c/bbq-pitmasters

Heard a kid at the grocery store ask his dad what a charcoal chimney was

The dad just said 'it's for the grill' and moved on. Made me think about how many little bits of knowledge aren't getting passed down anymore. Anyone have a good, simple way they explain the process to new folks?

Tried a 14-hour brisket cook against a 6-hour hot and fast one last weekend

I smoked a full packer on my offset at 225 degrees for 14 hours, like I always have. My buddy did the same cut on his pellet grill at 300 degrees and was done in 6 hours. The difference was crazy. His bark was thin and the fat didn't render all the way, it was almost chewy in spots. Mine had that deep black bark and the point just melted. I know people say hot and fast works, but after that side-by-side in my own backyard, I'm sticking with low and slow. Has anyone else done a cook-off like this and had the same result?

I finally stopped wrapping my brisket after 20 years of doing it wrong.

Pro tip: I was wrapping my brisket way too early for years

A judge at a Memphis contest told me my flat was dry and asked about my wrap temp, which was 160. I started waiting until 175 and the texture is completely different now. What's your usual wrap point for a packer?

Bought a fancy digital thermometer from a brand I saw on TV and it died after two cooks

Spent $85 on a ThermoPro digital probe that was supposed to be the best. The screen just went blank halfway through a 14-hour brisket smoke in my backyard. Had to finish the cook blind and it was super stressful. Anyone know a more reliable brand that can handle the heat?

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say he never wraps his brisket

I was picking up some charcoal at Ace Hardware last Tuesday and this older guy was telling the clerk he just lets his brisket ride unwrapped the whole cook. I always wrap mine in butcher paper at the stall, so I was ready to argue. But he said, 'The bark gets so much better if you just let it push through, even if it takes a few hours longer.' I tried it on a 14-pound packer this weekend and, you know what? He was right. The bark was like crunchy, peppery candy. Anyone else skip the wrap on a long smoke?

Update: I thought wrapping brisket in foil was a total cheat

My neighbor in Austin swore by the 'Texas crutch' for years, but I always thought it was just steaming the meat. Tried it last weekend on a 14-pound packer and the bark stayed perfect while it powered through the stall. Anyone else have a trick they fought against that actually works?

Caught a bit of a podcast with Myron Mixon talking about his competition brisket trim

He was saying he takes off way more fat than a lot of backyard cooks think is right, like a full inch off the flat sometimes. His point was that on a fast, hot cook for competition, you need that meat exposed to get bark fast, and the fat just won't render in time. It made me rethink my own low and slow method for home, where I leave a thicker cap. I guess the 'right' trim totally depends on your cooker and schedule. Has anyone else switched up their trimming style after hearing how the pros do it for contests?

Vent: Bought a fancy digital thermometer that died after one cookout

Wasted $75 on a Bluetooth probe that just stopped connecting. Should have stuck with my old analog one. Anyone know a brand that can handle real smoke and heat?

Saw a guy in Memphis throw out his thermometer and it blew my mind

I was at the Memphis in May contest back in 2019, just watching the teams. This one old-timer, his brisket was done, and he just tossed his digital probe right into his toolbox like it was nothing. He told me, 'If you don't know what 203 feels like by now, you're just playing.' I went home and didn't use a temp probe for a full year. My first few cooks were a mess, but now I can poke the flat and just know. Has anyone else tried to cook by feel instead of numbers?

TIL most people at my local comp rush the wrap on brisket

I was at the Kansas City BBQ Society event last weekend, and I saw at least five teams pull their briskets to wrap after only 3 hours. That's way too early (you know, before the bark even sets). I've found that waiting until the stall, usually around 5 or 6 hours in, gives you a much better bark and a more tender flat. It's a small timing thing, but it makes a huge difference in the final texture. Has anyone else noticed teams rushing this step lately?

My temp probe died right before a big cook

I was getting ready for a family thing yesterday, had a 12 pound brisket on, and my main temp probe just stopped working. It was one of those dual probe ones I got at the hardware store, maybe 2 years old. Had to run to the store for a cheap backup and guess the temp for a bit, which was super stressful. Anyone have a good brand for probes that last more than a couple seasons? I don't want this to happen again.

I had to decide whether to wrap my brisket in foil or butcher paper for a cook in Austin last month.

I chose the butcher paper for a 14-pound packer, and it gave me the bark I wanted without drying out the flat, so has anyone else had a different result with foil in a similar humid climate?

Last week at a competition in Austin, I realized I'd been overthinking my brisket rub for years.

Changed my mind about those fancy pellet grills after a backyard cookout

I always thought my old offset smoker was the only real way to get good bark. Then my neighbor brought over his $900 pellet grill for our block party last month. He set it up at 7 AM, put on a brisket, and went back to bed for three hours. The thing held 225 degrees the whole time without him touching it once. My brisket came out great too, but I was babysitting the firebox all morning. That steady heat and the extra sleep might be worth the cash. What's the biggest cook you've done on a pellet grill without having to mess with it?

I bought a $200 'competition grade' brisket injection that was basically salty water.

Some folks swear by injections for moisture, but I think it just washed out the beef flavor. Anyone have a real injection recipe that actually works?

My old offset smoker finally gave up the ghost last weekend, right in the middle of a 14-hour brisket cook.

Pro tip: Don't trust a pellet smoker's built-in temp probe for big cuts

I smoked a 16 pound brisket for a family reunion last month and relied on my smoker's built-in probe to tell me when it was done. The readout said 203 degrees, so I pulled it, wrapped it, and let it rest. When I went to slice it, the flat was tough as leather. I checked the temp with my handheld Thermapen and it was only reading 185 in the thickest part. The built-in probe was off by almost 20 degrees, likely from being right next to the heat source for years. I had to serve a half-raw brisket to 25 people. It was a total waste of about $90 in meat and 14 hours of my time. Now I always double-check with a trusted instant-read. Has anyone else had a brand's built-in probe fail them this badly on a long cook?

I thought the whole 'wrap your brisket in butcher paper' thing was just for show

Honestly, I was sure foil was fine and the paper was just a gimmick for TV. Then I tried it on my last cook and the bark stayed perfect, not soggy at all. Anyone else switch from foil and have it actually make a difference?

Unpopular opinion: I used a hair dryer to fix my brisket stall

I was 8 hours into a cook last Saturday and my brisket just sat at 165 degrees for what felt like forever. In a moment of pure desperation, I grabbed my wife's hair dryer and blasted the meat with low heat from about a foot away for a few minutes. It actually pushed it through the stall and I got a perfect bark, but my wife is still mad about the 'smoky salon' smell in her dryer. Has anyone else ever done something this weird that actually worked?

A judge told me my brisket bark was 'too aggressive' at a Memphis comp

I got my score sheets back from the Memphis in May contest and one judge wrote 'bark is like biting gravel, let the meat shine more.' I was crushed, because I worked hard on that heavy pepper crust. For my next cook, I cut my black pepper amount in half, from a full cup on a 16 pound packer to just half a cup. I also stopped pressing the rub in so hard, just a light pat. The difference was crazy, the bark still had texture but didn't fight you, and you could actually taste the beef. It scored way higher. Has anyone else had a judge call them out on something that seemed like a strength?

I thought the whole 'wrap your brisket in butcher paper' thing was just a fad, but after my third one came out dry, I gave it a shot.

I was a foil guy for a long time. Figured it was all the same. Then I did a side-by-side on my offset last weekend: one in foil, one in pink butcher paper from the local shop. The foil one was falling apart, sure, but the bark was mush. The paper one held a better bark and the flat was way more juicy. I'm not saying it's magic, but for a 16-hour cook, the difference was real. Anyone else do a test like this and get surprised?

My dad told me to stop chasing a perfect bark on my ribs

We were talking after a cook last weekend and he said, 'You know, your grandpa never once worried about how his ribs looked, only how they tasted.' He was right, I've been so focused on getting that dark, shiny crust that I was letting them dry out a bit. I did a rack yesterday and pulled them a little earlier, maybe 30 minutes before I normally would. The bark was a bit lighter, but the meat was way more juicy and tender. Has anyone else had a family member give them a piece of advice that totally flipped how you do something?

Pro tip: Getting a clean smoke ring on a pork butt took me 4 attempts and a full 24 hours of messing with my firebox.

Has anyone else found that the type of wood matters more than the temperature for that perfect pink ring?

PSA: My buddy in Austin told me to wrap my brisket at 160, but I tried going to 175 this weekend.

It came out a bit dry on the flat, so maybe his advice was right. Anyone have a different temp they swear by?