My old boss in Memphis swore by wrapping brisket at 150 degrees, not 160.

I tried his way on a 16-pounder last weekend, and the flat came out way too dry (like, sawdust dry). He said the extra time in the wrap builds more bark and keeps it moist, but it just didn't work for my setup. Has anyone else had a bad result wrapping that early?

4 comments

4 Comments

shane_hayes4d ago

Read a forum post from a guy in Texas who said wrapping early only works if your smoker holds a really steady temp. His point was that a ten degree drop in the cook chamber can stall the meat way longer, so that extra time in the wrap turns it into a pot roast. Maybe the Memphis method needs a perfect fire to work right.

jordancarr23d ago

My Memphis uncle gave me the same advice once. I ended up with a brisket so dry, the dog looked at me with pity. Turns out my cheap smoker runs hot, and that extra hour in the wrap just cooked all the juice right out.

the_hayden24d ago

Memphis humidity changes that wrap timing.

aaron_adams23d ago

Yeah, @the_hayden, I saw a contractor's blog talking about that exact thing. They said the glue just won't set right if you wrap during a humid stretch there. Makes total sense when you think about it.