Hit 200 briskets this weekend and here's what shocked me

I just crossed 200 briskets on my Lang 84 over the past 3 years. What got me is how the last 50 have been way more consistent than the first 150. I stopped overthinking temps and wrapping times and just let the meat tell me when it's done. The stall still catches me off guard sometimes though. Anyone else hit a milestone that made you change your whole process?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily8918d ago

Did your buddy ever have one of those briskets that just refused to cooperate for no good reason? My neighbor Tom used to obsess over his smoker like it was a science experiment, checking temps every 20 minutes and wrapping at the exact same time every cook. Then one day he forgot to set his alarm and slept through the stall by three hours. The brisket came out the best he ever made, tender and juicy with a perfect bark. He still laughs about how that happy accident taught him to relax and trust the meat more than the numbers.

thomas_scott18d ago

I read something similar about barbecue pitmasters who say the overnight cook is where most people mess up. They get too in their head about time and temperature when the meat has its own timeline. A guy in Texas named Franklin says you should let the brisket tell you when it's done, not the clock. Your neighbor's story backs that up, three hours past the stall and it was perfect. Sounds like he accidentally learned the most important lesson.