c/bbq-pitmasters

PSA: I picked a 14-inch WSM over a pellet grill for my first real smoker and it was the right call.

My pork shoulder bark went from pale to perfect in just 2 hours

I was smoking a 9 pound shoulder on my offset last weekend and the bark looked weak after 6 hours. I moved it from the top rack directly over the firebox, where the heat is more direct. The difference was crazy, it formed a deep, dark crust in the next 2 hours without burning. The key was that radiant heat from the coals, not just smoke. Anyone else find a sweet spot on their smoker that fixed a bark problem?

I thought wrapping brisket in butcher paper was just a gimmick until my buddy in Austin made me try it.

The bark stayed way better than with foil, and the flat didn't dry out after 14 hours. Anyone have a favorite brand of paper they swear by?

My brisket trim used to be a total hack job until I watched a class in Kansas City

For years, I'd just cut off the big fat cap and call it good... leaving way too much on and getting these tough, greasy slices. I was at a class in Kansas City about six months ago, and the instructor spent a full hour just on trimming. He showed us how to find the seam between the flat and the point to separate that deckle fat, and to really round off the edges so they don't burn. I tried it his way on my next cook, and it added maybe 45 minutes to my prep, but wow. The smoke got into the meat better, the fat rendered way more, and I finally got those clean, bendy slices you see in pictures. Has anyone else had a single tip that totally fixed a part of your process you didn't even know was broken?

TIL that wrapping my brisket in butcher paper after the stall, something I thought was just a gimmick, actually gave me way better bark than foil ever did.

I tried it side by side on two 14-pound briskets last weekend, and the paper-wrapped one had a bark you could actually hear crackle when you cut it, so what other 'gimmicks' have you guys found that are actually legit?

Tried smoking a whole watermelon for 8 hours like a brisket at my July 4th cookout, and it turned into a hot, pink puddle that my dog wouldn't even touch.

I learned that just because you can put something in a smoker doesn't mean you should, so has anyone else had a totally failed 'smoke anything' experiment that sounded better in your head?

Heard a guy at the Memphis in May contest say he hasn't touched a stick burner since 2015

He was talking to his buddy about how he only uses pellet grills now for consistency. It made me think about how much the competition scene has changed. I miss seeing the old school guys babysitting a fire all night, you know? Does anyone still run a traditional offset at the big contests, or is it all about the set-and-forget tech now?

I put a whole pork shoulder on my Weber kettle for 14 hours and it came out like pulled pork candy

I was messing around with a snake method setup and used a mix of hickory and apple wood chunks, aiming for 250 degrees but it ran a bit hot at 275 for most of the cook. The bark set up way darker and crispier than I thought it would, almost like a sweet, smoky candy shell. Has anyone else had their fire run hotter than planned but ended up loving the result?

Question about using a water pan in my offset smoker

I tried putting a big water pan right next to the firebox in my Oklahoma Joe's last weekend, thinking it would help keep my brisket moist. It actually made the bark on my point completely soggy and the temp swings were crazy, like 50 degrees up and down. Has anyone else had a bad time with a water pan in an offset, or should I just stick to spritzing?

Rant: The brisket I saw in Austin had a bark like nothing I've ever tried to make

I was in Austin last month and stopped by a place off South Congress. The brisket looked amazing, but what really got me was the bark. It was dark, almost black, but not burnt at all. It had this crazy texture, like tiny pebbles stuck together, and it was super thick. The guy slicing it said they go heavy on the coarse black pepper and let it ride in the smoker for the first few hours without opening the door once. He said the key is keeping the fire steady at 250 degrees and trusting the process. I've always been a peek-and-seek guy, but seeing that made me rethink my whole approach. How do you all build your bark without it turning into a bitter crust?

Just realized my Texas brisket method might be all wrong after a trip to Memphis

Last week I visited a friend in Memphis and watched him smoke a whole packer brisket. He kept his pit at 225 degrees the whole time, never wrapping it in butcher paper. My method back home in Austin has always been the hot and fast approach, cranking it to 275 and wrapping after three hours. His bark was way darker and had a crunch mine never gets. Now I'm questioning everything I've done for the past three years. Which method gives you better results, low and slow naked or hot and fast wrapped?

I let a brisket rest in a cooler for 8 hours and it was a game changer

I had a family thing come up right when my brisket hit 203, so I wrapped it in towels and stuck it in a cheap cooler. When I got back, I figured it was ruined. Opened it up and it was still hot, like 155 degrees. The fat had rendered even more and it was the juiciest one I've ever made. I always rushed the rest before. Anyone else tried a super long hold like that?

Rant: I've been opening my smoker way too often to 'check'

My brisket kept coming out dry and I couldn't figure it out. My buddy in Austin finally pointed out that every time I peeked, I was dropping the temp by like 40 degrees and ruining the cook. How do you guys fight the urge to look?

Showerthought: I bought a $300 digital thermometer that was basically useless for real smoking

Back in 2018, I got this fancy Bluetooth probe set that promised perfect temps from my phone. The app was buggy, lost connection constantly, and the probes gave up after maybe six cooks. Ended up going back to my old $40 ThermoPop for the quick checks and a simple wired probe for the long smokes. Anyone else have a gadget they were sold on that just didn't work out for our kind of cooking?

Update: My brisket stall lasted 8 hours and I almost gave up

I was smoking a 16 pound packer in my offset and it hit 150 degrees at noon, then just sat there until 8pm. I wrapped it in butcher paper after 4 hours but it still took forever. What's the longest stall you guys have ever dealt with?

My buddy said he cooks ribs by the calendar, not the temp

He told me he puts them on at 9 AM, no matter what. Doesn't even look at his thermometer. Just pulls them off exactly 6 hours later. I tried it once with a rack of St. Louis style. They were like shoe leather. I guess his cooker runs way cooler than my offset. Made me realize there's no one right schedule. What's the weirdest 'rule' you've heard a pitmaster swear by that just doesn't work for you?

Tbh I thought the whole 'wrap your brisket in butcher paper' thing was just hype until I tried it on my Oklahoma Joe last weekend

Honestly, I was a foil guy for years. My dad taught me that way and I never had a real problem with it. But this past Saturday, I did two packers, one in foil and one in peach paper. The foil one came out a bit mushy, like pot roast. The butcher paper one? Ngl, the bark was way better, it still had a good pull, and it just looked right. I'm convinced now. Anyone else make the switch and notice a big difference, or am I just doing foil wrong?

My brisket flat got super tender but the point stayed tough after a weird overnight cook

Last weekend in Austin, I smoked a 14-pound packer brisket on my offset. I usually wrap in butcher paper, but this time I decided to let it ride unwrapped the whole way to see if I could get a better bark. The stall lasted forever, so I cranked the heat a bit to push through, aiming for 205 internal. After 16 hours, the flat probe slid in like butter, but the point felt tight. I pulled it anyway, rested it for 2 hours, and sure enough, slicing it was a mess. The flat was perfect, but the point was chewy. I think the higher heat and no wrap dried the point out while the flat was protected by more fat. Has anyone else had a cook where two parts of the same cut finished so differently? What's your fix?

Heard a podcast with Tuffy Stone talking about his 16-hour brisket method

He was going on about how the real key is managing the stall between 150 and 170 degrees, not just wrapping it and forgetting it. Said he sometimes lets it ride for 3 hours at 155 just to build bark. Got me thinking I rush my cooks too much. Anyone else try holding at a specific temp for a long time like that?

Heard a guy at the hardware store say 'real' brisket takes at least 18 hours

I was picking up some firebrick in Springfield and overheard a guy telling his buddy that if your brisket is done in under 18 hours, you're doing it wrong. He was pretty loud about it. I've been cooking on my offset for about fifteen years, and that just doesn't match my experience. I've had plenty of great briskets finish in 10 to 12 hours at 275 degrees. The meat is tender, the bark is set, and it probes like butter. Chasing a specific time, especially one that long, seems like a recipe for dry, overdone meat. It's about the feel and the temp, not the clock. I think this idea that longer is always better pushes people to cook at super low temps just to hit a time goal. Has anyone else found that a shorter, hotter cook can give you a better product?

Pro tip: my brisket stalled for 5 hours at a backyard comp in Tulsa

Honestly, I was using my offset smoker and the temp just would not budge past 165, even after wrapping it in butcher paper. I ended up moving it to the top rack right over the firebox to push through, but it dried out the flat a bit. What's your go-to move for a stubborn stall when you're on a tight schedule?

Showerthought: I just read that Myron Mixon once cooked a whole hog in under four hours

Found it in an old interview from a 2010 Memphis in May competition. He used a specific high-heat method on a Jambo pit, which is way faster than the usual low and slow. Has anyone else tried a similar fast-cook method for large cuts?

Tossed some leftover pecan wood on my pork shoulder yesterday and it came out tasting like smoked bacon.

I was just cleaning out the shed and figured I'd use up the last few chunks, but now I'm wondering if anyone else has had a wood type completely change a standard cut like that?

Tried a full packer brisket flat vs. point side by side last weekend

The point side was way better, no contest. It stayed moist for hours longer on my offset. Anyone have a good method for just cooking the point by itself?

Warning: I smoked a whole brisket at 225 for 18 hours and it came out dry

I always thought low and slow was the only way, but this one turned into jerky. Has anyone in Texas had better luck with a hotter, faster cook?