We know you’d love to eat at Dubz Barbecue every time the BBQ craving hits—but let’s be honest, that’s not always realistic. Sometimes you’re cooking at home, hosting friends, or just trying to get the best possible results in your own backyard.
That’s why we created Tips from the Chef. This series is our way of sharing real pitmaster knowledge—how to prep, season, smoke, and serve food the right way—so you can enjoy that dining-out experience right in the comfort of your own home. No fluff. No shortcuts. Just solid BBQ fundamentals that actually work.
If there’s one thing that separates backyard cooks from seasoned pitmasters, it’s this: constantly lifting the lid.
We get it. You’re excited. You want to check color, bark, smoke, moisture—all of it. But every time you open your smoker, you’re not just “taking a peek.” You’re resetting the cooking environment you worked hard to build.
And that can mean longer cook times, uneven meat, and dry results.
When you lift the lid, three things happen immediately:
Smokers rely on steady temperature. Opening the lid releases heat instantly, and depending on your smoker, it can take 10–20 minutes to recover.
That’s like hitting pause on the cook—over and over again.
The heat inside your smoker carries humidity that helps keep meat tender. Opening the lid lets that moisture escape, which can dry out the surface of your brisket, ribs, or pork.
This is one of the biggest reasons people ask,
“Why does my BBQ come out dry even at the right temp?”
BBQ is about slow transformation. Collagen breaks down gradually. Fat renders slowly. Bark develops over time.
Every lid lift interrupts that process and forces the meat to adjust again. The result? Tougher texture and less consistent flavor.
In professional BBQ, patience isn’t optional—it’s the method.
Experienced pitmasters rely on:
The smoker is designed to work like an oven. Once conditions are right, your job isn’t to babysit—it’s to maintain consistency.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should never open your smoker. There are times when it makes sense.
You can lift the lid when:
The key is intentional lid lifts, not curiosity-driven ones.
If you’re opening the smoker every 15 minutes just to look, you’re working against yourself.
If you’ve experienced any of these, lid lifting might be the culprit:
Consistency is what produces great BBQ—not constant adjustment.
If you remember one thing, remember this: If you’re lookin’, you ain’t cookin’.
It’s an old-school BBQ saying for a reason. Trust your temps. Trust your prep. Trust your timeline. The less you interfere, the better your results will be.
BBQ rewards patience more than perfection.
At the end of the day, nothing beats sitting down and letting someone else handle the fire—and when you’re ready for that, Dubz Barbecue is always here for you. But we’re just as happy to share what we’ve learned so you can cook with confidence at home.
Whether you’re firing up the smoker for family, friends, or a weekend gathering, we hope these tips help you get better results every time. And when you’re ready to dine out and enjoy BBQ done right, we’ll have a seat waiting.
