Finally gave in on the pellet smoker debate after seeing the temps

I used to be all in on stick burners because I thought pellets were cheating somehow. Then my buddy let me borrow his Traeger for a brisket cook last month and I ran a temp probe log for the whole 12 hours. It held at 225 within 3 degrees the entire time without me touching it once. That kind of consistency is hard to argue with even if I still like the smoke ring from wood splits better. Anyone else switch methods after seeing hard data on something?

3 comments

3 Comments

mileslane2d ago

Did you notice any difference in bark quality between the two?

baker.christopher2d ago

Yeah the bark quality was totally different for me. The first one I tried came out pretty pale and soft even after a full cook, but the other one barked up real nice and crunchy. Threw a rub on it and let it sit overnight before smoking and that made a huge difference lol.

grace_knight192d ago

Oh wow, I gotta jump in here and push back a little on that. The bark quality isn't really about the meat itself, it's more about how you prep it and cook it. Letting the rub sit overnight is key like you said, but the type of smoker and how much moisture you let out makes a way bigger difference than which brand or cut you buy. If your first one came out pale and soft, it probably just means you had too much steam trapped inside, not that the meat was bad. Dry the surface off really good before you put the rub on, then open the vents more next time to let that bark form. Have you tried using a mustard or oil slather to help the rub stick better, or do you just go for it dry?