The Community Guide

c/bbq-pitmasters

8

ellis.jennifer•1h ago

Watched a pitmaster at a local comp spend 20 minutes trimming a brisket perfectly and then throw it on a dirty smoker

Why spend all that time on meat prep if you're not gonna clean your grates and firebox first, doesn't that just ruin the whole flavor, or am I missing something?

17

seth442•1d ago

Tried wrapping my brisket in butcher paper at 160 instead of 170

I've been doing packer briskets for about 4 years now. Always wrapped when the stall hit around 170. Last weekend I decided to try wrapping at 160 instead. The bark came out way softer than usual, almost mushy on the bottom. I think the meat just wasn't set enough before I sealed it up. Anyone else mess with their wrap temp and get a bad result?

23

logan263•2d ago

Talked to a guy at Franklin's last weekend who said brisket is ruined if you freeze it even once

He told me after 8 years of running a competition team he throws out any brisket that's been frozen and now I'm second guessing my whole process of buying packs on sale and storing them for months, anyone else ever test this side by side?

16

hugo_coleman28•5d ago

Just read that 90% of brisket stall happens between 150-160 degrees

I was looking up Aaron Franklin's method last night and found this stat from a Texas A&M meat science study. Apparently that's when the collagen breakdown really kicks in and fights the temp rise. Blew my mind because I always thought the stall was just moisture evaporating off the surface. Does anyone else follow a specific temp range for wrapping or do you just go by feel?

13

morgan.nancy•5d ago

Swapped my cheap charcoal for lumpwood last month and can't go back

I used to grab the cheapest briquettes at Walmart for my offset smoker, thinking charcoal is charcoal. After a buddy swore lumpwood burns hotter and cleaner, I tried a 20-pound bag from a local place in Austin. Now my brisket renders fat way faster and I get less ash buildup in the firebox. Has anyone else noticed a big difference switching from briquettes to lumpwood?

6

seth_allen•5d ago

TIL wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil is a real debate... I was a foil guy until last month

I always thought foil was fine for the stall, but after trying butcher paper on a 14-pound packer from Costco, the bark came out way crunchier and the smoke ring was deeper. Am I missing something or is paper just better for moisture control? What's your go-to?

-1

adams.troy•6d ago

Swapped apple wood for pecan on my last brisket cook and it was a game changer

I usually use apple wood for pork but tried pecan for a brisket last Sunday in Austin. The bark came out way darker and had this nutty sweet flavor that apple just never gave me on beef. Has anyone else noticed a big difference switching wood types for different meats?

13

singh.blair•7d ago

Pro tip: went with the offset smoker over a pellet grill for competition season

I had to choose between a $1,200 offset smoker and a $1,500 pellet grill for my first comp in Kansas City last fall. Picked the offset because I wanted real control over the fire. First cook went great but the second one I let the temp drop during a rain storm and ruined a whole pork shoulder. Has anyone else had a similar gamble backfire on them at a comp?

13

faith_torres83•7d ago

Lost a whole brisket when my offset smoker thermometer lied to me in Memphis last month

I was 6 hours into a 14 pound packer at my buddy's place near Beale Street. The built in thermometer said 250 degrees so I went inside for a nap. Woke up to smoke pouring out and the meat temp at 205 way too fast. The thermometer was off by 40 degrees and the brisket turned into shoe leather on one end. I pitched it and we ordered BBQ from Central instead. Has anyone else had a factory thermometer fail on them mid cook?

6

barbara_kim•8d ago

Shoutout to the guy who told me to rest brisket in a dry cooler

I was at a competition in Kansas City last summer and this old pitmaster from a team called Smoke & Oakies told me to stop wrapping my brisket in towels and just put it in a dry cooler for 2-3 hours. I thought he was crazy because I always used a faux cambro setup with towels. But I tried it on my last cook, a 14 pound prime packer, and the bark stayed way crunchier while the meat still came out at 150 degrees after 3 hours. The difference was night and day - the fat rendered better and the slices held together without falling apart. Found out later that the dry cooler method keeps the air circulation around the meat instead of trapping steam. Has anyone else switched off the towel wrap and noticed a better texture on the bark?

10

vera_sanchez•8d ago

The moment my brisket stalled at 160 and I panicked at a competition in Kansas City

I was at the American Royal in Kansas City last fall, 8 hours into a cook, and my brisket hit 160 internal temp and just stopped. I wrapped it in butcher paper and bumped the smoker to 275, but for 45 minutes it didn't budge. My buddy next to me said to just ride it out, the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. It finally crept up after another hour and turned out decent, but I lost 2 hours of time. So what do you do when the stall hits during a comp - wrap tight or stay the course?

13

alicem29•10d ago

Offset vs pellet smoker side by side test at my buddy's place in Austin

My friend Greg and I ran a brisket comparison last weekend. He used his Lang offset and I ran my Traeger. We used the same prime brisket from HEB and same rub. The offset bark was way better, deeper color and crunchier. Has anyone else found that offsets just give better smoke flavor no matter what you do?

19

abby_kim55•10d ago

Hit 225 degrees internal on my brisket after 14 hours and it was pure magic

I always thought you had to baby the smoker for the full stall to get that perfect bark and jiggle. But last weekend I let my WSM run steady at 250 and just walked away for a few hours. When I came back, the probe slid in like butter. Anyone else ever hit a target temp way earlier than expected and had to hold it longer?

31

brooke_walker23•10d ago

Hit my first perfect bark after 4 years of trying this weekend

I finally got that deep mahogany crust on a pork shoulder I smoked in my backyard in Austin last Saturday, and my neighbor walked over to ask what rub I used. Anyone else feel like the bark gods just smile on you randomly one day?

6

stellablack•13d ago

That week my brisket turned out leathery and I finally learned why

I spent last Tuesday babysitting a 14 pound brisket on my offset smoker, pulling it off when it hit 203 internal temp after 12 hours. Everyone raved about the flavor but the flat was dry and the point was tough. Next day I tried again, same setup but let it rest wrapped in paper for 3 full hours in a cooler. Night and day difference - the meat actually loosened up and pulled apart. Has anyone else had a bad week where a brisket just fought you every time?

15

brian_kelly91•13d ago

Just saw the Pitmaster Harry Soo video where he said he trims his brisket right before bed and lets it rest overnight

I always thought you had to season and cook right away, but after trying it on my last $80 prime packer from Costco the bark turned out way better, anyone else do a cold rest before the cook?

25

andrew_sanchez94•14d ago

I finally stopped trimming my brisket so much after a competition judge called me out

Used to think I needed to carve off every speck of fat on a packer, but last summer at a small cook-off in Kansas City a judge wrote 'over-trimmed, dry ends' on my scorecard. She was right, I was throwing away flavor and moisture for looks. How do you guys decide how much fat cap to leave on?

34

jade_hunt48•14d ago

Debate: Does a whole hog beat a brisket for true pitmaster cred?

I was at the Blue Ridge BBQ Fest near Asheville last fall and a guy named Ray told me I was wasting my time with brisket if I never did a whole hog. He said the real skill is managing all those different meat temps in one pit. I get that brisket is the classic test, but whole hogs take way more planning and fire control. Which one do you think separates the weekenders from the real pitmasters?

18

hayes.oliver•15d ago

Stumbled on a fact about Aaron Franklin's brisket temps that blew my mind

I was just scrolling through some old BBQ forums last night, not even looking for anything specific, and I found this post from someone who claimed they worked at Franklin Barbecue in Austin a few years back. They said Aaron Franklin actually runs his pit at 275 to 285 degrees for brisket, not the 225 everyone talks about. I always thought low and slow was the only way for perfect brisket, but this guy had photos of his log book with exact temp readings from the pit. I tried it on my offset smoker this morning with a small 8-pounder, cruising at 275, and the bark set in way faster than normal. The meat came out tender but not mushy, and I saved about 3 hours on the cook. Has anyone else tested higher pit temps like this or am I late to the party?

27

lucas_carr24•15d ago

That foil boat method on brisket I always dismissed actually saved my cook last weekend

I was dead set against wrapping anything in foil, always been a paper guy. But I had a 16 lb brisket stall at 170 for 3 hours and my bark was already way too dark. Threw it in a foil boat with some tallow and it finished in 2 hours with the best flat I've ever had. Anybody else switch methods mid-cook out of desperation and get surprised?

13

ruby494•16d ago

Debate: Is a pellet smoker really barbecue or just an easy oven?

I was strictly a stick burner guy for about 2 years. Thought pellets were cheater machines. Then I tried my buddy's Traeger last month at a party in Austin. The brisket had great smoke ring and flavor. Now I'm torn. Does the convenience mean it's not real BBQ? Or does it count if the food tastes good? What side are you on and why?

22

maxpalmer•17d ago

A pitmaster in Kansas City told me my rub was too fine, that changed everything

I was at a competition last summer in KC and one of the old timers tried my ribs. He said my rub had a flour-like consistency and it was clumping up on the meat, creating a bitter crust. He suggested I run my spices through a coarse sieve instead of grinding them fine. I tried it on my next cook and the bark came out way better, more texture and less harsh flavor. Has anyone else adjusted their rub grind based on feedback?

11

hannah385•17d ago

That foil boat trick for brisket saved my cook last weekend

I was struggling with dry flats on my 18inch WSM for over a year. Tried wrapping in butcher paper and it helped but the flat still came out tough. On a whim I folded a foil boat around just the flat during the stall and the finished brisket was the most tender I have ever made. Has anyone else tried this instead of full wrapping?

15

jana_lewis16•18d ago

Question about wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil

I was skeptical about butcher paper for years until I tried it on a 16-pound packer brisket last weekend and the bark stayed way crunchier than foil, has anyone else noticed that difference with a longer cook?

32

drew_chen•18d ago

That old pitmaster in Lockhart told me to stop using sauce entirely and just focus on the rub

I was at Smitty's Market last summer and this guy named Roy watched me grab a bottle of sauce and just shook his head, said "if your meat needs a crutch you're hiding bad decisions" and honestly I haven't touched a bottle since, anyone else get called out like that at a BBQ joint?