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Question about a weird brisket stall I saw at a comp in Memphis
This old timer next to me at the 'Smoke on the River' contest kept saying his brisket was 'sweating' and he needed to wrap it in butcher paper, not foil. He said foil steams it and makes the bark soggy, which is a rookie mistake. Anyone else run into this specific advice about the wrap?
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robert_bennett296mo ago
Read an article from a pitmaster magazine that broke down the science. Butcher paper lets some steam escape while still holding in heat, so it basically braises the brisket without turning the bark to mush. Foil traps all the moisture, which is why it can get that steamed, pot-roast texture. That old guy's advice is pretty much the standard for competition cooks now.
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davidr346mo ago
Yeah, that "sweating" thing is just the fat rendering out. Butcher paper breathes a little so it protects the bark better than foil, which traps all that steam. That old timer knew what he was talking about.
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thompson.xena5mo ago
Stick with butcher paper and you'll never look back. I switched a few years back and my briskets went from decent to actually getting compliments from people who don't usually eat smoked meat. @robert_bennett29 nailed it with that pitmaster article - foil gives you that wet, mushy crust every time. Try wrapping at 165 and pull it when the probe slides in like room temp butter around 203. Paper lets the bark set while the inside keeps rendering. Just make sure you rest it at least an hour in a cooler wrapped in towels.
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