Thought wrapping ribs early saved time, but letting them go bare changed everything.

That extra unwrapped hour made the bark so much better, I won't rush it again.

3 comments

3 Comments

Hold on, are you only adding one extra hour bare? I tried a full smoke without wrapping last time. That bark was like a crunchy pepper crust you could break with a fork. Going bare for just the last part of the cook never gets it that good for me. You ever think about skipping the wrap completely?

lane.morgan3mo ago

Oh totally, I've been doing no wrap for a couple years now. You're right, that last hour bare just doesn't build the same kind of bark. It gets dark, but not that crazy crunchy shell. My last brisket point had bark so thick it was almost like a piece of burnt ends jerky on the outside. It does take way longer to get tender, and sometimes the flat dries out a bit more, but for the point cut? I'll never go back. That texture is just too good.

brookefox2mo ago

My 2021 brisket was the one that changed it for me. I was a strict Texas crutch guy before that, always wrapping in butcher paper. That cook went 18 hours unwrapped, and the bark was a completely different thing. It wasn't just dark, it was a solid, craggy layer you could actually hear when you cut it. Yeah, the flat was a bit hard and dry on the very end, but the point and the burnt ends were unreal.