The whole '30 minute bark rule' is overrated nonsense

I was at a competition in Kansas City last June and overheard this guy telling his team that if you don't get good bark in the first 30 minutes you've failed. I've been running a pit for 12 years and that's just not true. My best brisket took a full 45 minutes to set its bark at 225 degrees and it won second place at a county fair. Has anyone else had good results with a slower bark formation?

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margaret_bennett322h ago

Figured out the same thing with my smoker a few years back. There's this weird pressure everywhere now to rush things that just need time, like instant grits or 15 minute bread. Let the meat do its thing and don't let some loudmouth at a competition mess with your process.