11/21/2025
Do you love brisket like I do!?
I saw this post on one of my barbecue Facebook groups, and seemed logical to forward to all my brisket lovers.
🔥 Brisket 101: Why It Costs What It Costs 🔥
A little behind-the-scenes look at what really happens to a brisket over 24 hours:
1️⃣ 18.4 lbs — fresh out of the package, big and proud.
2️⃣ 14.8 lbs — trimmed, seasoned, looking ready for greatness.
3️⃣ 8.35 lbs — after a 14-hour overnight smoke. Jiggly, beautiful… and nearly half the size. 😳
That’s a 45% yield on this brisket (average is about 50%).
So when brisket runs around $5/lb wholesale, that 18+ lb whopper is already about $100 before it ever hits the pit.
After trimming and cooking, you end up with about 8 usable pounds, putting the real cost closer to $12.50–$13/lb — before seasoning, wood, labor, or time.
BBQ isn’t pricey because we want it to be…
It’s pricey because brisket goes through a whole lot of shrinkage in the heat.
(Fellas, you get it.) 😉
Class dismissed. 😎
Keep supporing local, y’all!
