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Update: I finally got my brisket bark right after a tip from a guy at the Kansas City Royal
A judge there told me my bark was too dark and tasted bitter, which meant my fire was running too hot... probably around 300 degrees instead of 250. I switched to smaller splits of post oak and started checking the temp every hour. The next one came out perfect, with that deep mahogany color. Anyone else had to really dial back their fire for better bark?
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nathankim2mo ago
My buddy had the same issue until he started doing what @quinncoleman said about the smoke. His bark went from burnt to perfect.
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brooket438d agoTop Commenter
Bark went from burnt to perfect" is exactly what I needed to hear because nobody talks about how the wood size matters just as much as the smoke color. I started splitting my own chunks way smaller than store bought and it changed everything. Big chunks smolder too long and dump dirty smoke even when the fire looks clean. Plus you get way more control over the temp since small wood burns faster and you can adjust on the fly. The combo of tiny wood splits and keeping that smoke thin is honestly underrated advice.
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quinncoleman2mo ago
Yeah, that temp thing is real. I burned a couple briskets early on chasing that dark bark. Turns out you can get the color without the bitter taste if you keep it low. My old offset would creep up if I didn't baby it. Smaller wood chunks and watching the thin blue smoke made a bigger difference than anything else for me.
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Wait you burned a couple briskets? That's a huge piece of meat to mess up, that must have been so frustrating! I can't imagine the time and money that went into those. It makes total sense that the smoke quality would be the real key though. Getting that thin blue smoke is such a finicky thing to learn. Your old offset sounds like it needed constant attention.
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