Wrap Battle

There’s a moment during every long cook when you’ve got to make a decision. Do you wrap it, or let it ride? Whether you’re smoking a brisket, pork butt, or ribs, wrapping is a hot topic, literally. Some swear by it, others avoid it altogether, but like most things in barbecue, it depends on your goals.

In this post, we’ll go over how it works, the pros and cons, and if you want to reach for foil or butcher paper. Let’s break it down.

Why Wrap?

Collagen, which we discuss in The Ties that Bind, is a connective tissue that is found in major barbeque cuts like brisket and ribs. This makes them tough. When we barbecue we make the perfect low heat and high humidity environment to break down that tough tissue. Wrapping really cranks this up to eleven by keeping the moisture sealed in with the meat. Wrapping can also give you more consistent results, especially when you’re cooking in less-than-perfect conditions. If you have hot spots the wrap can act like a barrier and protect the meat from being overcooked from hot spots.

What to Wrap With?

There are plenty of people out in the wild that don’t wrap. Or, at least don’t wrap during the cook. If you want to play it safe and wrap it up, here is what you should know. 

Aluminum Foil- Aluminum is non-porous and will seal in just about everything that you wrap it with. This means all the moisture that is in the meat will stay in and smoke will stay out. This will help the breakdown of collagen, but there is a trade off. If all that moisture has nowhere to go then steam is what is cooking your barbecue which will wash out some of that smoke flavor that we work so hard to achieve. This will also destroy the bark by making it soft.

Butcher Paper- Wrapping with a material is like the exact midpoint of wrapping with foil or not at all. You get some of the benefits like keeping the level of moisture up just not as extreme as aluminum. This is because paper is porous and allows moisture to drip away, but as the fat renders it soaks into the paper and creates a barrier to protect the meat from hotspots. This does soften the bark as well but not to the degree of foil. 

Nothing- If you aren't wrapping then you get the most smoke flavor possible out of your smoker, crispier bark, and the satisfaction that you can post photos of your meat that will make everyone jealous. (Well…that took an awkward turn.) 

When to Wrap?

My suggestion, when you pull food off the smoker while it rests. If you feel like you absolutely have to during your cooking keep this in mind, the most smoke flavor you are getting to get out of your barbeque is within the first four hours of smoking. If you are putting in the work on something big like a brisket, then you want to wait until after that window. If it’s a shorter cooking time line, then you may think about wrapping half way through.  

So... Should You Wrap? 

Well, that’s up to you. I wrap during the rest because I want the most smoke flavor and crisp bark. If you want killer bark and don’t mind a long cook, skip the wrap. If you don’t care about the bark and want less smoke, use foil. If you  want right in the middle, butcher paper is your go to. 

There is more to come about this and other topics. Feel free to email me at theseasonedsmoker@gmail.com and your question may be featured in my next post! 

To better barbecue,

The Seasoned Smoker