kai807•14d ago

Heard Mike Mills say something at a competition that shook my whole brisket game

I was at a KCBS event in Memphis last month and walked past a tent where Mike Mills was just chatting with some folks. He dropped a stat that caught me off guard. He said most top tier BBQ joints cook their briskets at 225 for 12 to 14 hours, but the meat actually stops absorbing smoke after the first 2 hours. I always thought you needed the whole cook for that deep smoke ring. But he explained the bark forms fast and the rest is just rendering fat and connective tissue. That makes me question if I am just wasting wood and adding extra time for no reason. Is there any real advantage to running a long low smoke versus bumping the temp up to 275 after those first 2 hours?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_foster14d ago

Actually, the meat keeps absorbing smoke well past 2 hours, the ring just stops growing deeper.

the_logan14d ago

Harry Soo's tests showed smoke flavor actually peaks around 45 minutes in.