Hit 14 hours on a brisket and the stall just never came

Cooked a 16 pounder last Saturday. Kept waiting for that temp plateau around 160. It just cruised right past it. Wrapped at 170 after 14 hours total. Never seen a piece of meat behave like that. Some folks say a strong stall is key for bark, others say skipping it means better moisture. What's your take on a missing stall?

3 comments

3 Comments

gonzalez.henry2mo ago

Missing stall just means less bark but juicier meat, right?

-1

ruby_murphy1mo ago

Actually read a good piece on this. The stall happens when moisture evaporates and cools the meat, like a sweat. If you skip it by wrapping too early, you get less smoke time, so the bark suffers. Juiciness comes from the fat and collagen breaking down, not really from rushing through the stall. A longer stall gives you time for that bark to set up right.

hernandez.miles2mo ago

My last brisket stalled for just an hour at 160. The bark was a bit soft, but the point was almost too rich and greasy. I'd take a longer stall for better texture any day.