Multiple Tri-tip smoke time and temp?

[Gary Fly]

I am going to be smoking 5 tips at an average 2.5 pounds a pcs. A quick Google search is telling me to cook at 225 degrees for 30 minutes per pound. How accurate is that? Am I really looking at a 6.25 hour cook for these tri-tips?

 

[RayClem]

There are a few of issues here.

1. The cook time will be similar whether you are cooking 1 Tri-Tip or 5. Just make sure you leave a few inches between the pieces of meat. If they are too close together, they will cook like a larger roast.

2. NEVER trust the time and temperature information given in a recipe. The information is to help you plan your cook. ALWAYS verify the internal temperature of each piece of meat using an instant read thermometer you know to be accurate. When cooking beef, a difference of just a few degrees of internal temperature can make a difference between medium rare and medium well. If you prefer medium rare and end up with medium well, you won't be happy.

There are too many variable in outdoor cooking to be able to cook to time and temperature as you might do in a kitchen oven. But even indoors, using a meat thermometer is recommended.

3. Always allow extra time after the cook is completed for the meat to rest. That allows juices to redistribute throughout the roast. Somewhere betweeen 15-30 minutes would be a nice nap for your tri-tips.

 

[Gary Fly]

RayClem,
This info is extremly helpful ! Thank you so much for taking the time to awnser my question.

 

[midwest]

Have you cooked them yet? If so how’d things turn out?

If not I have cooked a lot of Tri tip on my Traeger. I usually set the temp around 235 and it takes them anywhere from an hour to 2 hours to get to around 125 degrees (depending on size). Then i take them off and sear them. If I was doing multiples that would be done at different times I would pull them off about ten degrees below your final desired temp and put them in a cooler. Once all of them are off put a sear on them and they are ready. Also you might check a couple videos about slicing them, the grain runs 2 different directions on tri tips so you’ll slice one way, then about 1/2 way through you’ll rotate it and continue to slice. If you don’t like a final product medium rare you’ll adjust what temp you take them off at