Heard a guy at the hardware store say he never wraps his brisket

I was grabbing some wood chunks and this older guy was telling his friend he never wraps, not even in paper. He said, 'If you're patient, the bark gets better and the meat still gets tender.' I always wrapped in foil after 5 hours, thinking it was the only way. Tried his no-wrap method on a 14 pound packer last weekend, and the bark was insane, like crunchy pepper bark. Anyone else skip the wrap entirely and get good results?

3 comments

3 Comments

skylerowens2mo ago

My last brisket took 16 hours but the bark was worth every minute.

bailey.susan2mo ago

That guy at the hardware store is onto something. The part about it not drying out is key though, you really need a good fat cap and consistent low heat. If your fire spikes, that's when you risk a dry brisket even with all that fat.

noah_patel2mo ago

That crunchy pepper bark sounds amazing... saw a whole thread on a BBQ forum about this. Some guys swear by the no-wrap method, saying it gives that real competition-style bark. It does take way longer like @skylerowens said, and you gotta watch the temp closer so it doesn't dry out. My neighbor tried it and said his fire management had to be perfect, but the results were worth the extra babysitting.