per pound, it normally takes between 30 minutes and two hours.
We recommend that you follow these guidelines to calculate the estimated time necessary to prepare brisket. It takes around 1.5 to two hours per pound to smoke a brisket at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
It takes between one and 1.5 hours per pound at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Each pound needs 30-45 minutes at a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
This translates to around 18 hours for a 12-pound brisket at 225 degrees Fahrenheit and approximately 12 hours for a 12-pound brisket at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
This gives an estimate, but leave extra time in case it takes longer than expected, and don't forget to allow time for it to rest after completion.