Had a brisket cook go completely sideways last Saturday

I was about 8 hours into a 14-pound prime brisket on my offset when a huge storm rolled in over Dallas. The temp dropped 50 degrees in 20 minutes and my fire just died, no matter how much wood I added. I had to wrap it early and finish it in the oven, which felt like giving up lol. The flat ended up a bit dry, but the point was still okay. Anyone else ever have a cook get wrecked by a sudden weather change?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahs451mo ago

Yeah, my buddy lost a whole pork shoulder that way. His temp crashed during a freak hailstorm and he just threw in the towel. Sometimes you can't fight the weather.

william_carter1mo ago

Man, that exact thing happened to me last spring. I keep a welding blanket in my garage now just for the smoker. If you see a big temp drop coming, wrapping the whole firebox and cook chamber in that blanket can buy you a ton of time. It won't save a direct downpour, but for a cold wind it's a lifesaver. Finishing in the oven is totally fine though, no shame in that game once the bark is set.

adam_thompson5325d ago

Oh man, that sucks! I think you might be giving the oven too little credit though - once the bark is set, finishing in there is totally legit and plenty of competition guys do it that way on purpose.