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Talked to a retired competition guy in Memphis about wood splits

He said he switched from hickory to post oak 15 years ago because it gave a cleaner smoke on his 18 hour cooks. That got me wondering how many old school moves we've lost chasing trends. What's one classic technique you think new pitmasters should learn first?
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3 Comments
murray.cora
My buddy's grandpa taught him to judge heat by holding his hand over the coals.
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claire_grant34
Hold your hand over the coals, not in them... that's the key part. You're just feeling the radiant heat from a safe distance. My dad always said if you can keep your hand there for three seconds, it's low heat. Two seconds is medium, and one second means it's really hot. Sticking your hand directly in the fire is a good way to get a nasty burn.
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reese_lee9
reese_lee91mo ago
That's a classic old-school trick for sure. My uncle used to test a hot griddle by flicking a few drops of water on it. Those little bits of folk knowledge can be pretty handy sometimes.
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