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Beating the stall...

brewbq
brewbq Posts: 52
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
Anyone read this?


It kinda goes against everything I've been taught about slow cooking, but is pretty convincing.  I've always read that the stall is from connective tissues converting, but this points to the culprit being evaporative cooling that stops our temp climb.  Blasphemy or good science?  Input please!

Comments

  • booksw
    booksw Posts: 470
    Sounds like it is the science behind the foil (cooks faster) or not foil (better bark) debate that folks in the forum have been having- interesting - are you going to foil your brisket today brewbq?
    Charleston, SC

    L/MiniMax Eggs
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    I have read the above both there and other places and hard to argue with physics, especially with the finding of the "Higgs-Boson" particle...that clearly explains how the BGE came to fruition :)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • No mater why it happens (and I subscribe to the theory in this article) brisket cooked in foil sucks. It has bad bark and no smoke. There is no reason to "beat the stall". The stall is merely a part of your cook, no matter why it occurs. The rub needs that time out of the foil to absorb smoke and form the bark. If you ramp up the temp (turbo cook) with no foil, it burns your crust. If you foil it, it softens your crust and shields it from smoke for hours.I guess i'm just old school when it comes to brisket, but for me, I'm no foil 100% of the time. Period


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    @Cen-Tex-well put.  And besides no foil means a longer cook-time and longer cook-time means more time for adult beverage supervision...
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
    Yep, no foil here. Just accept the stall.....relax with a beer and some blues, and the sweet smell of whatever is cooking wafting through the air.
  • brewbq
    brewbq Posts: 52
    Interesting.  I've had to foil previously (not on an egg) and so that's what I'm rolling with today, but like I said in the other thread, this is just for comfort.  I'll be more adventurous when the variable I'm introducing isn't the Egg.  I do agree crust on a brisket is desirable, but I've had so many problems on my last smoker that foiling was the only way I found to keep things going.  I have no problem with patiently waiting for the stall to finish, but right about that time is when the old cooker wanted to stop cooking over 200 and while foiling would sometimes do the trick, I usually had to finish in the kitchen oven (for shame, I know).  Once I get the hang of the egg (and it is a blast so far) I'll try to power through it.  Thanks for the tips guys.
  • Interesting.  I've had to foil previously (not on an egg) and so that's what I'm rolling with today, but like I said in the other thread, this is just for comfort.  I'll be more adventurous when the variable I'm introducing isn't the Egg.  I do agree crust on a brisket is desirable, but I've had so many problems on my last smoker that foiling was the only way I found to keep things going.  I have no problem with patiently waiting for the stall to finish, but right about that time is when the old cooker wanted to stop cooking over 200 and while foiling would sometimes do the trick, I usually had to finish in the kitchen oven (for shame, I know).  Once I get the hang of the egg (and it is a blast so far) I'll try to power through it.  Thanks for the tips guys.
    Makes sense. You'll get it and won't need the foil unless you want to speed things up. You can put the meat back on the egg as it approaches 180-190 to firm up the bark if you like crunchy bark like I do. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • brewbq
    brewbq Posts: 52
    That actually was something I was thinking about when I read your post about bark earlier.  I think I will do that.  Thank you for the tip, sir.  =D>
  • That actually was something I was thinking about when I read your post about bark earlier.  I think I will do that.  Thank you for the tip, sir.  =D>
    no worries. It works pretty well. I've even done it in the oven after a foil hold and it worked fine
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • ncbbq
    ncbbq Posts: 257
    No foil here for any meat. I like the bark too much to screw it up.
  • Baysidebob
    Baysidebob Posts: 489
    My wife HATES foiled meat.  She calls it "mushy".  Fortunately the BGE can go all night and day on a load of lump with very little tending.  I couldn't do that on my previous rigs.
    My actuary says I'm dead.