Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/bbq-pitmasters

21

blair990•1d ago

Heard a local pitmaster say he stopped wrapping brisket at 160

I was grabbing ribs at a place outside Nashville and overheard the owner telling a new cook he quit wrapping altogether. He said the stall is just moisture leaving the meat and wrapping traps it then steams the bark off. I tried it last weekend on a 15 pound prime packer and the bark set way better than my usual foil boat method. Has anyone else dropped the wrap and stuck through the stall raw?

8

parker_webb•1d ago

Am I the only one who thinks lighter fluid ruins brisket bark?

Honestly, I used to be all about that lighter fluid life. Every Saturday morning for like two years I'd douse my charcoal chimney and get it roaring fast. Then last August at a competition in Lockhart, this old pitmaster named Ray told me to stop using fluid. He said it leaves a chemical film that messes with the smoke ring and bark texture. I switched to a wax cube starter that day and my bark has been way cleaner and crispier ever since. The flavor difference is real, not just snob stuff. Has anyone else noticed their bark getting a weird sheen or taste from lighter fluid?

14

abby_fisher•1d ago

Watched a pro trim a brisket at a Franklin stop in Austin and noticed something odd

I was down in Austin last month and stopped by Franklin Barbecue (obviously). The pitmaster there was trimming a brisket and he barely took off any fat - maybe a quarter inch at most. I always thought you needed to trim more aggressively, like down to the meat in spots. Has anyone else seen that approach and had it work out better?

21

jamesc79•3d ago

Talked with an old pitmaster at a gas station in Alabama

Guy was cooking a shoulder on a homemade cinder block pit behind the station. Told me he never once opened the lid in 14 hours. Made me rethink all my fancy gadgets and thermometers. Anyone else ever learn more from a stranger in a parking lot than from a competition circuit?

11

the_rowan•4d ago

Used to wrap my brisket in foil every time. Switched to butcher paper 2 years ago after a competition in Lockhart.

I was a foil guy through and through. Always got a decent bark but the texture was more like braised meat than smoked. Then we did a comp at the Salt Lick grounds in 2022 and a neighbor pitmaster let me taste his paper-wrapped brisket. The crust was way better so I switched that week. Anyone else have a smoother bark after ditching foil?

8

the_felix•6d ago

Watched a guy go from backyard griller to competition winner in 18 months

He just focused on nailing down his fire management and stopped switching rubs every month, has anyone else seen that kind of jump from just sticking to the basics?

16

the_robin•6d ago

A competition judge told me my ribs were 'too wet' back in June

I used to slather my ribs with sauce right before turning them in. One judge at a Kansas City cookoff said the sauce was drowning out the smoke flavor. Now I let the ribs rest dry for 10 minutes after pulling them off. Then I brush on a thin glaze and put them back for 2 minutes to set. It really lets the bark shine through. Anyone else change their rib routine based on a judges comment?

26

danielowens•8d ago

Am I the only one who thinks competitive BBQ judges favor sweet over smoke?

I went to a competition in Kansas City last weekend and watched 12 racks of ribs get judged. Almost every winner had a heavy sauce or glaze, like candy on a bone. Last month I was at a smaller cook-off in Memphis where a guy won brisket category with a rub that was basically brown sugar and cinnamon. Three years ago I started competing myself, learning from old pitmasters who said smoke and salt should be the star, not sugar. I feel like the trend is shifting toward sweet profiles because it's safer for big crowds, but it drowns out the meat flavor. My own ribs got punished for being bold on pepper and hickory smoke, just too dry for today's palette I guess. Has anyone else seen this at their local competitions or am I just old school?

26

val974•8d ago

Had a perfect brisket day last Saturday and I still don't know what I did right

Everything just clicked - the fire stayed at 250 without me messing with it, the bark set like glass, and when I pulled it off at 203 it was like butter. I've been doing this for 3 years and that was the first time I nailed the stall perfectly. Anyone else have those days where you can't figure out why it worked so good?

20

colegarcia•10d ago

Warning: Swapping to lump charcoal ruined my brisket bark for 3 months

Switched from standard Kingsford briquettes to some premium lump from a place in Austin called Fogo. First 5 cooks all had this weak, patchy bark that just flaked off. Turned out I needed to dial in my airflow way differently since lump burns hotter and faster. Anyone else have to completely relearn their temp control after switching fuel sources?

21

tessalane•10d ago

That grease fire at the Memphis in May contest changed my whole setup

I watched a guy lose a $2,000 smoker in about 90 seconds because he didn't have a fire extinguisher within reach, and now I keep two within arm's length every cook - anyone else rethink their safety gear after seeing something like that?

22

tessalane•13d ago

Hot take: lighter fluid on charcoal is fine for quick cooks

I know the purists say you gotta use a chimney starter every time. But I fired up my smoker last Saturday in about 8 minutes flat using lighter fluid on a bag of Kingsford briquettes. The ribs came out great, good smoke ring, no chemical taste. Did I miss something or is this just another snob rule that doesn't matter for a 4 hour cook?

15

aliceharris•14d ago

That one guy at a competition who insisted his rub had 'magic powers'

I was at a BBQ competition in Memphis last summer, just walking around checking out the setups. This older dude with a stained apron flags me down and hands me a pork rib, says 'try this, it'll change your life.' I took a bite, it was fine, nothing special. Then he spent 15 minutes explaining how his rub contained 'activated charcoal from ancient trees' that 'aligns your energy with the smoke.' He was dead serious. I just nodded and said 'cool, man' while backing away slowly. Has anyone else run into the mystical BBQ types who act like they're alchemists or something?

27

kimdixon•15d ago

Finally figured out why my brisket was always dry on the flat end

It took me 5 years of BBQ and watching a video from Aaron Franklin to realize I was slicing the whole brisket straight across instead of separating the point from the flat first, has anyone else been doing it wrong this whole time?

5

kimdixon•15d ago

Unpopular opinion: backyard charcoal is better than stickburner brisket

I was at a competition in Kansas City last month and tasted 15 briskets. The gas assisted pits all had thin smoke rings, while a guy using regular Kingsford and wood chunks got a perfect bark and deep flavor. Am I wrong for thinking pro setups are overrated?

11

garcia.wren•16d ago

Shoutout to the guy at Kreuz Market who showed me why I was drying out brisket

Been smoking for about 2 years now. Always had good bark but the flat would come out dry half the time. Was at Kreuz in Lockhart last month for lunch and an old timer next to me at the counter asked where I was from. Told him Dallas area. He just said "bet you wrap in butcher paper way too early." He was right. I was wrapping at 150 degrees every time. He said wait until 165 minimum. Made one brisket that way last weekend and it was the juiciest one I've ever done. Anyone else been wrapping too early for years without knowing?

10

gray314•16d ago

Unpopular opinion: my buddy's dry rub advice was awful

Ngl, my friend Mike swore by his brown sugar heavy rub for brisket. He said it creates this killer bark everyone loves. I tried it on a $70 prime packer last weekend and it came out tasting like candy, not beef. The crust was sticky and almost burnt in spots. Has anyone else tried cutting way back on sugar in their rubs?

13

the_riley•18d ago

Tried injecting brisket with beef broth - total mess

I thought I'd be clever last weekend and inject a whole packer with warm beef broth before smoking it. The meat turned out mushy and the bark never set right, even after 14 hours on my offset smoker in Nashville. I ended up pulling it off early because the internal temp hit 208 way too fast from all that extra liquid. Has anyone else had this happen with injections, or did I just pick the wrong liquid to pump in there?

6

wesley639•19d ago

Smoked a brisket for 14 hours and the fire went out at hour 12

Was out at my buddy's place near Austin last weekend, running a low and slow on my offset smoker. Middle of the night, I woke up to find the fire box dead cold and the brisket temp had dropped to 140... Had to scramble with a torch and fresh lump charcoal to bring it back, took another 3 hours to finish the cook and it still turned out edible. Anyone else had a late night fire rescue like that?

7

andrew_baker9•21d ago

Had a judge tell me my brisket bark was overcooked

I entered a local competition in Austin last month and a certified judge pulled me aside after. He said my bark looked great but tasted like burnt coffee grounds. I realized I was running my offset at 275 instead of 225 to speed things up. Now I keep it low and stall the meat at 160 before wrapping. Has anyone else had to dial back their heat after getting feedback?

12

viola_garcia56•21d ago

Spent $200 on a fancy smoker that just can't keep temp right

I got a stainless steel barrel smoker from a discount online shop thinking I was getting a deal for BBQ competitions. It's been three cooks and the temperature swings by 50 degrees every time I open the lid. Has anyone else fallen for a cheap smoker that looked good in photos but was a total letdown?

2

rowanr88•24d ago

Hit my 50th brisket last weekend and it was a total disaster

I've been keeping a log of every brisket I've cooked on my offset smoker, and last Saturday was number 50. The fire kept dying on me and the temp dropped to 180 for almost an hour right when I wrapped it. Has anyone else had a milestone cook go completely sideways?

4

anna717•24d ago

PSA: Stop wrapping your brisket in foil at 165 like everyone says

Watched 4 buddies ruin their bark last month doing that exact temp, I switched to butcher paper at 175 and actually got a crust that stayed on through the rest.

11

gray314•25d ago

I finally looked up the smoke ring myth and felt dumb

Been doing briskets for about 5 years now, always thought the smoke ring was the main sign of a good cook. Read a post on AmazingRibs.com last week that said it's just a chemical reaction from wood combustion, has nothing to do with flavor. Has anyone else stopped chasing the ring after finding that out?

3

robin896•25d ago

Best shortcut I found for wrapping brisket without the mess

I got tired of wrestling with butcher paper that tears or slides off during the stall. After ruining 3 briskets in a row with foil that steamed the bark soft, I tried using a double layer of unwaxed butcher paper with a tight tuck method. Last weekend I wrapped my 14 pound packer at 165 degrees using this trick and it came out with a perfect bark and zero leaks. It took me about 8 tries to get the fold just right, but now I can wrap in under 2 minutes. Anyone else found a weird wrap hack that actually saves time?