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?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicaflores1mo ago

Saw Franklin's notebook once where he talks about wrapping temperature being just as important as how you wrap. He wraps around 165-170 when the bark is already set, not at 150 when it's still wet. That changed my game more than the crimp trick did, honestly. Timing the whole process so the stall hits right when you want to wrap makes a bigger difference than people realize. Had a guy at a comp in Texas tell me to pull at 198 and rest in a dry cooler for 2 hours minimum. Thought he was crazy till I tried it. Bark stayed crunchy and the fat rendered better than when I was waiting for 203.

paul3461mo ago

Man that loose crimp trick is gold. I had the same issue for years till a guy at a backyard cookout showed me to leave a little gap at the edges so the steam can escape instead of soaking the bark.