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c/bbq-pitmasters

20

thompson.reese•8h ago

My uncle's burnt brisket advice about wrapping in butcher paper finally clicked

He swore wrapping at 165 with a half cup of apple juice would fix my dry flats, and after 4 failed attempts in Austin, I tried it on a 12 pounder last Sunday and the bark stayed crunchy while the meat shredded like butter, so has anyone else found that the juice amount matters way less than the wrap timing?

16

grant.felix•1d ago

The cheap rub I laughed at won 3rd at our local comp in Denton

Two weeks ago I mocked a $4 store brand rub that some guy swore by at the Denton county fair. Figured it was all sugar and paprika dust, but he let me taste his brisket right off the pit and it had this weird depth I couldn't place. Grabbed a jar on a whim, ran it on a rack of spare ribs Sunday, and my neighbor actually asked what I changed. I'm not saying it beats a good custom blend, but it held up against my usual stuff for less than half the price. Anyone else had a budget bottle surprise them like that?

14

the_anthony•3d ago

Mesquite vs hickory for brisket, I finally picked one

I ran a 12 hour brisket smoke last Saturday and had two chunks of wood left, mesquite and hickory. I went with mesquite for the last 3 hours since I heard it gives a stronger kick, but honestly it came out a bit too sharp for my taste. The bark was great and crunchy, but the smoke flavor overpowered the beef itself. Next time I'll stick with hickory all the way through or maybe mix them at the start instead. Anyone else find mesquite works better on something like ribs rather than a full packer?

29

robert_bell•3d ago

That little BBQ joint outside Austin fixed my rib game

Stopped at a place called Smoky Hollow off Route 290 last month, just because the parking lot was packed. Ordered their spare ribs and noticed they had this shiny, almost sticky glaze that I'd never gotten at home. Asked the pitmaster about it, he said it was just a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and honey brushed on at the very end, no sauce needed. Tried it on my last cookout with a cheap brush and it took my ribs from decent to something my neighbors actually asked about. Has anyone else picked up a simple trick like that from a random roadside spot during a trip?

4

tara793•3d ago

That Austin comp showed me my brisket was way off for 3 seasons

Went to the Lockhart Street Throwdown last month and tasted what a properly rested brisket really does. I'd been pulling mine at 195 internal and slicing right away, but the guy next to me let his sit in a cooler for 4 hours at 150. Night and day difference in the moisture, mine tasted like sawdust compared to his. Anybody else have one of those moments where you realize you've been doing the same wrong thing for years?

4

beth_reed•4d ago

Used to slather ribs in sauce, now I just dry rub and finish with a mop at the end

After 3 years of sticky, burnt edges on my 20 pound backyard cook, I switched to a simple salt and pepper base from a Franklin video last summer, and now I use a vinegar mop every 30 minutes on my offset smoker in Nashville, has anyone else ditched the sauce entirely for bark?

0

jake986•5d ago

That wood fired oven place in KC missed the whole point

Stopped by a spot called Smoke & Stone last weekend, they advertised 'true pitmaster BBQ' but everything came out of a gas assisted rotisserie and the brisket had zero smoke ring. Charged $32 for a two meat plate that tasted like an oven roast. Why even call it a pit if you're not gonna use the fire, anyone else run into places faking the craft like this?

3

the_william•5d ago

Checked my smoker's firebox bolts after 4 years, 3 were loose

I was cleaning out ash last Tuesday in Tulsa and gave the bolts a quick once-over, three of them had backed out enough to wiggle with my fingers. If I hadn't caught it, that door could have shifted mid-brisket and ruined a 14 hour cook. Has anyone else torqued theirs down on a schedule, or do you just wait for a rattle?

2

riley43•6d ago

Hot take: Aaron Franklin's brisket method is NOT the only way to do it right

I was down in Lockhart last month and tried this old guy's brisket who just rubs with salt and pepper, smokes it unwrapped the whole time, no spritzing. Turned out amazing with way better bark than anything I've ever pulled from a wrapped Franklin-style cook. Who else has had a 'non-traditional' BBQ that beat the big names?

8

lopez.quinn•7d ago

Why I ditched my pellet smoker for a stick burner after one bad brisket

My Traeger gave me a brisket that tasted like nothing after 14 hours of babysitting, so I bought a used Oklahoma Joe offset off Facebook for $300. First cook with real hickory and oak gave me the best bark I've ever had - anyone else make the switch and never look back?

8

the_max•12d ago

Brisket stalled at 160 for 4 hours. Had to wrap it in butcher paper mid-cook at my nephew's birthday party.

Was down in Austin at my brother's place. His backyard smoker is a beat up old Offset I barely trust. Hit the stall hard. Everyone's hungry. Kids are crying. I grabbed some pink butcher paper from the garage and wrapped it tight. Cranked the heat a bit. Came out decent but the bark was softer than I wanted. Anyone else ever wrap mid-party when the clock's against you?

18

ninas67•13d ago

The foil boat method for brisket actually saved my cook

I been doing brisket for about 3 years now and always hit a stall that dried out the flat no matter what I did. Saw some guy on YouTube talking about foil boats instead of wrapping tight and figured why not try it on my last cook. Set my smoker at 250 and after 6 hours the internal temp was stuck at 165 so I put it in a foil boat with the fat cap up. The bark stayed way crispier than wrapping in butcher paper and the flat came out juicy which never happens for me. Used a $25 offset smoker from a garage sale so it's not like I got fancy gear either. Anyone else tried this and had the fat render better on the point side?

8

jasonf17•13d ago

The butcher paper trick I refused to try for 2 years

I was dead set on wrapping my brisket in foil during the stall. Thought butcher paper was just a hipster fad. Then my buddy Mark, who won a local comp in Austin last fall, showed me his cook side by side. The paper wrap bark was way crunchier and the brisket had a deeper smoke ring. Tried it on my WSM 18 inch last weekend and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Anyone else stubbornly stick with foil for years before switching?

25

hannahsingh•15d ago

That $60 brisket I tried to save with a fancy injection turned into a salt bomb

I thought injecting my 15-pound prime packer with beef broth would make it extra juicy but instead it came out tasting like I brined it for a week, has anyone else ruined a good cut trying to be clever?

8

the_max•15d ago

It took me 5 years to realize I was putting my brisket on the smoker cold

I was at a competition in Austin last summer and this pitmaster from Lockhart just watched me prep my brisket. He asked why I was pulling it straight from the fridge and I said that's what my dad always did. He laughed and said I was basically shocking the meat and losing all the moisture in the first hour. I've been doing it wrong since I bought my offset in 2019. Now I let the brisket sit on the counter for a full 45 minutes before trimming and seasoning. Has anyone else had a simple prep step totally change their results?

3

the_xena•15d ago

I used to wrap my pork shoulders in foil like everyone else

For years I followed the crowd and wrapped at 165 with heavy duty foil, thinking it was the only way. Then about 8 months ago I tried butcher paper on a 9 pound shoulder from a local farm, and the bark came out way better. Foil traps too much steam and turns the outside mushy, even if it does speed up the cook by maybe an hour. The paper lets it breathe while still keeping it moist, and I get a deep black bark now that people actually compliment. Have you tried switching wrapping methods and noticed a difference in your finishing temps or texture?

22

roberts95•15d ago

Update: my first brisket stall nearly made me quit

Was cooking a 15 pound prime packer at my buddy's backyard in Austin last Saturday and the temp just sat at 160 for almost 2 hours. Wrapped it in butcher paper and let it ride, ended up with the best bark I've ever made. Anyone else have a stall that almost broke them on their first big cook?

17

christopher943•17d ago

Hit 10,000 brisket cooks on my offset last Saturday. Not sure if that's impressive or just means I need a hobby.

I keep a log in a spiral notebook. Started it back in 2012 when I bought the smoker used off a guy in Tulsa. The number surprised me because I don't do this full time, just weekends and the occasional Thursday night. Cook number 10,000 was a prime grade from Costco. Bark came out decent. Has anyone else kept count long enough to hit a round number like that?

14

adamthompson•18d ago

Found out Malcolm Reed from Malcolm Reed BBQ started out cooking on a $50 offset smoker he got at a garage sale

I was reading an interview with him last night and it kinda blew my mind cause now he's got that whole line of rubs and sauces, anyone else ever look up a pitmaster's backstory and realize they started way more basic than you thought?

1

the_sam•19d ago

Watched a pitmaster in Lockhart throw away his rub halfway through a cook

Was at Kreuz Market last month. Guy next to me was doing brisket. He seasoned it heavy, then after 3 hours in the smoke he just tossed the whole crust and started over with fresh rub. Said bark builds better that way. Tried it at home on a pork shoulder. Felt wrong scraping it off but the end result was way cleaner flavor. Has anyone else seen this method?

14

seanjackson•19d ago

Vent: That one Saturday where everything went wrong on the smoker

Last month I had a brisket flat go from perfect to ruined in like 20 minutes. My temp probe gave a false reading and I ended up cooking it to 215 internal before I caught it. The thing came out dry as shoe leather and I had a whole party of 12 people waiting on me. Has anyone else had a probe go bad on them mid cook and wreck a whole day?

17

murray.drew•24d ago

That pellet smoker at my neighbor's cookout wasn't even close to real BBQ

My neighbor down the street fired up his Traeger for a 4th of July party and called it 'set it and forget it' brisket. I took one bite and it had zero smoke ring, tasted more like an oven roast than anything off a pit. Am I wrong for thinking pellet grills are just fancy ovens you keep outside?

8

anthony_campbell88•24d ago

I had to choose between a stick burner and a pellet smoker for my first competition

I was down to either a $800 offset stick burner or a $1200 pellet smoker for my first KCBS competition in Kansas City last month. I went with the pellet smoker thinking it would be easier to manage temps overnight, but I got dinged hard on bark and smoke flavor in the brisket round. Anyone else regretted picking convenience over traditional fire management in a comp setting?

20

carr.lee•25d ago

Had to pick between oak and hickory for a brisket cook last weekend

I was getting ready to smoke a 14 pound brisket for my buddy's party and ran out of my usual post oak blend. My local spot only had straight hickory logs left so I gambled on it. The bark came out dark and the smoke flavor was way stronger than I like, almost overpowering the meat. Anyone else stick to one wood type or do you mix it up depending on the cut?

26

casey682•26d ago

Hit 200 briskets last weekend and it was a wake-up call

I've been cooking on my offset for about 18 months. Tracked every cook and realized I hit 200 briskets without ever checking my pit temperature calibration. How many cooks did you do before you caught a big mistake?