The Brisket Stall Explained (and How to Beat It)

What the stall is

The stall is a long pause in the middle of a cook. A large cut like brisket or pork shoulder rises steadily to somewhere around 150–170°F. Then the internal temperature stops climbing, or even drops a degree or two. It can stay there for 2 to 6 hours, sometimes longer.

First-timers often think the smoker has failed or the thermometer is broken. Usually, neither is true.

Why it happens

The main cause is evaporative cooling, the same thing that cools you off when you sweat.

As the meat heats up, moisture moves to the surface and evaporates. Evaporation pulls heat away. At a certain point, the cooling from that moisture balances out the heat coming from the smoker, so the internal temperature holds still. Once enough surface moisture is gone, the meat starts climbing again.

Fat rendering and collagen breaking down happen during this window too, and they're part of why the meat gets so tender later. But the big reason the needle stops is evaporation.

What makes the stall longer or shorter

Your four options

1. Wait it out

Do nothing and let it ride. This gives you the thickest, crunchiest bark, because the surface keeps drying the whole time. The catch is time. If you choose this, start early.

2. Wrap it (the "Texas crutch")

Wrapping traps moisture around the meat, which stops most of the evaporative cooling. The temperature starts climbing again fairly quickly. Most people wrap when the bark is dark and set, usually around 160–175°F internal.

• Foil is the fastest. It traps almost all the moisture, so the bark softens.
• Butcher paper is slower than foil but faster than no wrap. It breathes a little, so the bark holds up better.

We compare the two in detail in foil vs. butcher paper. If you go with paper, see our picks for the best butcher paper for smoking.

3. Turn up the heat

Bumping the smoker from 225°F to 275°F speeds up the whole cook, stall included. Many pitmasters cook brisket at 250–275°F the whole way for this reason. Stay within the 225–300°F range the USDA recommends for smokers.

4. Combine them

A common plan: smoke at 250°F until the bark sets, wrap in paper, then let it finish at 250–275°F. This balances bark, moisture and time, and it's the method in our beginner brisket recipe.

Is the stall a food-safety problem?

No. The stall happens well above 140°F, the top of the USDA's 40–140°F danger zone. The meat isn't sitting in a risky range. What matters for safety is that the meat reaches at least 145°F internal (for whole cuts of beef and pork) and rests at least 3 minutes. Brisket and pork shoulder blow past that on the way to 195–205°F.

The part of the cook to watch is the start. Get the smoker up to temperature before the meat goes on, and keep the lid closed so the outside heats up steadily.

Signs you're in the stall (and not in trouble)

• The smoker is still holding its set temperature.
• The meat is somewhere between about 150°F and 170°F.
• The bark is darkening and getting firmer.
• The temperature is flat or wobbling a degree up and down.

If the smoker temperature has dropped too, that's not the stall. Check your fuel, pellets or charcoal, and make sure the vents or fan are working.

Tips for planning around it

• Build in a cushion. Plan for the brisket to finish 2 hours before you eat. A wrapped brisket holds in a dry, towel-lined cooler for hours as long as it stays above 140°F.
• Use a leave-in probe so you can watch the stall without lifting the lid. See our best meat thermometers for smoking.
• Don't chase the number. Brisket is done when a probe slides in like it's going into soft butter, usually around 200–205°F. Check a few spots.

Quick reference

For cook times and temps on other cuts, see the smoking times and temperatures chart.