What is the BBQ Stall? Causes and Solutions | The Rub Kitchen
You’ve been smoking your brisket for six hours. The internal temperature has been climbing steadily — and then it just stops. It sits at 65–70°C and refuses to budge for what feels like forever. Your BBQ is still running at the right temperature. The meat looks fine. Nothing seems wrong. This is the BBQ stall — one of the most common and confusing moments in low and slow cooking. Here’s exactly what it is and what to do about it.
What is the BBQ stall?
The BBQ stall (also called the plateau) is a period during a long low and slow cook where the internal temperature of the meat stops rising and plateaus — sometimes for 2–4 hours or more — despite the BBQ continuing to run at the correct temperature. It typically occurs between 65°C and 75°C internal temperature and is most pronounced in large, dense cuts like brisket, pork shoulder and lamb shoulder.
Why does the stall happen?
The stall is caused by evaporative cooling. As the surface of the meat heats up, moisture inside the meat migrates to the surface and evaporates. This evaporation cools the surface of the meat at almost exactly the same rate as the BBQ is heating it — creating a thermal equilibrium where the internal temperature stops rising. The same principle that makes you feel cold when you step out of a swimming pool is keeping your brisket stuck at 70°C.
The stall ends naturally when enough surface moisture has evaporated that the evaporative cooling effect can no longer keep up with the heat input. At that point, the temperature begins rising again and the cook proceeds normally.
How long does the stall last?
The duration varies significantly depending on the cut, its size and the humidity inside your smoker. On a full packer brisket (6–8 kg), the stall can last 3–5 hours. On a pork shoulder, typically 2–4 hours. On smaller cuts like a single flat brisket, it may be shorter. The stall is longer in humid conditions and shorter in dry conditions with good airflow.
Three ways to deal with the stall
1. Wait it out (the purist approach)
Do nothing. Keep your BBQ at temperature, keep the lid closed and be patient. The stall will end on its own. The advantage: the extended time at lower temperatures gives more opportunity for collagen to convert to gelatin and for smoke flavour to develop. The disadvantage: it adds hours to the cook and requires patience and trust in the process.
2. The Texas Crutch — wrap in foil
Wrap the meat tightly in two layers of heavy-duty aluminium foil (with a small splash of apple juice or beef stock inside if you like) and return it to the BBQ. The foil traps the moisture that was evaporating, eliminating the cooling effect and allowing the temperature to rise again. The stall is typically pushed through in 30–60 minutes. The disadvantage: the trapped steam softens the bark. Many pitmasters unwrap the meat for the final hour to firm the bark back up.
3. Wrap in butcher paper (the compromise)
Unbleached butcher paper (also called peach paper or pink paper) is the middle ground. It allows some moisture to escape — enough to break the stall significantly faster than waiting it out — while preserving more bark texture than foil. This is the method used by most Central Texas BBQ restaurants. It produces excellent results on brisket specifically.
Does the stall affect the final result?
No — as long as you push through it (by any method) and reach the target internal temperature, the final eating quality is not affected by how long the stall lasted. The stall is a normal part of the process, not a sign that something has gone wrong. First-time low and slow cooks often panic during the stall and raise the BBQ temperature — this is the only mistake to avoid, as it can dry out the surface before the inside is ready.
Target temperatures after the stall
- Beef brisket: 93–97°C — probe should slide in with no resistance (“like butter”)
- Pork shoulder / pulled pork: 93–95°C — the bone should pull out cleanly
- Lamb shoulder: 88–92°C for fall-off-the-bone results