c/bbq-pitmasters

Unpopular opinion: those $100 wireless temp probes aren't worth the hype

I dropped $120 on one of those fancy wifi meat thermometers last summer thinking it would make my brisket game perfect. Big mistake honestly. The app kept disconnecting from my phone halfway through the cook and I'd have to run back inside to check the base station. One time the probe just straight up gave me a reading 40 degrees off and I almost pulled a brisket early. My old $20 instant read from the grocery store has never let me down. I mean maybe I just got a bad unit but has anyone else had luck with a specific brand that actually holds up in a hot smoker for 12 hours?

TIL that old timer's advice about wrapping brisket in foil was dead wrong for my smoker

I been chasing the perfect brisket for about two years now and finally hit a milestone last weekend... got a clean bite through on every single slice at a cookout in Nashville. The secret was ignoring what a guy named Earl told me at a competition back in April. He swore by wrapping in foil at 160 degrees to push through the stall faster. I tried that for six straight cooks and every time the bark came out soft and the fat cap was greasy. Finally I switched to butcher paper on a whim from some YouTube video and the difference was night and day... bark held firm and the smoke ring went deeper. Has anyone else found that the old foil method just doesn't work on an offset smoker compared to a pellet rig?

Hit 15 brisket cooks before I finally got a decent bark, and it was on a $200 offset smoker

Spent 4 hours fighting a brisket stall that wouldn't budge

I don't know if it's just me but I had this brisket on my offset last Saturday that hit a stall at 160 degrees and just sat there for almost three hours. I had a small crew coming over for a backyard cookout at 6 pm and it was already 2 30 with no sign of the thing moving. I tried bumping the fire up a little, wrapped it in butcher paper, even checked my thermometer with boiling water to make sure it wasn't lying to me. Finally after I wrapped it tight in foil and let it ride at 275 it broke through after another hour. But by then I had to rush the rest and it came out decent but not my best work. Anyone else ever had a stall that felt like it was personally out to get you?

Switched from lump charcoal to briquettes for longer cooks and now I'm second guessing everything

Tbh I used to be all about lump charcoal for everything. Thought briquettes were for amateurs who didn't care about flavor. But about 6 months ago I did a 14 hour pork shoulder on my offset smoker in Austin and ran out of fuel twice because lump burns so uneven. Switched to a high grade briquette for that cook and the temp stayed steady for 6 hours straight without messing with it. Now I'm wondering if I've been making things harder than they need to be all these years. But part of me still misses that smokier taste you get with lump. Anyone else made the switch and stuck with it or went back?

Wasted 80 bucks on a fancy rub that ruined my whole brisket last Saturday

I bought this expensive coffee-based rub from a small shop in Austin, thought it would be special, but ended up making my brisket taste like burnt dirt after 8 hours on the smoker. The bark was bitter and the meat had this weird acrid aftertaste that nobody at my cookout could finish. Has anyone else had a rub that looked promising but just totally bombed out on a long smoke?

My uncle the old school pitmaster changed my mind about gas grills

I was bragging about my new pellet smoker at a family cookout last month, and my Uncle Ray, who's been using the same beat-up offset for 30 years, just laughed and said 'son, heat is heat, it's what you do with it that matters.' Then he pulled a brisket off a little gas grill that had the juiciest bark I've ever seen, and I had to eat my words along with his meat. Has anyone else had a moment where someone totally flipped your opinion on gear?

That moment I caught my brisket stall was actually a lie

For about 5 years I thought the stall was just a natural thing you had to wait out. I'd wrap in butcher paper at 160 and just sit there for hours. Then a buddy from Texas who competes watched me one weekend and asked why I wasn't bumping my smoker temp up to 275 after wrapping. Told me I was basically steaming my meat instead of pushing through. First brisket I did at 275 came out 3 hours faster and way more tender. Anybody else find out they were doing some basic step completely backwards?

Was Skeptical About Pellet Smokers Until Last Saturday

I've been a stick burner guy for 10 years and always talked smack about pellet smokers. My buddy Dave brought his Traeger over to a neighborhood cookout and did a brisket that beat mine in every way. Bark was solid, smoke ring was deep, and the meat was juicy as hell. I might have to eat my words and pick one up for weekday cooks. Did any of you switch from offsets to pellets and regret it later?

Tried wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil and paper crushed it

Did a side by side cook last weekend with two 15lb briskets from Costco. Same rub, same smoker, same time. Wrapped one in pink butcher paper at 165 and the other in heavy duty foil. The paper one had a way better bark, like actually crunchy on the outside but tender inside. The foil one had that mushy wet bark that fell apart. Never going back to foil. Anyone else have better luck with paper?

Rant: Been slathering sauce on ribs during the whole cook for years

Watched a video from that Myron Mixon guy last weekend and he said sauce is for after the meat comes off the pit unless you want burnt sugar crust. Has anyone else been doing this wrong their whole life or just me?

My stick burner from 2008 finally gave up last weekend

I bought this old Oklahoma Joe offset back when they were still made in Oklahoma. Cooked on it nearly every weekend for 16 years, through rain and snow. The firebox finally rusted through on Saturday during a brisket cook. Managed to finish the cook with some tin foil and prayers, but I think it's time to retire it. Anyone else have a rig they just can't let go of?

Unpopular opinion: I used to think a pellet smoker was cheating

For two years I ran a stick burner in my backyard in Birmingham, waking up at 4am to babysit fire. I was proud of that smoke ring and bark. Last month a buddy brought over his Traeger for a cookout and I couldn't believe how good the ribs came out with almost no work. I spent the whole day hanging out instead of feeding logs. The flavor was 90% as good as my offset and the consistency was way better. Has anyone else made the switch and felt like they lost some street cred?

Talked to an old pitmaster who said he never uses thermometers

Was at a competition in Lockhart last weekend and got to talking with a guy who's been doing this since the 70s. He said he can tell doneness by feel and color alone. Never used a probe in his life. Made me realize how much I rely on my Thermapen. Part of me thinks he's just stubborn, part of me wonders if I'm overcomplicating things. Anyone had success ditching the thermometer?

Tried Aaron Franklin's brisket method vs a local guy's shortcut recipe. Night and day difference.

So last weekend I did a side by side cook. One brisket I followed Franklin's method exactly from his book. Salt and pepper only, 225 on the WSM, wrap in butcher paper at 165, all that. The other I did what this old timer at the hardware store told me. He said just slather it in yellow mustard, use a random rub from the grocery store, and bump the temp to 300, wrap in foil the whole time. I figured both would be decent. Man was I wrong. The Franklin one had this perfect bark and the slices held together but still melted. The shortcut one was good for like pulled beef but the point was mushy and the flat was dry. My buddy said the shortcut one tasted like pot roast. I guess there's a reason those guys are on TV. Has anyone else tried a top pitmaster's method against a backyard hack and gotten totally different results?

Pro tip: That $40 offset spatula from the hardware store is actually garbage

I was dead set against spending $80 on a proper turner for my brisket flips, thought I could just use a cheap paint scraper from Lowe's. After it bent on my second cook and I dropped a whole 14lb packer in the gravel, I finally caved and bought a real offset. Has anyone else had a cheap tool ruin a cook for them?

Swapped my charcoal for cherry wood chunks last weekend and it was a mess

I always use hickory on ribs but decided to try cherry on a whim for a party, and the smoke flavor was way too sweet and mild for my taste. Has anyone else had a bad experience switching wood types on a long cook?

Picked hickory over oak for my brisket smoke last Sunday and I think I messed up

Honestly, I've been using oak chips for years on my Weber Smokey Mountain but decided to try straight hickory chunks from a bag I got at Lowe's for $12. The smoke flavor came out way stronger than I expected, like almost bitter after 8 hours on a 12 pound brisket. My brother said it tasted like I was trying to burn down the shed instead of cook dinner. I ended up having to wrap it in foil early just to tone down the smoke ring. Has anyone else had hickory overpower their meat compared to oak or fruit woods?

I finally figured out why my brisket flats were always dry

Tbh I spent like 6 months wondering why my flats came out like shoe leather while the point was perfect. Turns out I was trimming too much fat off the flat end, leaving less than a quarter inch in some spots. I watched a video from Franklin BBQ in Austin and he said you need at least a half inch of fat cap on the flat to keep it moist through the stall. Ever since I backed off on the trim my flats have been way juicier. Anyone else struggle with this or is it just me?

Finally got my brisket bark right after 6 tries

Kept seeing folks online saying to wrap in foil as soon as the bark sets, but that always made my bark soggy. I watched a competitor at a local comp in Kansas City last month and noticed he didn't wrap until the stall was almost over. Tried that on my last cook and the bark stayed crunchy all the way through. Anyone else find that wrapping too early ruins the texture?

Appreciation post: My $200 wireless thermometer saved my whole brisket cook last weekend

Serious question, has anyone else's dad always sworn by wrapping brisket in foil?

Mine did, but my friend from Lockhart, Texas said 'crutching in butcher paper lets the bark breathe, foil just steams it.' That stuck with me and I tried it on my last cook. Anyone made the switch and noticed a real difference?

I was trimming a brisket in my garage when I finally noticed my knife was the problem

My buddy from Austin pointed out I was using a 6-inch boning knife instead of a proper 12-inch slicer, which was tearing the meat. Anyone else make a simple tool mistake that messed up your results?

Shoutout to the guy at the Memphis in May contest who showed me his brisket wrap method

I used to wrap my briskets in foil after 4 hours, but after seeing him use butcher paper at the 165 degree mark last spring, I switched and my bark has been way better ever since, anyone else make that change?

My dad finally admitted he liked my brisket

I was at his place last Sunday, just grilling some burgers, and out of nowhere he said my last brisket was 'actually pretty good, not dry at all.' I mean, this is a guy who's been smoking meat in his offset for like 30 years and never says anything nice about my cooks. He usually just points at the smoke ring and grunts. It hit different because he didn't give me a tip or correct my method, he just said it was good. I've been chasing his approval for maybe 5 years now, trying different rubs and wrapping times. Has anyone else had a moment like that with a family member who's way more experienced?