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PSA: My brisket bark went from pale to perfect after I stopped opening the smoker
I used to check my brisket every hour like clockwork, just to spritz it and see how it was doing. Over a 4 month period, my bark was always kinda soft and pale, no matter what rub I used. Last weekend, I did a 16 pound packer on my offset and decided to just leave it alone after the first 3 hours. I didn't open the lid once until it hit about 170 degrees internal, which took almost 7 hours. The difference was crazy. The bark was dark, almost black, and had that good, crunchy texture when I sliced it. My buddy who judges competitions said it was the best bark I've ever made. Turns out I was letting all the heat and smoke out every time I peeked, which kept the surface too wet to set properly. Has anyone else found that just leaving it be made the biggest single change to their results?
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morgan.jason27d ago
Gotta disagree a bit here. My best bark came from regular spritzing with a 50/50 mix. The steam helps the rub set and stops it from burning, especially on the hot spots. If your bark is pale, the temp might be too low, not from looking. I run my offset hotter than most, around 275, and still open it. The key is doing it fast.
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paige_robinson2427d ago
My old neighbor swore by a 50/50 apple juice and vinegar spritz too, like @morgan.jason. The thing I noticed is it really depends on your sugar content. If your rub has a lot of brown sugar, spritzing too early can actually make the bark tacky and pale instead of setting it. I wait until the fat has really started to render, usually after three hours, before I even touch the bottle. That initial dry heat seems to build a better foundation for me.
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