Dinner's at 6. Here's when to light the fire.

Choose your cut and serving time. Get a practical schedule for firing up, pulling, and resting.

Start planning my cook

Free to use. No signup needed.

Sliced smoked ribs with dark bark and pink meat on a wooden cutting board
Good barbecue is worth planning for.
YOUR COOK AT A GLANCE EXAMPLE

Saturday dinner, planned.

A sample brisket cook, working backward from a 6 PM meal.

  1. Fire up 8:30 PM Friday
  2. Pull 4:30 PM Saturday
  3. Serve 6:00 PM Saturday

Illustrative schedule only. Actual cook times vary. Verify safe temperature and tenderness before serving.

How it works

Choose your cut

Start with your meat, then pick your pit and cooking preferences.

Set your dinner time

Tell us when you want to serve. We work backward through cooking, rest, and buffer.

Follow your cook plan

Get clear milestones for lighting the fire, checking readiness, pulling, and serving.

GET READY TO SMOKE

A little guidance goes a long way.

Five practical cook-time guides when you want more detail. Smoke Planner handles your personalized schedule.

All BBQ guides →
BrisketStart times, stalls, wraps, and resting.Read the guide → RibsBaby backs, spare ribs, and beef ribs.Read the guide → Pork shoulderPlan an overnight smoke or cook for a crowd.Read the guide → ChickenTiming for whole birds, wings, and pieces.Read the guide → TurkeyStay on schedule for family meals and holidays.Read the guide →
READY WHEN YOU ARE

Make dinner the plan, not a guess.

Choose your cut and serving time. We'll work backward to your fire, pull, and serve milestones.

Plan your next smoke →
Got questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

A few quick answers before you light the fire.

How does the smoke planner calculate cook time?

It uses cut-specific published-condition anchors and explicit planning assumptions. Racks and pieces use thickness or piece size; large cuts use weight and shape. Startup, rest, and buffer are separate. The upper cook bound sets the planned start.

What is the stall?

Evaporative cooling can slow the rise in food temperature. Its onset and duration vary. There is no guaranteed stall duration or fixed wrap deadline. Check the pit, food, and bark. Do not add a second fixed stall penalty to the cook window.

How long should I rest smoked meat before slicing?

Use the cut-specific rest recommendation. Brisket and pork shoulder default to 60 minutes. Whole beef, pork, and lamb cuts require at least 145 F and 3 minutes rest. Rest is not a promise of safe holding. Hold ready food at 140 F or above and measure its temperature.

Is the smoke planner free to use?

Yes. No account is required. Settings and named plans are stored in this browser. Analytics is optional and off until allowed. Weather is an optional external lookup. A shared URL contains readable encoded settings, so avoid private information.

About

Built for the backyard, not the restaurant

Weekend Pitmasters blends tradition with smart planning. Whether you cook on pellets, an offset, or a kamado, the Smoke Planner offers planning windows for 14 cuts, separate rest and startup, and optional weather context. Check actual temperatures as you cook.

Looking for something sweet after the cook? Try this Easy Homemade Apple Crisp (The Baker's Table). Owner connection: Eric co-owns The Baker's Table with his wife, Kendra. This is an editorial recipe link, not a paid placement.