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That one Saturday where every rack came off clean
Had a day about two months ago at my backyard rig in Austin where everything just clicked. I did four racks of baby backs, all rubbed the same with a simple salt and pepper mix, and each one pulled back from the bone like a textbook picture. The cook was steady at 250 for 5 hours, no spikes, even with a gusty north wind. My thermapen read 203 on all of them within a half hour of each other, which never happens for me. Honestly, I think the oak chunks I got from a guy off Craigslist had something to do with it, they burned cleaner than the usual bagged stuff. My neighbor walked over and said it smelled like a competition out there, which felt good but also made me wonder if I just got lucky. Has anyone else had a day where the smoker just behaves and you don't touch it at all? Or is that always a fluke for you too?
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the_mary2mo ago
So you had one good day with a clean burn and now you're wondering if it's a fluke? Yeah, it's a fluke. I've had racks come off perfect and the next week the same wood, same rub, same temp gauge reads like a lie and I'm fighting grease fires at 2am. The neighbor comment means nothing, they just smell smoke and get excited. You probably got lucky with the wind too, that north gust probably kept your firebox drafting just right. Don't overthink it. Enjoy the win, take a picture, and get ready for the next one to dry out on you mid-cook. That's just how it goes.
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the_rowan2mo ago
Woke up this morning convinced I'd cracked the whole BBQ thing after one perfect brisket last weekend. Turns out I forgot to close the bottom vent on my offset and now I'm staring at a firebox that looks like a campfire gone wrong at 6am. Same pellets, same rub, hell I even used the same thermometer I broke twice. The only difference was the wind changed direction and my neighbor's dog started barking at the smoke, which apparently means I'm a champion now. So yeah, take the win while it lasts, because the next batch is probably gonna taste like burnt regret with a side of ash.
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