c/bbq-pitmasters

Had to pick between a cheap offset smoker and a used pellet grill, no regrets

After my old Weber kettle finally rusted out, I spent a week going back and forth between a $150 offset from the hardware store and a used Traeger I found on Craigslist for $200. I went with the offset because I wanted to learn fire management the hard way, and last Saturday I ran my first full brisket on it in Austin. It took 11 hours and I had to babysit the temp every 45 minutes, but the bark came out way better than anything I did on the kettle. Anyone else stick with a stick burner just to feel less like a rookie?

That burnt brisket at the Franklin line changed my whole approach

Waited 4 hours outside Franklin's in Austin last spring. Got the brisket and it was dry, crumbly, not what I expected from the hype. I almost wrote it off until I watched the pitmaster working the firebox while I ate. He was feeding post oak splits every 20 minutes, not chasing a set temp gauge like I do at home. Then I tried his method on a 12 pounder this weekend, same wood, same timing, and the bark finally set right. Has anyone else had a 'bad' famous spot actually teach them more than a perfect one?

That $200 rub class in Austin was a total steal, or a total sham?

I dropped $200 on a Saturday rub-making class at a place called Smoke Theory in Austin. The instructor spent half the time pushing their $40 spice packs, and we left with three basic mixes I could have guessed. But then again, the hands-on pork butt demo did teach me a salt ratio trick I use every weekend now. So was it worth the cash, or should I have just watched their YouTube for free? Has anyone else blown money on a class that was mostly a sales pitch, or am I the only sucker here?

That caterer who asked about my rest time

Last month I was doing a whole hog for a wedding near Knoxville, and the caterer helping me plate asked, 'How long you resting it before you pull?' I said maybe 20 minutes, and she just shook her head. She said she lets her shoulders rest a full hour, wrapped in towels, before she touches them. I tried it on the next brisket and the juice retention was night and day. Anyone else find longer rest times mess with their serving schedule?

Why does everyone skip the rest step on pork butts

I watched a buddy pull his butt off at 203 and slice straight into it last Saturday, and the juices just ran out onto the cutting board. I used to do the same thing until I wrapped mine in foil and let it sit for 45 minutes, the texture was way more tender and the smoke flavor settled in. Has anyone else noticed the difference or am I just being picky?

Always mocked pellet grills, finally tried one at a buddy's place in Austin

I've been a stick burner guy for 6 years, thought pellets were cheating. My friend let me run his Traeger during a brisket cook last month and the bark came out surprisingly solid, plus I didn't have to babysit the fire all night. Now I'm thinking about getting one for weekday cooks but keeping the offset for weekends. Anyone else run both setups or am I overcomplicating things?

Competition brisket flat dried out on me at a Santa Fe cookoff last month

Last month I ran my first KCBS event in Santa Fe and my brisket flat came out like shoe leather on the slicing table. I wrapped at 165 like always, pulled at 203, rested for two hours in a cooler, but the flat just crumbled apart. My point was perfect, juicy and dark, but the flat had no give at all. I'm wondering if it was the altitude or maybe I trimmed too much fat off that side. Anyone else hit this at high desert events or know a better way to keep the flat moist without wrapping in butcher paper earlier?

Vent: My brisket stall took 5 hours, thought my smoker was lying to me

I ran a 14 pound packer last Saturday and it sat at 160 degrees for almost 5 hours. I double checked the probe with a second thermometer and nearly tore the thing apart before realizing it was just a stubborn flat. Has anyone else had a stall that long or did I just get a weird piece of meat?

My offset smoker firebox door hinges broke at a comp in Memphis

Saturday at the Memphis in May qualifier, my hinges gave out half way through the brisket cook. Door swung wide, temp dropped 60 degrees in about 10 minutes. I had to wedge a brick against it and rotate the meat every 20 minutes. Finished 4th out of 15, not terrible, but I lost my rhythm. Anyone else carry spare hinge pins or just weld them solid?

Hot tip: flip your brisket fat side down on a pellet smoker

Ran a pellet rig for 2 years and kept getting dry flats no matter what. Switched to fat side down after a guy in Austin told me the heat comes from below, not above... totally changed my bark and moisture. Anyone else running pellets and still flipping fat up out of habit?

My brisket turned into jerky at a family reunion in Austin

Last summer I ran a 15 pound packer on my old offset at my cousin's place outside Austin. The firebox damper stuck half open around 2 AM and I slept through the climb to 310 degrees. Woke up to bark so hard I could knock on it, and the flat was drier than a popcorn fart. I sliced it thin anyway, tossed it in sauce, and people actually asked for seconds because it chewed like beef jerky. Has anyone else salvaged an overcooked brisket into something edible, or did I just get lucky with a forgiving crowd?

First brisket that actually passed the bend test, took 3 tries

Been chasing this for 6 months on my 22 inch Weber in Tampa. Last Sunday I pulled a 14 pounder at 2 AM and it finally bent without tearing, jiggled like jelly. How long did it take you all to get a brisket you were actually proud of?

My offset smoker door warped during a windy cook in Amarillo

I was running a 16 hour cook on my offset last Saturday and a gust slammed the firebox door shut so hard it bent the hinge bracket out of square. Smoke started pouring from the gap and my temp dropped 40 degrees in like 20 minutes, so I had to wedge a brick against it just to finish the pork butt. Has anyone else dealt with a warped door hinge and is there a fix that actually holds up over time, or should I just replace the whole door?

That $9 meat injector I laughed at actually saved my brisket

Got a cheap injector from a hardware store near Waco last summer just to prove a point. Figured the rub and smoke time did all the work. Used it once with some beef broth and butter mix on a tough flat that usually comes out dry. Night and day difference, even my buddy who swears by his $200 setup asked what I did. Now I wonder how many other gimmick tools are worth trying. Anyone else get humbled by a bargain bin find?

Vent: 12 years of fighting my smoker before I realized the thermometer was lying

I've been chasing temperature swings on my offset in Memphis for over a decade, adjusting intake vents every 15 minutes like a maniac. Last Tuesday I finally put a second probe at grate level and it read 90 degrees hotter than the lid gauge the whole time. Anyone else trust their stock thermometer way too long and wreck a whole brisket because of it?

Hit 100 brisket cooks this weekend and it finally clicked

I keep a little tally on my phone of every packer brisket I smoke. I hit 100 on Saturday with a Prime from Costco in Arlington. I realized I stopped stressing about the stall around cook number 70 and now I just go by feel instead of watching the thermometer every 5 minutes. Anyone else notice a big shift in how they cook after a certain number of tries?

Saw a guy at a comp in Memphis pull his brisket at 195 instead of 203

He wrapped in butcher paper and let it rest for 4 hours. I always pulled mine at 203 but his came out way more tender. Has anyone else tried pulling early and resting longer?

PSA: Watch out for cross-contamination at those BBQ competition tents

I was at the Memphis in May contest last Saturday and saw a pitmaster dip his gloved hand into a sauce bucket after touching raw ribs, then use the same tongs on the pulled pork without wiping them off, and nobody else seemed to notice until I pointed it out to the judge.

Rant: took me 3 hours to fix a tiny grease fire in my backyard smoker

I was smoking a brisket last Saturday in Nashville and left the drip pan too full. Grease caught fire under the firebox and I spent 3 hours taking the whole thing apart to clean it out. The smoke ruined the meat and I had to start over from scratch at 9pm. Why do pitmasters never talk about how annoying grease buildup really is? Has anyone else had a grease fire ruin a whole cook like that?

Talked to an old timer at a comp in Kansas City last weekend

He ran a Lang 84 offset and just used salt and pepper on his brisket. Told me I was overcomplicating things with all my injections and rubs. Said the meat should speak for itself and if it doesn't, you're buying the wrong meat. Has anyone else had a run in with a pitmaster who made you strip your whole process back to nothing?

I used to hate water pans in my smoker. Not anymore.

Was convinced they just made extra steam and ruined bark. Then I cooked a brisket at 250 for 10 hours and the flat came out dry as cardboard. Added a pan filled with hot water the next time and the fat rendered way better. Anyone else skip the pan and regret it later?

I hit 200 briskets smoked and finally realized I’ve been wrong about wrapping

Got schooled on brisket trimming at a Franklin BBQ class in Austin last month

The instructor pointed out how I was leaving too much fat on the top and it was messing up my bark every single time. Has anyone else had to completely unlearn their trimming technique after watching a pro do it?

The day my brisket turned into a hockey puck... and then I won a local comp

So last Saturday at the Franklin County BBQ Throwdown, my 15lb brisket came out so dry and hard I could have used it for a street hockey game. I was mortified, ready to pack up. But then the judges came by for my ribs, which I had actually nailed by accident because I was so distracted by the brisket fail. I ended up taking 2nd place in ribs, and someone bought my brisket as a joke for $5 to feed to their dog. Has anyone else had a comp day go completely sideways only to have one random thing save your whole weekend?

Tried a snake method on my offset smoker and got the worst bark of my life

I thought I was being clever last Sunday, throwing a snake of charcoal in my old offset like I've seen the comp guys do on YouTube. Figured it would give me a steady 225 for my pork butt without having to babysit it every 20 minutes. Six hours in, the temp spiked hard to 300 and I didn't catch it until the bark was basically burnt leather. The inside was cooked fine but that crust was so bitter and hard I almost tossed the whole thing. Learned my lesson the hard way - my offset just doesn't hold steady with that setup, it needs constant airflow management. I guess those snake methods are for kettles and drums, not thin metal offsets. Any of you guys ever try something that worked for everyone else but totally backfired on your rig?