Heard a pitmaster say wrapping in foil ruins bark... got me thinking.

He said butcher paper is the only way. But I've seen comp winners use foil boats just fine. What's your take on paper vs foil for brisket?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixk641d agoRising Star

Did you actually try wrapping both ways on the same brisket to compare, or is this all just going off what other people say online? I've had paper give me a nice bark but sometimes it dries out the flat if I'm not careful. What kind of issues did you run into with the foil boat method that made you question it?

murray.robert1d ago

Oh man, funny you ask about the foil boat method! I actually tried it on a pork shoulder first (I know, not brisket, but stay with me) and the whole thing turned into a science experiment. The bark got all weird and soggy on one side where the juices pooled, and I ended up with this half-crispy, half-mush situation that totally threw off the cook time. Weirdest part was the temperature plateau it hit - stuck at 180 for like two hours longer than my normal foil wrap, and I was pacing around my backyard like a madman. Never had that with paper, but I'm still curious if I just messed up the boat folding or something.

charles7201d ago

Wait, wait wait. So @murray.robert you actually put a pork shoulder in a foil boat first? That's wild lmao. I can't believe you'd test something like that on a shoulder before a brisket, that's some gutsy stuff. I did try foil boat once on a brisket and yeah, the juices just sat there and wrecked the bottom bark. Felt like I was eating wet cardboard down there. Paper's been my go-to ever since, just gotta watch the flat like a hawk.