That 3 a.m. brisket stall wrecked my timeline in Austin

I was cooking for a friend's wedding out near Lockhart, 40 lbs of brisket on my offset smoker. At 3 a.m. the temp stuck at 165 for over two hours and I panicked, so I wrapped in butcher paper and bumped the fire to 275. It pushed through by 8 a.m. and we rested for 90 minutes, but the bark was softer than I wanted. Anyone else hit a stall this bad overnight and change their wrapping plan mid-cook?

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the_thomas3d ago

Wrapping at 3 a.m. is a move I get, but 40 pounds on a stick burner changes things. That stall at 165 is just the meat sweating out moisture, and it takes as long as it takes. I've done midnight cooks for tailgates where I let it ride at 225 and the bark came out like armor, but I paid for it by serving at 2 p.m. instead of noon. The softer bark you got is the trade off for hitting your friend's timeline, which honestly matters more than a perfect crust. Next time try wrapping earlier, like at 150, and keep the fire at 250 instead of 275. You'll lose less bark and still wake up on schedule.