My grandpa in Amarillo told me to wrap my brisket in foil at 165 and I did it for 6 years before a judge in Fort Worth set me straight

Sean Johnson · 2026-10-10T07:50:03.490938+00:00

Back around 2016 my grandpa, who ran a little pit off Highway 287 outside Amarillo, kept telling me the only way to finish a brisket was to wrap it tight in foil once it hit 165 internal. He'd been cooking that way since the 70s and swore by it. So I did it for 6 years straight, foil boat and all, and my flats always came out a little mushy and the bark got soft no matter what I tried. Then about a year ago I entered a small backyard contest in Fort Worth and an old timer judge pulled me aside and asked what I wrapped with. When I said foil he just laughed and said that's why my bark was steamed off. I switched to butcher paper and ran the same temps and rub, and the difference on the next 3 cooks was night and day. Now I'm not saying foil is wrong for everybody, plenty of folks win with it, but for my setup it was hiding the crust I wanted. Anyone else get a piece of advice from family that took years to unlearn, and what finally clicked for you?

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My grandpa in Amarillo told me to wrap my brisket in foil at 165 and I did it for 6 years before a judge in Fort Worth set me straight | BBQ Pitmasters - Free To Speak