TIL wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil makes a huge difference in bark texture

I did a side by side test last weekend with two 12 pound briskets from the same cow. One wrapped in pink butcher paper at 165 degrees, the other in heavy duty foil. The paper wrapped one came out with this amazing crunchy bark that held up even after resting for 2 hours in a cooler. The foil one? Bark was soft and almost mushy, like it steamed itself. I always used foil before cause it's what my dad taught me. Has anyone else noticed this big of a difference or was it just my cooker being weird that day?

2 comments

2 Comments

cooper.taylor8d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man that's wild you mentioned this cause I just ruined a pork shoulder last week using foil and it turned into this soggy mess... I was so mad cause I had it going for like 14 hours and the bark just slid right off when I tried to pull it apart. My neighbor swears by the pink paper but I always thought it was just hype from the competition guys on YouTube. Now I'm wondering if I should give it a shot on my next cook... maybe for ribs first before I commit to a whole brisket.

morgan.nancy8d ago

Dude the bark sliding right off is the worst feeling ever, I've been there! That 14 hour cook just gone in a second. So wait, you said your neighbor swears by the pink paper but do you know if they use it for the whole cook or just after a certain point? That's what always throws me off. I feel like people either wrap it right from the start or they wait until the stall hits, and I never know which is right. For ribs it's a way safer bet to test it out cause they cook so much faster, plus you won't be out a whole brisket if it goes sideways. Have you tried any other methods with that neighbor's advice, or are you just going straight for the pink paper next time?