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c/bbq-pitmasters

11

ray_burns•4d ago

Spent 4 hours obsessing over coal alignment on my offset smoker last Sunday

I finally got a new offset smoker last month and couldn't figure out why my temps were swinging 50 degrees. Turned out my charcoal was piled too high on one side, blocking airflow. It took me a solid 4 hours of moving coals around like a crazy person to get a steady 250. Has anyone else wasted a whole afternoon on something this simple?

6

dianawilson•5d ago

Tried wrapping brisket in butcher paper at hour 6 instead of foil

I kept getting mushy bark with foil so I swapped to pink butcher paper midway through a cook last weekend. The bark stayed crunchy and the meat still came out tender after resting 2 hours. Has anyone else had better luck with paper over foil for their briskets?

1

kelly_rivera•5d ago

Hit 200 briskets this week and I'm still not sold on the whole snake method thing

After smoking 212 briskets over five years, I tried the snake method everyone raves about on my last cook and the bark was just way too soft for my taste, has anyone else found it works better with a specific cut of meat or am I missing something?

19

rivera.hannah•5d ago

Back in 2010, I watched a pitmaster in Lockhart wrap brisket in butcher paper, not foil

I keep seeing folks online swear by foil for finishing their briskets, saying it traps moisture better. But that old timer told me foil makes the bark go soft, like steamed meat instead of smoky. I tried his way with pink butcher paper on three cooks last summer, and every single one had a better crust that held up overnight. Have you noticed a difference between foil and paper on your own smoker?

1

scott.alex•10d ago

Picked up a cheap offset smoker on craigslist and learned why everyone says to seal the gaps

Went to austin last spring to visit family and scored an old OK Joe for 50 bucks, but couldnt hold temps for more than 15 minutes. Picked up some $8 lavalock gasket from academy and now it purrs like a dream at 250 for hours.

14

taylor_wells•14d ago

The moment I realized I was trimming brisket like a fool for 12 years

I was at a comp in Austin last spring and this old timer named Dave walked by my setup. He watched me trim a brisket and just shook his head. I thought I was being efficient, taking off every bit of fat cap I could see. He told me I was leaving the meat exposed to too much heat and it would dry out before it even hit the stall. Then he showed me to leave a solid quarter inch on the top and just trim the hard fat. Took that advice on my next cook and the difference in moisture was night and day. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a competition completely change their process?

21

ray_burns•14d ago

Old school wood fire vs. pellet smokers at that comp in Kansas City last weekend

I was at the American Royal and saw two teams side by side, one feeding logs all night and the other just setting a dial. The pellet guys got consistent temps but the wood fire brisket had way more smoke ring depth. Which method do you think actually wins competitions long term?

31

the_faith•15d ago

I finally gave in and bought a pellet smoker after swearing by my offset for 8 years

I ran a stick burner for almost a decade in my backyard in Austin. Thought pellet smokers were for people who didn't want to learn the craft. Then last summer my neighbor let me tend his Traeger during a brisket cook while he went to the ER for a kidney stone. I came home with a 10 pound packer that had perfect smoke rings and bark. That got me thinking. Did a 14 hour cook on my offset last weekend and the temp swings about drove me crazy. I got a pit boss at Costco for $350 on clearance just to test the waters. It held within 10 degrees for 12 hours without me touching it once. Feels like cheating but I don't think I can go back for long weekday cooks. Anyone else make the switch and end up keeping both? My offset is starting to feel like a project instead of a tool.

18

the_rose•17d ago

Threw away $60 on a fancy rub blend last month

I saw this new BBQ rub at the store, it had a cool label and promised some kind of "award winning" flavor. Paid $12 for a little jar, about 4 ounces maybe. I used it on a rack of ribs for Sunday dinner and man, it was just salty with a weird chemical aftertaste. My buddy who came over took one bite and asked if I changed my rub recipe. I couldn't even finish the ribs, ended up ordering pizza. That $12 stung but then I realized I'd spent like $48 on the pork and charcoal too, all wasted. You ever buy a hyped up rub that just flopped on the meat? Got any go-to cheap rubs that actually work?

21

adam186•18d ago

Swapped my charcoal for pecan wood chips on a whim, got this weird floral taste I wasn't ready for

Last Sunday I was out of hickory and figured I'd try the bag of pecan I had sitting around. Threw it on a rack of spare ribs. The smoke flavor came through real light, almost sweet. Not bad but not what I wanted for pork. Anyone else run into a wood that just didn't match the meat they planned for?

28

cora_west5•20d ago

Switched from charcoal to wood chunks after a competition last weekend

I've been team charcoal briquettes for like 5 years straight, always thought wood chunks were just for flavoring not the main fuel. But after watching a pitmaster in Kansas City run his whole competition setup on straight hickory chunks, I tried it myself on a pork shoulder and the bark came out way better than anything I've done before. Anyone else made the switch and notice a big difference in crust or is it just me?

32

gray314•22d ago

PSA: Found a burnt brisket at Lockhart's Smitty's Market last Saturday

Walked into Smitty's in Lockhart around 2 PM last Saturday and the pit guy was pulling a brisket that looked like charcoal on the outside. He just shrugged and said 'black bark is flavor' but when he sliced it, the meat was dry and crumbly. I asked how long it rested and he said only 20 minutes. Does anyone else see pitmasters rushing rest times at famous spots or was this just a bad day?

12

fisher.jessica•24d ago

Switched from foil wraps to butcher paper for my pork butts after watching a pitmaster in Memphis

I used to wrap everything in foil thinking it kept it moist but it always came out mushy. Switched to pink butcher paper 6 months ago after seeing a comp team use it and the bark stays crispy while the meat stays juicy. Has anyone else made that swap and noticed a big difference?

15

fionanguyen•24d ago

My first brisket didn't turn out like a hockey puck this time

Three years ago, I tried smoking a brisket on my old kettle grill and it was so tough we could barely cut it. Last month, I picked up a used offset smoker for $200 from a guy in Fort Worth and decided to try again. I watched a ton of videos from that pitmaster, you know, the one who always talks about the 'Texas crutch' with butcher paper. This past weekend, I kept a steady 250 degrees for about 14 hours, wrapped it when the bark looked right, and pulled it at 203 internal. It actually bent when I picked it up, and the flat was juicy for once. I'm still shocked it worked. Has anyone else had a brisket turn a corner after switching your cooker?

25

michael_williams•25d ago

Getting that old offset smoker to hold temp overnight was a nightmare

Spent a whole weekend trying to seal the firebox door with gasket tape and high heat silicone, but it still leaked like crazy. Finally got it right after watching a video from a guy in Austin who used stove rope and clamps, took about 8 hours total. Anyone else have a fix for a stubborn air leak on an older pit?

17

the_rose•29d ago

My brisket probe snapped off inside the meat during a cook last weekend

I was smoking a 14-pound packer for a family get-together on Saturday. The probe from my old thermometer just broke when I went to check the temp around the 8-hour mark. I had to fish the metal piece out with tongs, which was a huge pain and messed up the bark. Ended up finishing it by feel and time, but I was stressed the whole time. Has anyone else had a probe fail like that? Looking for a more durable brand to replace mine with.

23

the_riley•1mo ago

Shoutout to the brisket at that new food truck in Dallas

I stopped by that new Texas-style food truck off Elm Street yesterday. They had a single offset smoker running, and the guy was slicing brisket to order right off the pit. The bark was a deep, dark black, but the meat inside was still super juicy. It made me wonder if we're seeing a move back to super dark bark as a style choice, not just a sign of being overdone. Anyone else noticed places pushing the bark color further lately?

9

angela728•1mo ago

Question about wrapping brisket too early

I keep seeing folks at competitions wrap as soon as they hit 165°F to push through the stall, but that steams the meat and ruins the bark. I wait until the bark is fully set, usually around 180°F, for a better texture. Which method gives you better results?

20

ruby_bell47•1mo ago

My brother-in-law said competition brisket is basically just salty candy now

We were at a family cookout in Dallas last weekend and he pointed at my smoker, said 'You know, the guys on TV aren't cooking meat anymore, they're making a sweet, salty, smoky dessert.' He argued that chasing perfect scores has made the bark too sweet and the flavor one-note. I mean, I've tasted some of those turn-in boxes, and he's not wrong. The focus is all on that first bite for the judges, not on something you'd actually want to eat a whole pound of. Has anyone else tried a competition-style recipe at home and felt like it was just too much?

26

craig.piper•1mo ago

My uncle told me to wrap my brisket in foil after 4 hours and I almost ruined it

He swore by the 'Texas crutch' method, so I tried it on a 14-pound packer last weekend. The meat got way too soft and lost all that good bark I was building on my offset. I ended up with something closer to pot roast than proper barbecue. Has anyone else had a wrap method backfire on them?

5

jamiesullivan•1mo ago

Shoutout to the guy who said to wrap brisket in butcher paper, not foil

I always thought it was a waste of money and stuck with heavy duty foil. Then I tried it on a 16 pound packer last month and the bark was way better, not soggy at all. It still held enough steam to push through the stall without turning the outside to mush. Anyone else make that switch and notice a real difference?

22

sanchez.ivan•1mo ago

My fire went out during a brisket cook in Austin

I was about six hours into a brisket cook for a friend's party in Austin last spring. My offset smoker was holding steady at 250, then a sudden rainstorm blew in. The wind shifted, rain hit the firebox, and my temp dropped to 150 in maybe ten minutes. I panicked because the brisket was still tough. I grabbed my charcoal chimney, got a fresh batch of lump charcoal blazing hot in the garage, and dumped it into the firebox. I also wrapped the brisket in butcher paper right then to help it through the stall while the fire recovered. It took about 45 minutes to get back to a steady 225, but the bark still set up nice. Has anyone else had to rescue a cook from a dead fire that fast?

5

jana509•1mo ago

I saw a pitmaster in Austin use a simple trick for brisket bark

I was at a small joint in Austin called Hill Country Smokehouse last month. The guy running the offset smoker kept a spray bottle of just apple cider vinegar and water. Every hour, he'd give the briskets a light mist, but only on the fat cap. He told me it helps the bark set without washing off the rub. After 12 hours, the bark on those briskets was dark, almost black, and had a really great crunch. Has anyone else tried this method, or do you stick with a full spritz all over?

18

jesse_smith10•1mo ago

A judge at the Kansas City Royal told me my ribs were 'mushy' and it stung, but he was right.

He pulled me aside and said, 'You're boiling them before they hit the smoke, aren't you?' I was. I thought it made them tender. He told me to try the 3-2-1 method cold, straight from the fridge onto a 225 degree grate. The difference was insane. The bark set, the meat had pull, not fall-off-the-bone mush. Anyone have a different method for getting that perfect bite on spare ribs?

22

gray_hall4•1mo ago

Showerthought: watching a guy in Memphis handle a brisket stall changed my whole cook

I was at the Memphis in May contest last spring and saw a pitmaster just wrap his brisket in butcher paper the second it hit 165, no waiting. He said 'the clock doesn't make it tender, the heat does.' I started doing that and my cook times got way more predictable. How do you all handle the stall, wrap or no wrap?