Origin of the 203°F pull temp number?

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ttkt57

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Where did the 203°F pull temp number come from? Why not 202°F or 204°F? Or for that matter 190°F or 208°F?

We all know there isn't a magic number, so why is 203°F mentioned so often?
 
Pretty sure Franklin said at one point he doesn't pull at certain temp, but if he had to guess what the average temps of his briskets are when they're done he'd guess 203*.


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ttkt57 said:
So Franklin's guess became the online gospel?
Click to expand...


There for a while all the bbq U-tubers was following Franklin around to see what his bbq farts smelled like so they could clue in on his rub ingredients.

They’ve now moved onto the latest top listing in Texas bbq monthly.
 
There's probably some confirmation bias because I've pulled some butts and briskets at 203, but I generally go by feel and they just happened to be that temp. I've pulled a prime brisket as low as 193. Franklin did say 203, but I could swear I saw it on Amazing Ribs before he said it. I think Meathead had that on his site at one point. It's probably changed since then.
 
Bob C Cue said:
That's a good one! Like there was really brisket before Franklin?!
Click to expand...

I don't know how you meant that.

But yeah, I smoked my first brisket on a WSM in 2002.

And I tried to smoke one on a Kettle in the late 90's. I used a pizza stone for a deflector plate, midway through the cook the heat cracked the stone into pieces. It was a disaster.

I got my brisket instruction for the WSM from a place here in OKC, Wheeler's Meat Market. They ran a butcher shop with a smokeshack in the parking lot, had a line of rubs, and competed occasionally. Still in business.

They recommended using Daddy Hinkles marinade and rub. You poke holes in the fat cap of the brisket with an ice pick and then pour the marinade over the brisket.

Then I started separating the point from the flat, was easier to cook on the 18 WSM using two grates. And we would chop the point up and use it chili or on sandwiches. Today, the point is my fav part and we use the flat for tacos or nachos.
 
When I was a boy in west Texas in the 60s brisket was often cooked outdoors on expanded metal grates thrown over mesquite coals in a trench dug with a backhoe.

I distinctly remember pit masters back then turning the meat with wi-fi pitchforks made by Thermoworks that sounded an alarm when the tines hit 203°F.
 
Having cooked SV for well over a decade, i have learned it's more about time then temp. Some of the best brisket i have smoked never went above 185F IT. The tricky part is reaching 185F IT and keeping it there for the "magic" amount of time.

Also, wrapping or spraying is a must with this approach or you end up with some pretty tasty beef jerky bark.
 
At first I was going to ask are we talking brisket? Are we talking butts? What are we talking about? But then I thought about it and it doesnt matter. I go by time and feel. After so much time I either foil or flip, depends. i also know after a certain amount of time I can start checking the feel. But I can honestly say i have never heard of 203* being a magical temp
 
Just a note, best I can figure, Aaron Franklin smoked his first brisket about the same time I smoked my first brisket on the WSM, circa 2002.

Looking at what he did with brisket and what I did with brisket, confirms that all men are not created equal.
 
SMOKE FREAK said:
Just another reason to not take it seriously.
Click to expand...


giphy.gif
 
Lynn Dollar said:
I don't know how you meant that.

But yeah, I smoked my first brisket on a WSM in 2002.

And I tried to smoke one on a Kettle in the late 90's. I used a pizza stone for a deflector plate, midway through the cook the heat cracked the stone into pieces. It was a disaster.

I got my brisket instruction for the WSM from a place here in OKC, Wheeler's Meat Market. They ran a butcher shop with a smokeshack in the parking lot, had a line of rubs, and competed occasionally. Still in business.

They recommended using Daddy Hinkles marinade and rub. You poke holes in the fat cap of the brisket with an ice pick and then pour the marinade over the brisket.

Then I started separating the point from the flat, was easier to cook on the 18 WSM using two grates. And we would chop the point up and use it chili or on sandwiches. Today, the point is my fav part and we use the flat for tacos or nachos.
Click to expand...

I was attempting to be funny. But as often happens I may have missed the mark.
 
My new brisket “done” temp is 195, pull at 193 - rest for a minimum of 1 hour. 203 for pork butt only because of my experience in pork not being tender (pulling easy) before that temp.

Rest, rest rest - and probe tender. Keys!!
 
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