You're six hours into a brisket cook. The internal temp has been climbing steadily — 150°F, 155°F, 160°F — and then it just... stops. An hour passes. Two hours. The thermometer barely moves. Your guests are coming at 6. It's 1 PM.
Welcome to the stall. Every pitmaster hits it. Here's what's happening and exactly how to handle it.
What Is the Stall?
The stall — also called the plateau — is when the internal temperature of large cuts of meat stops rising for an extended period, typically between 150°F and 170°F. It can last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on the size of the cut and the conditions of your cook.
It's not your smoker losing heat. It's not the meat being stubborn. It's evaporative cooling.
As the meat heats up, moisture migrates to the surface and evaporates. That evaporation cools the surface of the meat at almost the same rate your smoker is heating it — creating a temperature plateau that can feel like your cook has completely stalled out.
The good news: the stall is temporary, and you have options.
Option 1: Wait It Out
The simplest approach — do nothing. Keep your smoker at temperature, keep spritzing, and trust the process. The stall will break on its own once enough moisture has evaporated. This gives you the best bark development but requires patience (and flexible guests).
Option 2: The Texas Crutch (Wrapping)
The most popular competition method. Once your meat hits the stall, wrap it tightly in butcher paper or aluminum foil. Wrapping traps the moisture that was evaporating, stopping the cooling effect and allowing the temperature to climb again.
- Butcher paper — breathable, preserves more bark texture
- Aluminum foil — faster push through the stall, softer bark, more juice retained in the wrap
Either way, once wrapped, the temperature will start climbing again within 30–45 minutes.
Option 3: Raise the Temperature
If you're running short on time, bump your smoker temp to 275°F–300°F. The meat will push through the stall faster. The bark won't be quite as developed, but the finished product will still be excellent.
Daddy D's Approach
We wrap in butcher paper every time. It gives you the speed of the crutch without sacrificing too much bark. Pull at 203°F internal, wrap in a towel, drop in a cooler, and let it rest for at least an hour. The rest is just as important as the cook.
The Bottom Line
The stall isn't a problem — it's just part of the process. Every brisket stalls. Every pork shoulder stalls. Now you know why, and you know exactly what to do about it.