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I finally quit soaking my wood chunks and my brisket bark got way better
For 2 years I soaked hickory chunks in a bucket overnight because some guy at a backyard cookoff in Waco swore it kept the meat moist. Last month my buddy watched me do it and just laughed, said wet wood makes white smoke that tastes like an ashtray. I tried dry chunks in my offset for a 14 hour packer and the bark came out dark and crisp instead of soggy, plus I could actually taste the beef. Now I keep a log splitter pile next to the smoker and never touch the hose. Did anyone else get fooled by the soaking thing or was that just me?
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noahknight15d ago
Man, the soaking thing goes deeper than just the smoke and bark. Think about what that wet wood is doing to your fire itself. You're dumping water logged chunks on hot coals, so the fire has to burn off all that moisture before it can even start making heat. That means your smoker temp is bouncing around for the first hour or two every time you add fuel. Steady temp is half the battle with brisket, and wet wood fights you on that the whole cook. Dry chunks light clean and hold a solid temp, which is probably a big chunk of why your packer came out so much better. The soggy bark and ashtray taste were just the stuff you could see and taste, the temp swings were the hidden problem.
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