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Showerthought: I tried wrapping my brisket in butcher paper after only 4 hours of smoke | BBQ Pitmasters - Rigidtalk

Showerthought: I tried wrapping my brisket in butcher paper after only 4 hours of smoke

So I was doing a brisket for a family thing last weekend and got impatient with the stall. Usually I wrap in foil around 165, but this time I grabbed some peach butcher paper I had left over and wrapped it at like 150 degrees. I figured it might help it push through faster. The crazy thing is, it actually came out with way better bark than my foil-wrapped ones, but the flat was a bit dry. I learned that the paper lets more moisture escape than foil, which is great for the bark but you gotta be real careful about your cook temp after wrapping. I kept my pit right at 225 the whole time after that. Has anyone else wrapped that early and found a sweet spot for keeping the flat juicy?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.susan6mo ago

That early wrap at 150 is a bold move, and you nailed the trade-off with the bark and the flat. I've found spraying the brisket with a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water right before that paper wrap can help a ton with keeping the surface moist for better bark development. Pushing your pit temp up to 250 or even 275 after wrapping might help power through the stall faster and reduce that drying-out time for the flat. It's a balancing act for sure, but playing with the wrap spray and a slightly higher temp after wrapping could get you that juicy result.

parker8836mo ago

Ever feel like you're just babysitting a stubborn piece of meat for hours? I've been there, watching the temp like a hawk while the flat just dries out. @taylor.susan is onto something with that spray before wrapping, it's saved a few of my briskets from turning into leather. Cranking the heat after wrapping is the only way I keep my sanity now. That stall can ruin your whole day if you let it.

wren_thomas165mo ago

Actually, @taylor.susan, I gotta push back a little on the apple cider vinegar mix. Spraying before wrapping with that stuff can definitely help, but if you overdo it, it'll steam the bark instead of crisping it up. I've had better luck just spritzing with plain water once or twice during the stall and then wrapping tight. You ever tried just a dry wrap with a little tallow smear instead?