11/20/2025
π₯ THE REAL COST OF GREAT BRISKET (Most Folks Have No Idea) π₯
If youβve ever wondered why true, slow-smoked BBQ has a price tagβ¦ let me show you what happens to a single brisket over 24 hours.
This is the honest, behind-the-pit reality:
1οΈβ£ 18.4 lbs β straight out of the package. Big. Heavy. Full of potential.
2οΈβ£ 14.8 lbs β trimmed and seasoned. Hours of prep, and we havenβt even fired up the pit yet.
3οΈβ£ 8.35 lbs β after a 14-hour slow smoke. Perfect bark. Juicy. Tender.
β‘οΈ And almost HALF the size. π³
Thatβs a 45% yield (average is maybe 50% if youβre lucky).
So when brisket costs around $5/lb wholesale, that big 18+ pounder is already about $100 before it even touches fire.
But hereβs the part most folks never see:
π₯ After trimming.
π₯ After smoking.
π₯ After babysitting it through the night.
π₯ After wood, seasoning, wrapping, rest time, AND laborβ¦
Youβre left with roughly 8 pounds of usable brisket, putting real cost closer to $12.50β$13 per pound before anything else.
So noβ¦ BBQ isnβt expensive because we want it to be.
Itβs expensive because quality takes sacrifice β time, weight, labor, love, and patience.
And if youβve ever cooked a brisket, you know one thing for sure:
Thereβs a whole lot of shrinkage in the heat.
(Fellasβ¦ you understand. π)
But hereβs what matters most:
β€οΈ When you support local BBQ, youβre not just buying meat β
Youβre supporting families, small businesses, long nights, early mornings, and the craft we pour our heart into.