c/bbq-pitmasters

Finally tried a slow-burn offset with post oak scraps, after 6 years of gas grilling in Austin

The drip pan never gave me that bark, and a backyard guy at a barbecue fest let me taste his brisket, so I spent a Sunday babysitting a $200 offset smoker and the 225 degree steady heat did more than any fancy rub ever did, has anyone else gone backward from gas to charcoal and stuck with it?

Three years of flipping briskets and I had the grate level wrong

Been running my 22-inch Weber for close to 3 years now, always set the charcoal grate on the lowest setting because I figured more distance meant more even heat. Last Sunday at a cookout in Fort Worth, a buddy who competed in Lockhart pointed out my smoke ring was way too thin and asked if I ever tried the middle notch. Swapped it mid-cook, and the brisket came out with a darker bark and way juicier center in 2 hours, no other changes. Anyone else stuck on a lazy setup that a 30-second fix turned around?

Royal Oak lump vs B&B briquettes, my Kamado Joe finally picked a side

Been using Royal Oak since I got the grill in 2021. Cheap, lights easy, but the ash buildup drove me nuts on long cooks. Last month I grabbed a bag of B&B briquettes on sale for $12 at the hardware store in Tulsa. Night and day. Less ash, steadier temp on a 6 hour brisket. I'm not going back. Anyone else ditch lump for briquettes after years of defending it?

That comp judge who called my ribs 'too clean' at the Jackson County fair

Last September I pulled my first brisket off the smoker at the Jackson County fair. A judge walks up after the amateur round, points at my ribs, and says "you trimmed all the flavor off these, kid." He was a 30 year vet from a Kansas City team. I spent 12 hours on those racks, bark was perfect, but he was right about the render. I trimmed the fat cap too thin and lost the moisture. Has anyone else gotten feedback that stuck with you for months and changed your whole process?

Competition ribs vs backyard ribs, is the effort actually worth it?

Last weekend I cooked two racks side by side. One I did full comp style, trimming to the letter, using a rub with like 8 ingredients, spritzing every 45 minutes, the whole deal. The other I just slapped on some salt and pepper and let it ride at 250 for 6 hours. My family honestly couldnt tell much difference. My buddy swears comp style is the only way and says I'm missing the point. Is the extra 4 hours of babysitting really about flavor or just about scoring points with judges? Has anyone else done a blind test like this and had the same result?

Charcoal snob finally gave briquettes another shot

I spent five years turning my nose up at briquettes after one bad batch of cheap ones that left everything tasting like lighter fluid. Then last month a buddy named Ray brought over a bag of those natural lump alternatives and I was all set to dismiss his cook too. But his ribs came off with this even, steady heat that I honestly could not match with my usual lump setup. He told me he soaks his briquettes in a chimney for a full 20 minutes until they ash over completely, then banks them on one side. I tried that exact method on my own Weber kettle next weekend and the temperature held within 10 degrees for almost three hours without me touching a vent. Turns out my old problem was rushing the lighting step, not the fuel itself. Has anyone else made the switch back to briquettes for longer smokes, or am I the only one who was that stubborn?

Talked to a retired pitmaster in Lockhart about brisket stalls

Ran into this old timer at Kreuz Market last Saturday who said he never wraps his brisket, even though the stall can push his cook to 14 hours. He told me, "you don't fight the meat, you wait it out," and that honestly hit different than all the foil boat videos I've watched. Has anyone else ditched wrapping entirely and just let the bark ride?

Swapped my gas grill for a 22 inch Weber Kettle after 8 years, no regrets

I started with a propane grill back in 2015 because it was fast and easy. Used it twice a week, got decent results, but always felt like something was missing. Last spring my neighbor offered me his old kettle for $40 and I figured why not. First brisket took 11 hours and I babysat it like a newborn. But the bark and smoke ring came out better than anything I ever did on gas. Now I barely touch the propane tank. Has anyone else made the switch late and found charcoal is actually easier once you get the vents figured out?

That Franklin BBQ line in Austin made me rethink my whole setup

Waited 4 hours last Saturday at Franklin and watched the pit crew work. They don't flip the briskets, they just let the fire do the work and check temps every 20 minutes or so. Got me thinking about how often I mess with my own cooker at home. Has anyone else watched a pro pitmaster operate and realized you're overthinking your cook?

Question about leaving ribs on the smoker overnight, does it actually work?

I mean, I always thought the overnight smoke thing was just for pitmasters with fancy setups. Like, who can watch a fire for 10 hours and still function the next day? But last month I was doing a brisket for a family thing in Austin and the temps kept dropping. I caved and wrapped it at 1am, woke up at 6am to a perfect 203 degrees. I used a cheap Bluetooth probe from Amazon, about $30, and it never once gave me a false reading. So I tried it with ribs last Saturday, 6 hours at 225 with a water pan, no peeking. Honestly, the bark was better than any supervised cook I've done. Am I just getting lucky or is the overnight myth actually real for home smokers too? Has anyone else had a bad overnight fail that makes me think twice?

That moment I realized I was ruining my own brisket flats

Three years of dry brisket flats and I blamed everything. My smoker. My wood. Even my knife. Then last summer at a competition in Lockhart, a pitmaster watched me trim and said "you're taking all the fat off." I was stripping it down like a beef tenderloin. Anyone else make that rookie mistake for way too long?

Am I the only one who spent 3 whole weekends getting the perfect bark on a brisket in Kansas City?

I kept thinking it was taking too long, but I finally figured out that my smoker temp was dropping too low every time I opened the lid. Took me about 9 days of trial and error with a cheap thermometer from Academy before I realized I needed to bump the heat by 25 degrees and stop checking every hour. Now I just let it ride for 14 hours without peeking. Has anyone else dealt with a smoker that can't hold a steady temp?

That pitmaster spot in Lockhart that just does not get it

I drove out to Lockhart last weekend, hit up a spot a buddy swore by. They got this big offset smoker out front, looked the part. But the brisket came out dry and the bark was more like a hard shell, no give at all. I asked the guy behind the counter about their cook time and he just shrugged, said they pull it at 190 degrees internal no matter what. Man I spent 45 bucks on two plates and left half of it. Has anyone else run into a place that looks legit but is cutting corners on the basics?

Talked to a pitmaster at Franklin's last weekend...

I was in Austin visiting a friend and we stopped by Franklin Barbecue. Got to chatting with one of the pitmasters there, a guy named Marcus who's been working the pits for about 6 years. He told me they actually rest their brisket for like 4 hours wrapped in butcher paper before serving, and that really made me rethink my whole process at home. I always rushed the resting step to get it on the table faster... has anyone else tried a longer rest like that?

Pro tip: Stop flipping your brisket every hour

Watched a buddy ruin a $80 prime packer last Saturday. Kept opening the smoker to check and flip it. Lost all the heat and the bark never set right. I told him to leave it alone but he didn't listen. Anyone else see folks over-handling their meat and messing up the cook?

That old trick of wrapping brisket in butcher paper vs foil? Tried both last weekend.

Foil gave me a better bark but the butcher paper kept the moisture way more even through the stall at 250 degrees. Anyone else find butcher paper just makes a mess with the grease soaking through?

Walked into a BBQ joint in Austin and saw the pitmaster using a leaf blower on his coals

I was at Franklin Barbecue last Saturday and the guy running the pit actually pulled out a gas leaf blower to stoke the fire under the brisket. Caught me totally off guard because these guys are supposed to be purists about everything else they do. Has anyone else seen pros use weird tools like that in a competition or restaurant setting?

Just learned that Aaron Franklin uses a specific wood blend I never would have guessed

TIL I was burning my brisket fat side down for 8 years

I always put the fat cap down like everyone said. Then I smoked a brisket at my buddy's place in Kansas City last month and his came out way better. He asked why I was cooking fat side down and I said because that's what the forums say. He made me flip mine over mid cook and the difference was night and day. The meat stayed juicier and the bark set better. Anyone else try flipping halfway through or do you stick to one way?

Spent a whole Saturday trying to dial in my brisket temps on an old offset smoker

Turned out the thermometer on the lid was off by 50 degrees, and it took me six hours and three ruined briskets to finally check it with a probe, has anyone else fought a bad thermometer that long?

Myron Mixon's brisket tip finally clicked for me last weekend

I watched a clip of Myron Mixon saying to leave the fat cap on the bottom not the top. I always thought you wanted it up to baste the meat. So I swapped it around for my last cook and the flat didn't dry out at all. The bark was way better too. Has anyone else found that switching fat cap orientation changed their results?

Watched a pitmaster at a competition in Kansas City fix my brisket problem in 5 seconds

I was at the American Royal BBQ competition last fall, watching the big teams set up. One guy from a champion team noticed me staring at my foil wrap and just said, "You're trapping steam, not flavor." He showed me how to crimp the edges loose instead of tight, and my bark stopped turning to mush. I've been doing competitions for 3 years now, and that one tip changed everything about my brisket. Has anyone else gotten a random tip from a stranger that totally changed your cook?

Spent 3 hours trying to get my brisket bark right before I figured out the culprit

I kept getting this sad, soft bark that peeled right off every time I smoked a brisket. Took me way too long - like 6 months of trial and error - to realize I was wrapping it too early in butcher paper. I was pulling it at 160 degrees internal, but my pit runs hot on one side. Finally left it unwrapped until 185 and let that thing sweat it out, and the bark turned into actual leather. Now I just set a timer for 8 hours and don't even peek until then. Anyone else fight with bark timing for way longer than they want to admit?

I finally figured out why my brisket was always dry

Talked to a pitmaster named Roy at a competition in Kansas City last weekend, and he told me I was pulling my packer brisket at 195 instead of letting it ride to 203. Changed my method for the last cook and got a perfect jiggle for the first time. Anybody else had a random stranger fix their whole approach?

My pork butt took 14 hours and I almost threw it out at hour 12

I was chasing a 225 degree pit temp for HOURS only to find out my brand new thermometer was off by 40 degrees the whole time. Has anyone else had a cheap probe ruin a whole cook?