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Hit 14 hours on a brisket and finally understood the stall
I always thought the stall was a myth or a sign I messed up the fire. This weekend, my point hit 165 and just sat there for what felt like forever, not moving for almost 3 hours. I was ready to wrap it in foil, but a friend told me to just let it ride and trust the process. When it finally pushed through, the bark was the best I've ever made. Anyone else have a cook where the stall taught you something?
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the_alex6mo ago
Learned the hard way that the stall is just the meat laughing at you. My first one sat at 155 for four hours and I nearly took it off to see if my thermometer was broken. The resulting brisket could have been used to resole a boot.
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wadedixon6mo ago
That stall is basically a crash course in patience. It forces you to stop watching the temp and start trusting the cook. The real lesson isn't about wrapping, it's about learning to leave it alone.
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beth_kelly6mo ago
Nah, the stall is just wasted time and fuel. Wrapping gets you through it faster with the same result. Why babysit a hunk of meat for hours when foil or butcher paper gets you tender bark and a finished product before midnight? That "trust the cook" stuff sounds romantic, but my guests are hungry and my smoker isn't free to run all day.
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hollyscott5mo ago
Wrapping is just a smart way to manage your time and energy. That whole "trust the cook" idea from @wadedixon is nice in theory, but it ignores real life where people have other things to do. Why let a piece of meat hold your whole day hostage when a simple wrap gives you the same tender result hours sooner? The goal is great barbecue, not a test of your willpower.
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