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pulltempBrisket

Tri-tip smoke time and pull temp

Smoke at 225°F for 45 to 90 min, and pull at 115°F.

Time45 to 90 min
Pull at115°F
  1. Smoke45 min
  2. Start checking45 min
  3. Rest10 min
Cook at225°F
Rest10 to 15 min
Typical size2 to 4 lb
Safe at (USDA)145°F
  • Cook to the temperature, not the clock: pull at 115°F, off the smoker, then sear to 130 to 135°F. The time gets you close; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you when.
  • Sear it over high heat for a minute or two a side after the smoke, until it reads 130 to 135°F for medium rare.
  • A pellet grill swings around its setting, within about 25°F either way on a good day (Traeger), so the range allows for it. A new or freshly cleaned grill runs long: Traeger says an extra 1 to 2 hours on a 4 hour cook.
  • This pull temperature is below USDA's 145°F for safety, as cooks do for medium rare. For USDA's line, cook to 145°F and rest 3 minutes.

What are you smoking?

MeatTri-tipChange

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Lamb

How big is it?

Units

Timed for a typical piece, 2 to 4 lb, rather than by the pound, so there is no weight to enter. Two or three at once take about as long as one, with room for air between them.

Your smoker

Cooker

How long to smoke tri-tip

Smoke tri-tip at 225°F for about 45 to 90 minutes, and pull at 115°F, off the smoker, then sear to 130 to 135°F. That is for tri-tip (whole, reverse seared), at the heat shown; the calculator above has each heat a source gives a time for.

Rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing or pulling. USDA counts tri-tip safe at 145°F with a 3 minute rest; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you more than the clock.

Tri-tip

More beef

Questions

What temperature do you pull tri-tip at?

115°F, off the smoker, then sear to 130 to 135°F. Cook to that temperature rather than to the clock.

How long should tri-tip rest?

10 to 15 minutes, loosely covered or wrapped, before slicing or pulling.

Should I cook to time or to temperature?

To temperature. The time tells you when to start and when to start checking; the meat is ready when the thickest part reaches its pull temperature.

Does my smoker change the time?

Not at the same temperature, as far as any cooker maker or test says. What changes is how steady it holds: keep the lid or door shut and the fire even, and the time holds too.