The time my brisket stalled for 8 hours at a family reunion in Boise

I was cooking for my cousin's party, and my trusty offset smoker just would not get the internal temp past 165. I had planned for a 6 hour cook, but it just sat there. I wrapped it in butcher paper, cranked the fire a bit, and just waited it out (which was nerve-wracking with 30 people asking when we'd eat). It finally pushed through and turned out great, but man, that was a long day. Anyone have a go-to method for pushing through a stubborn stall?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_mason1mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that stall is the worst feeling with a crowd waiting. Wrapping in butcher paper was the right call for sure. I usually spritz with apple cider vinegar every hour or so to help keep the surface moist, which seems to help it push through a bit faster. Have you tried that method before?

jamesm381mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, the spritz helps for sure, but honestly @sarah_mason, I've found the real key is just patience (and maybe a cooler). The vinegar mostly just wets the bark again, it doesn't actually speed up the cook that much. I just ride it out now, trust the process, and make sure I started way earlier than I thought I needed to.

emmag2225d ago

Oh wow, that sounds like a nightmare with that many people hovering lol. I've actually started doing a "fake hour" where I tell everyone dinner is an hour later than I actually plan, that way when a stall hits I'm not sweating bullets. The anxiety of people waiting just makes the meat take longer in my experience haha.