22
Update: my first brisket stall nearly made me quit
Was cooking a 15 pound prime packer at my buddy's backyard in Austin last Saturday and the temp just sat at 160 for almost 2 hours. Wrapped it in butcher paper and let it ride, ended up with the best bark I've ever made. Anyone else have a stall that almost broke them on their first big cook?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
smith.anna15d ago
The real mind bender nobody talks about is how the stall makes you second guess your whole setup. I was using a brand new offset smoker and started checking if my thermometer was lying, if the firebox had a leak, if I over salted the rub. Next thing I know I'm pulling the brisket off to probe it and dropping ash everywhere like a maniac. But the stall is just physics doing its thing, all that moisture sweating out keeps the meat cool until it's done. Once I accepted that and just trusted the wrap, I stopped fighting my smoker and the results got way better.
2
the_sam15d ago
Read something similar in a Franklin book where he said the stall is basically the meat sweating and once you understand that, you stop panicking. @smith.anna you nailed it with the second guessing part because I did the exact same thing my first few cooks. Now I just leave the lid closed and trust the process, way less drama and better bark.
1