Competition brisket vs backyard brisket, I picked wrong for years

I spent 3 years chasing that competition style wrap in butcher paper for my Sunday cookouts, thinking that's the only way to get good bark. Then last month my neighbor brought over a packer he did unwrapped the whole time on his offset smoker and it blew mine away with a way better crust. Anyone else find the competition tricks don't always translate to home cooking?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar1mo ago

Figure out what exactly was different about his cook besides just skipping the wrap. Was he running his offset hotter than you usually do or did he spritz more often to keep the surface moist. I'm wondering if the real secret is in the temp management and moisture balance rather than just ditching the paper.

averymartin1mo ago

Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me this guy just skipped the wrap and everyone's acting like it's this huge mystical secret? That's wild to me. I mean, I've done no wrap cooks before and the bark was good but not like life changing or anything. The part about temp and spritz that you mentioned is way more interesting because I've never really paid that close attention to whether I'm running my offset a little hotter or spritzing more often when I skip the paper. Maybe I need to actually track that stuff next time instead of just assuming the wrap was the only variable.

king.aaron1mo ago

Nah, I'm not buying that. If the bark was actually better then the temp and spritz stuff is just noise, the wrap traps moisture that softens the surface and that's the whole problem.