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?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_alex29d 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.

wadedixon29d 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.

beth_kelly29d 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.

hollyscott9d 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.