Cousin's 3 AM smoker advice turned my brisket night into a guard duty

I was up all night trying to get that perfect bark on my brisket. My cousin barged in at 3 AM saying he had a 'secret' for better smoke. He wouldn't stop opening the lid, letting all the heat escape. I ended up babysitting the smoker just to keep him away. The meat turned out okay, but the frustration was REAL.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_james1mo ago

Man, my first brisket I was so scared to mess up the temp that I opened the lid to check it like every 15 minutes. I basically turned a 12-hour cook into a 12-hour oven preheat. Ended up with a piece of meat so dry you could have used it as a doorstop.

thea_king861mo ago

That 3 AM lid lifting is a crime against good bark.

shanen311mo ago

My brother-in-law tried to help with my chili cookoff entry by dumping in a bag of ghost peppers right before judging. He was convinced extra heat would guarantee a win. I spent the next hour guzzling milk while my guts threw a fit. They disqualified the chili for being inedible, but he brings it up like a victory every family gathering.

paulw531mo ago

Holy crap, that's a special kind of sabotage. Dumping a whole bag of ghosts right before judging? That's not helping, that's a war crime against your stomach. I'd never let him near my food again, but of course he'd spin it into some weird badge of honor. Some people just love causing memorable pain.