c/bbq-pitmasters

Honestly, I'm still mad about that $80 'competition-grade' injection marinade kit

Tbh, I followed the instructions exactly on a pork butt last month and it just made the meat weirdly salty and wet. Has anyone else had a bad experience with these pre-made injection mixes, or should I just stick to my basic brine?

PSA: My pork shoulder stalled for 6 hours during a competition in Kansas City last July.

I kept the fire steady and didn't peek, and it finally pushed through for a perfect turn-in. Has anyone else had a stall last that long and still pulled it off?

I always thought wrapping brisket was a waste of time until I tried the foil boat method

For years I was a no-wrap guy, proud of my bark and sure that any foil would just steam the meat. My briskets were good, but the flat always dried out a bit, especially after a 14 hour cook. Then I watched a video from a pitmaster in Lockhart who swore by the foil boat trick, where you only wrap the bottom and sides, leaving the top exposed. I tried it on my last brisket, putting it in the boat when the internal temp hit about 175. The result was crazy. The flat stayed super juicy because it sat in its own juices, but the point and the top of the flat kept that hard, crunchy bark I love. It was the best of both worlds and my family said it was the best one I've ever made. Has anyone else switched to this method and noticed a big difference in moisture?

My Traeger's auger jammed solid during a 14-hour brisket cook last Saturday.

I had to decide between taking the whole thing apart in the dark or just wrapping the meat and finishing it in the oven, so what's your go-to move when the pit fails mid-cook?

Why does nobody talk about the struggle of getting a clean smoke ring on a brisket in a ceramic cooker?

I fought with my Kamado Joe for 6 hours last Saturday, trying every trick from different wood chunks to adjusting the vent a hair, before I finally got that perfect pink ring just under the bark.

Vent: I had to pick between a big offset smoker and a pellet grill for my first real setup

I saved up for a year and finally had about $800 to spend. It came down to a classic Oklahoma Joe offset or a Traeger pellet grill. Everyone online said the offset was the 'real' way to learn, but the pellet grill was so easy. I went with the offset, thinking I'd master fire management. The first month was brutal. I ruined a whole brisket, about 15 pounds, because I couldn't keep the temp steady overnight. My wife joked the smoke alarm was our new dinner bell. I stuck with it, though, and after maybe six cooks, I finally got a feel for the air vents and wood chunks. Now my ribs are decent, but man, that learning curve is steep. Has anyone else almost gave up on an offset before it clicked?

I watched a guy in Memphis try to rush a brisket in 8 hours last week. It was a crime against barbecue.

A fire at the Memphis in May contest changed how I set up my pit

I was there last year, and a guy's whole rig went up because his grease bucket was too close to the coals (like, maybe 6 inches away). The wind shifted, and it was a total mess in minutes. Now I keep my bucket at least two feet from any heat source, no matter what. Has anyone else had a close call like that and changed their setup?

My brisket flat kept drying out no matter what I did

I thought wrapping it at 165 degrees would fix things, but it still came out like shoe leather. Tried a water pan, different wood, even a new thermometer. After six months and maybe 15 briskets, I finally got it right by pulling it at 195 and letting it rest for four hours in a cooler. Anyone else fight a cut that just would not cooperate?

A guy at the Memphis in May contest changed how I see brisket trimming

I was helping a friend at his tent last year, and this older pitmaster from Texas came over to chat. He saw my brisket on the table, and he said, 'Son, you're leaving way too much fat on that flat.' I was taught to leave a quarter inch for protection, but he argued that in a modern insulated smoker, that much fat just steams the meat and makes it mushy. He said he trims his down to an eighth inch, almost like a competition trim, even for backyard cooks. I tried it on my next three briskets, and honestly, the bark was way better and the meat wasn't dry at all. It goes against a lot of the old school advice you hear. Has anyone else tried trimming that lean and had good results?

TIL a cheap spray bottle changed how I handle my brisket

I was smoking a brisket in my backyard in Austin and ran out of apple juice for spritzing. All I had was a bottle of cheap apple cider vinegar, so I filled a spray bottle with it and kept going. The bark got way darker and tackier than usual by the fourth hour. Has anyone else had a spray mix turn out better than what you planned?

Unpopular opinion: The brisket at that new place on Main Street in Austin was way too sweet...

I went there last Friday and the rub tasted like it had brown sugar in it, which just covered up the smoke flavor. The owner said it was their 'signature style' but it felt more like candy than real Texas barbecue. Has anyone else tried it and felt the same way?

My neighbor saw me rushing my brisket and said 'You can't hurry smoke, son' in his Oklahoma drawl.

A tip for keeping brisket moist during a long hold from a cook in Lockhart

I was struggling with brisket flats drying out during my usual 4-hour rest in a cooler. A pitmaster at a joint in Lockhart, Texas, told me to wrap the finished brisket in pink butcher paper, then in a towel, and place it in a pre-warmed oven set to 150 degrees. I held one for 8 hours this way and it was the juiciest I've ever made. Has anyone else tried a long, warm hold like this, and what temperature do you find works best?

TIL a pitmaster in Austin said he never wraps his brisket

I was listening to a podcast interview with a guy who runs a joint down there. He said wrapping in butcher paper or foil just steams the meat and ruins the bark he works so hard to get. He lets his briskets ride unwrapped the whole 12 to 14 hours, just managing the fire. That goes against almost every guide I've read online. I always thought the wrap was a must to get through the stall. Has anyone else tried a full no-wrap cook on a big piece of meat like that? What were your results?

Remember when everyone swore by the 3-2-1 rib method?

I mean, back in like 2015, it felt like gospel on every forum. I had to choose between sticking with that or trying a straight smoke with no wrap. I picked the no-wrap route on my Weber Smokey Mountain last summer. It took closer to 6 hours, but the bark was unreal, way better than the mushy texture I sometimes got before. Anyone else ditch the wrap for ribs and never look back?

My brisket flat turned into a stubborn brick for 14 hours straight

I was trying a new rub with extra coffee grounds for a cookout in Memphis, but the internal temp just would not budge past 165 degrees no matter what I did. After messing with the fire, wrapping it in three different ways, and nearly giving up, I finally realized my thermometer probe was faulty and the meat was actually done hours earlier. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail so badly it ruined your whole cook timeline?

Noticed a shift in how folks talk about brisket at the Memphis in May contest

Three years ago, the talk was all about the perfect smoke ring and hitting 203 degrees. Last month, I watched a pitmaster from Austin win a ribbon with a brisket he pulled at 198, focusing more on feel than the number. Then last week, a guy at my local hardware store was telling me his method, and he didn't mention the temp once, just talked about the 'jiggle'. It seems like the old hard rules are softening up. Has anyone else seen judges or winners care less about the exact temp lately?

Heads up if you're planning a cook for a crowd this weekend

Last week in Dallas, I nearly ran out of brisket for a 40-person party because my new smoker's temp gauge was reading 50 degrees too low, so double-check your equipment with a second probe before you commit.

Heads up if you're hitting the new 'Smoke Stack' joint in Memphis

I was there last Friday and saw them using liquid smoke in the kitchen (caught a clear view from the counter). Has anyone else run into this at a place that's supposed to be legit?

I bought a fancy wireless meat probe that cost me a whole brisket

I dropped about $120 on a high-end wireless probe set last year, thinking it would make my overnight cooks easier. The connection kept dropping if I walked more than 20 feet to my house, which is exactly when you need it to work. I woke up once to a dead signal and had to guess the temp, which led to a dry, overcooked 16-pound brisket. That was a $90 piece of meat ruined because I trusted the gadget. Now I just use a simple wired probe with an alarm I can hear from my window. Has anyone found a reliable wireless system that actually works at a normal distance?

I just found out how much wood a competition team can go through in a weekend

I was reading an old interview with a pitmaster from the Memphis in May contest, and he said his team used over 500 pounds of wood for a single event. That's more than I use in a whole year in my backyard. Does anyone know if that's a normal amount for the big contests?

Heads up about using pecan wood for a long brisket cook

I smoked a full packer brisket over pecan wood last weekend, expecting a nice mild flavor. After about 8 hours, the smoke taste turned really bitter and almost medicinal. I learned that pecan can get acrid if you don't have perfect, thin blue smoke the whole time, which is tough on a long cook. Has anyone else had this happen with pecan, and what's a more forgiving wood for a 16-hour smoke?

A judge at the Memphis in May contest said my ribs were 'over-smoked' and it made me rethink my whole approach

Appreciation post: My brisket bark was always soft until I started leaving it uncovered in the fridge overnight.

I was getting so frustrated. Every time I smoked a brisket, the flavor was good but the bark was kind of wet and soft, not that nice crusty texture. Saw a tip from a pitmaster on a Texas BBQ show, can't remember his name, but he said to let the brisket sit unwrapped on a rack in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours after you trim and season it. Tried it last weekend with a 14 pound packer from Costco. The surface dried out a lot, almost like a pellicle. When it went on the smoker, the bark set up way faster and stayed crisp even after the wrap. It was a total difference maker. Anyone else use this method, or do you have another trick for getting a solid bark?