The judge at the Bentonville comp told me my brisket was 'too clean' and it stung for a week
I'd been trimming every bit of fat cap down to a quarter inch for 3 years, but he said the flat dried out because I left nothing for the heat to chew through, so now I leave a half inch on top and my slices come out moist every time, has anyone else had a judge call out their trim?
Had a judge tell me something close at a KCBS event a few years back, said my flat was a little lean and asked what I trimmed to. Same deal as you, I was running a quarter inch because that's what the internet told me, and my flats were coming out like jerky on the back half. Started leaving closer to a half inch on top and maybe a quarter on the bottom, and I also stopped trimming the point so tight. The fat renders down and bastes the flat the whole cook, plus it gives you a little buffer when your fire spikes. Some judges want that cleaner bite but I'd rather lose a point on appearance than serve dry slices.