Had a pitmaster in Memphis tell me my bark was 'too pretty' and it messed with my head

I was at a comp in Memphis last June and this old school pitmaster named Hank told me I was spending too much time on bark appearance instead of texture. He said if it looks like a painting it probably doesn't crunch right. So I cut my rub application time by half and started wrapping earlier. Now my bark is uglier but way more people stop by to ask about my method. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you totally rethink your process?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_butler7d ago

That's a great point about texture vs. looks. Did you find yourself changing anything besides the rub and wrap timing? I always thought a darker bark meant more flavor but maybe that's not the whole story. What kind of wood were you using before and after?

hollym827d agoMost Upvoted

laughing at myself here cause I once spent a whole weekend trying different wood combos and ended up with brisket that tasted like a campfire exploded. Switched from straight hickory to a mix of pecan and cherry, bark got lighter but the flavor was way cleaner and less bitter. So yeah, that darker bark isn't always the win it looks like.