Can we talk about how the wire basket method beats wrapping in butcher paper for brisket bark?

Keith Bennett · 2026-10-25T18:10:03.893099+00:00

I know everybody on here swears by the Texas crutch and peach paper, but I tried something different on a 14 lb packer two weekends ago in Wichita and I'm not going back. My problem was the paper steaming my bark soft by hour 9, so I put the brisket on a wire rack set inside a foil pan and just tented it loose with foil instead of wrapping tight. Held the pit at 250 and let it ride to 203 internal, and the bark stayed crisp on the point while the flat still probed tender at 205. The pan caught a cup and a half of drippings I could skim and use for sauce, which I never get with paper. It's not fancy and it won't win a competition, but for backyard cooking the wire rack setup gave me better bark and cleaner cleanup. Anyone else tried the pan and rack trick or am I out here on my own?

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Can we talk about how the wire basket method beats wrapping in butcher paper for brisket bark? | BBQ Pitmasters - Free To Speak