Overheard a guy at the BBQ competition say 'just flip your brisket once' and it changed everything

I was at the Kansas City Royal BBQ contest last Saturday, just walking around the vendor area. Some older pitmaster was talking to a rookie, telling him to stop opening the smoker every 30 minutes to flip or spritz. He said 'you're letting out all the heat and moisture, just flip it once halfway through and leave it alone.' I tried that on my last cook, a 14 pound prime packer. Set my temp at 250, flipped it at the 6 hour mark, wrapped at 165. Bark came out perfect, not soft or soggy. Has anyone else gotten better results from keeping the lid shut most of the cook?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.angela14d ago

That 6 hour mark you mentioned reminds me of how most things in life improve when we stop obsessively checking on them. I've found the same principle works in my garden - watering deeply once a week instead of a little every day made my tomatoes twice as strong. It seems like the real secret to brisket and everything else is learning to trust your process and get out of your own way.

christopherw3414d ago

Fair enough question though - did that 6 hour flip timing come from trial and error or did the old timer give you that specific number? Cause I've heard some guys say flip at the stall and others say don't flip at all.

the_terry12d ago

Did your buddy try that method too? I had a friend who was the same way, kept poking and checking his brisket every hour, and it always came out dry. Then he finally tried the flip once and leave it alone thing, and he said his last one was easily the best he's ever made. Still can't believe how much patience changes the whole deal.