c/bbq-pitmasters

I gave up on wrapping my brisket and the bark was way better

I did a full packer on my offset last weekend and skipped the Texas crutch entirely. I kept it at 250 the whole time, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes. It took 16 hours to hit 203 internal, but the bark was a solid, dark crust that cracked when I sliced it. Everyone says you need to wrap to push through the stall, but I found the extra time just made the bark set up harder. Has anyone else had a good result by just letting it ride?

A fire in the firebox almost ruined my brisket last Thursday

I was running my old Oklahoma Joe offset for a 14-hour cook and the temp spiked to 350 degrees when I wasn't looking. It happened because I used a piece of hickory that was way too dry and it caught like a torch. Has anyone else in Texas had this happen with super dry wood they bought locally?

My old offset smoker's firebox door rusted clean off mid-cook

I was doing a pork butt for a family thing last Sunday when the whole hinge side just gave way, sending the door clattering onto my patio. I had to rig up a piece of scrap sheet metal with some baling wire to keep the heat in long enough to finish. Has anyone else had a firebox fail like that, and is it worth trying to weld a new one on?

Question about resting brisket. I saw a guy at a comp in Memphis pull his off the smoker and slice it right away.

My buddy in Kansas City pointed out I was cooking my ribs way too hot

I was running my smoker at 275 for years, thinking it was fine because the ribs were done faster. He came over last week, saw my temp gauge, and just said 'man, you're boiling the meat, not smoking it.' I dropped it down to 225 for my next rack and the difference in how tender and smoky they were was crazy. Anyone else have a temp mistake they stuck with for way too long?

My uncle insisted I wrap my brisket in foil after 4 hours, but it just steamed the bark off in my Oklahoma Joe.

He swore it kept it moist, but after trying it twice, I got a soft, gray crust instead of that dark, crunchy bark I wanted, so what's your method for keeping it juicy without ruining the bark?

My uncle swore by putting a pan of water in the smoker for brisket, said it was the only way. Tried it on a 14-pounder last weekend and the bark turned to mush.

Used to wrap my pork shoulder in foil after 4 hours, now I just let it ride.

My buddy in Kansas City saw me do it and said I was just steaming the bark away. Tried his way on my next cook and the bark was way better, dark and crunchy. Anyone else ditch the wrap for pork butts?

A random guy in Memphis showed me a better way to check brisket doneness

I was at a small contest in Memphis about six months ago, just hanging out by my smoker. This older guy, who was set up next to me, saw me poking my brisket with a thermometer every ten minutes. He walked over and said, 'You're letting all the good heat out, son.' He told me to forget the temp for a second and just push on the flat with my finger. He showed me how the meat should feel like pushing into a jar of peanut butter, not tight or firm. I tried it, and the feel was totally different from what the probe said. It was done way sooner than I thought. Now I always use the feel test first, and my briskets have been way more tender. Has anyone else had a judge or another cook show them a simple trick like that?

My neighbor's brisket went from shoe leather to perfect in just two months

He used to cook everything at 350 degrees for three hours, no matter what. After watching a YouTube video from a Texas pitmaster, he bought a simple probe thermometer and started smoking at 225. The first time he tried it, he called me over and said, 'I think I finally get it.' The difference was night and day. Has anyone else had a friend make a huge leap like that after one simple change?

Used to wrap my brisket in foil, now I'm a butcher paper guy

For years I did the Texas crutch with heavy duty foil, but my briskets always came out a bit too soft on the bark. Last summer, I watched a video from Aaron Franklin where he talked about pink butcher paper letting just enough steam out. I switched to the paper for my last four cooks and the bark is way better, plus the fat still renders nicely. Anyone else make this switch and have tips for the wrap timing?

Just realized I've been using way too much wood for my brisket smoke

I switched from a full log every hour to just two fist-sized chunks at the start, and the flavor got way cleaner. Anyone else find less smoke wood actually works better on long cooks?

Appreciation post: a pitmaster in Austin told me to spritz my brisket with straight-up pickle juice instead of apple cider vinegar

I tried it on my last cook and the bark got way darker and the flavor had this crazy good tang that my usual 50/50 water and ACV mix never gave me, so has anyone else messed with weird spritzes like that?

I always thought brisket needed a full 24 hours in the smoker

I was watching a video from a pitmaster in Austin who said his best briskets come off after about 12 hours at 275 degrees. He showed the bark and the bend, and it looked perfect. I tried it last weekend on my offset, and the flat was way more juicy than my old low and slow method. Has anyone else had good luck with a hotter, faster cook?

Showerthought: I switched from wrapping my brisket in foil to using butcher paper last fall.

My bark was always getting soggy with foil, so a guy at a Memphis competition told me to try pink butcher paper. The bark stays way better now and the fat still renders. Anyone got tips on keeping the paper from sticking to the meat sometimes?

Just hit 200 briskets on my old offset smoker

I started keeping a little notebook by the smoker back in 2018, just a tally mark for each one. I pulled number 200 off the grate this morning, and it hit me how much quieter and slower the whole scene feels now compared to when I was just trying not to burn the first few. Does anyone else get that shift, where the big numbers just start to feel normal?

Just hit 100 hours on my offset smoker without a single major flare-up

I've been tracking my cooks since I got this thing, and that number really surprised me... I remember my first few smokes were a constant fight with the fire. The big win was figuring out the exact size of wood chunks my firebox likes, about the size of my fist. It's not about fancy gear, just learning the rhythm of your own pit. Anyone else have a small tweak that made their fire management click?

Vent: My uncle swore by a 275-degree brisket cook for 8 hours, but mine came out tough as a boot.

He said the high heat would push through the stall and keep the bark set, but I think my cheap offset smoker just couldn't hold that temp steady, so has anyone with a similar rig found a better method?

Showerthought: I heard a guy at the hardware store say he only uses Kingsford briquettes for his brisket.

He was telling his friend that lump charcoal burns too hot and uneven for a long cook. It made me think about how I've always used B&B lump in my offset, and my results can be a bit all over the place. Maybe I should try a bag of briquettes for my next 14-hour smoke and see if it holds temp better. Has anyone else switched from lump to briquettes for long cooks and noticed a real difference?

Faced a choice between two briskets at the Austin meat market

I had to pick between a 12-pound prime packer and a 14-pound choice grade, both from the same butcher. I went with the prime because the marbling looked way better, even though it was smaller. It cooked for 16 hours on my offset and came out so tender it basically fell apart when I probed it. Anyone else ever gamble on the smaller, better-looking cut over the bigger one?

Showerthought: Saw a guy in Austin using a garden sprayer for his mop sauce

I was at a cook-off in Austin last weekend and saw a pitmaster using a clean garden sprayer to apply his mop sauce to a whole brisket. It gave him a super even coat without splashing and he said it saved him a ton of time. Anyone else tried something weird like that for applying liquid during a cook?

Pro tip: I chose a full packer brisket over just the flat for my first smoke, and the extra fat saved me from a total disaster.

Honestly, I was debating between the two for hours, but after my buddy in Austin said 'the point is where the magic happens,' I went for the whole 14-pounder and the rendered fat kept it juicy even when my temps spiked to 275 for a bit, so what's your take, flat only or commit to the packer?

My $300 wireless meat probe system just died mid-cook

I was doing a brisket for a friend's party last weekend, had it on the smoker since 4 AM. Everything was going smooth, internal temp was sitting at 185. I went inside to get a drink, checked the app on my phone, and it just showed ' - -' for the temp. The base unit by the smoker had a blank screen. Tried new batteries, resetting it, nothing. Had to run to the store and grab a cheap analog probe to finish the cook, but I'd already lost track of the temp for over an hour. The thing is only about 8 months old. I'm so annoyed because the convenience was amazing when it worked. Has anyone else had a major tech fail like this with their gear? What's a more reliable brand you'd trust for a long smoke?

Honestly, I was wrapping my brisket after 3 hours for years until I saw a video from a Texas guy who just never wraps at all.

My brisket stall lasted 8 hours and I almost lost my mind

Honestly, I was smoking a 14 pound packer in my backyard in Austin and it hit the stall at 165 degrees. Tbh, I thought it would be maybe 4 hours max, but it just sat there forever. Ngl, I was ready to wrap it in foil but I stuck with butcher paper like Aaron Franklin talks about. Has anyone else had a stall go that long on a brisket?