Pro tip: I just hit 250 briskets on my old offset and the number really got me thinking

I started keeping a simple tally on the side of my smoker, just a little mark for each full packer. Hit 250 this past weekend. It's not a huge number for some folks, but for me, it means I've burned through about 5,000 pounds of post oak and learned something new every single time. The first fifty were a real fight, always chasing temps and wrestling with the firebox. Now, it's like the pit and I just talk to each other. But here's the debate I'm having with myself: does that number mean I'm actually getting better, or have I just gotten really good at working around the quirks of this one specific smoker? Would my skills translate to a different rig, or am I just a master of this single piece of steel? Curious if other pitmasters have hit a personal cook count that made them question their own progress.

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.pat13d ago

My buddy at the meat market said he cooked on the same offset for ten years. When he finally switched to a new one, he said it took him three cooks to get back in the groove. The basics you learned definitely travel with you.

elliot_hall6213d ago

That's how it goes with any tool you use for a long time.