My first brisket turned into a science experiment

I tried the whole wrap-in-butcher-paper method at 275 for 8 hours on my offset smoker last weekend. When I pulled it off the brisket had a stall that lasted almost 4 hours, I was panicking. Ended up throwing it in a cooler for 2 hours and it came out dryer than my grandpa's jokes. What's your go-to trick for keeping the flat from turning into jerky?

3 comments

3 Comments

anderson.piper1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that cooler rest might have backfired on you if it was already too dry going in. I had a buddy who did the exact same thing, threw his brisket in a cooler for 3 hours after a stall that wouldnt break, and it came out like shoe leather. My weirdest brisket moment was when I forgot to trim the fat cap at all, just slapped it on the smoker completely naked. Fat cap was like an inch thick in some spots. It actually came out pretty good but the fat never rendered right, just turned into this greasy layer you had to peel off. Kinda felt like I was eating a science project too honestly. Maybe try wrapping in paper but spritzing it every hour after the stall hits, that helps keep moisture in without making the bark soggy.

mark4361mo ago

HAH! Drier than grandpa's jokes. That's GOLD. Honestly man, that 4 hour stall is basically the brisket equivalent of a hostage situation. My secret? I just wrap it in foil with some beef broth when the internal temp hits 165 and call it a day. Butcher paper is for people who like to gamble apparently.

thomas_torres1mo ago

Ngl, I gotta push back a little on that "butcher paper is for people who like to gamble" bit. Honestly, it's not really a gamble if you know what you're doing. The whole point of butcher paper is that it lets some steam escape so your bark stays crunchy instead of turning into soggy leather. Foil with broth works fine for sure, but you're basically braising it at that point, the bark gets soft no matter what. Tbh it's more about what texture you're after than one being smarter than the other.