Fat side up or down brisket

[SmokyMose]

I've tried it both ways throughout or flipping over after wrapping and frankly haven't seen a difference.
I do them fat side up now because I believe some of that juice goes down into the meat. Where else is it going to go?
Same for pork butts.
I don't have a pellet smoker but an off-set stick burner so I can't answer about a hot spot.
I never thought about extra fat like tallow. Plenty of fat in there already, but I've had issues with dry flats and am interested....

 

[gmc2003]

Huh?

Charlie, I don't want to get into a deep conversation here, but kiln dried wood produces the least amount of volaitiles, because it's the driest(and burns the hottest). The more moisture in the wood the more mercury, carbon monoxide and other compounds are released into the air. With charcoal you have coal, and other binders/ingredients that are released into the air when burned. Granted not a lot but their presence is still there, and remember we're talking about a small cooking chamber. So the moister your meat is the more particles are gonna stick to it. Now to Chopsaws point. If your smoker is moist these particles are going to stick to the surface moisture on your smoker and eventually drop back down on your meat. Not a good taste - believe me. I don't add any moisture to the outside of the meat because I want the least amount of particles sticking to my meat. Thus giving me a lighter smoke taste. I also only use a water pan when I'm shooting for lower temps and the moisture given off will be minimal. BTW I'm a charcoal smoker.

Chris

 

[binnesman]

Well picked up the brisket from Cosco on way home tonight came in at exactly 15lbs not to small I hope.

 

[Humo18]

Question: my Camp Chef pellet smoker has an upper rack that if you place the brisket there, it gets it about 7 inches further away from the hot pot below. In this case, fat cap up or down? My concern with the upper rack is that there is also high temps radiating from the top of the smoker and might dry up the meat side of the brisket if placed fat cap down?? Any thoughts?

 

[binnesman]

Question: my Camp Chef pellet smoker has an upper rack that if you place the brisket there, it gets it about 7 inches further away from the hot pot below. In this case, fat cap up or down? My concern with the upper rack is that there is also high temps radiating from the top of the smoker and might dry up the meat side of the brisket if placed fat cap down?? Any thoughts?

I have seen several videos with the brisket on the secondary rack fat side up. My upper rack is a little to small to do that on my model.

 

[mike243]

Fat will run through the meat if the fat cap is up, have done both ways and also put it down and took the fat trimmings and put on the rack above, that brisket was over 20 lbs and turned out great. coarse it took over 20 hours running 220 or so, been 2 years ago when I did that , had plans to write down all my cooks, never the first stroke of the pen lol I almost cranked the temp up multiple times but refused to, That was a good test but I will run hotter after 3-4 hours the next time.

 

[binnesman]

Will be going low and slow myself putting it on at about 10pm high smoke setting should give me a temp between 200 and 220 after I wrap put it at 250 For the last few hrs.

 

[tallbm]

Question: my Camp Chef pellet smoker has an upper rack that if you place the brisket there, it gets it about 7 inches further away from the hot pot below. In this case, fat cap up or down? My concern with the upper rack is that there is also high temps radiating from the top of the smoker and might dry up the meat side of the brisket if placed fat cap down?? Any thoughts?

My understanding is that you want to put the fat towards the greatest heat radiation direction so it can protect the meat. Now I always have my brisket over a foil pan and the greatest heat generate comes from below so the pan diffuses it and protects the under side of my brisket.
Therefore I do brisket fat up so any at and juice can remain on top of the brisket and drain into or all over the brisket as it makes it's way down into the pan IF it even makes its way there.

I hope this info helps :)

 

[Humo18]

My understanding is that you want to put the fat towards the greatest heat radiation direction so it can protect the meat. Now I always have my brisket over a foil pan and the greatest heat generate comes from below so the pan diffuses it and protects the under side of my brisket.
Therefore I do brisket fat up so any at and juice can remain on top of the brisket and drain into or all over the brisket as it makes it's way down into the pan IF it even makes its way there.

I hope this info helps :)

Thanks, yes it helps. I like the idea of a pan. My next brisket I will place on the upper rack, in a pan with fat side up. After that later this summer I wil try lower rack (closer to heat source) with fat cap down. I'll be eating a lot of brisket this Summer!
I guess it's best to just try the various configurations and then decide which works best for you.

 

[chopsaw]

I'll be eating a lot of brisket this Summer!

I hope you bought it last summer . Lol .
I have 2 in the freezer from last year . $2.98 a lb. Went yesterday , over 5 bucks now .

 

[sandyut]

I hope you bought it last summer . Lol .
I have 2 in the freezer from last year . $2.98 a lb. Went yesterday , over 5 bucks now .

Funny, I was just thinkin, last fall Kroger had a sale at $1.99/lb. few weeks ago the Kroger sale price was $2.99/lb. Costco primes are $4.19/lb. At this pace it might be cost effective to drive to TX and fill a massive cooler and drive back.

 

[chopsaw]

Funny, I was just thinkin, last fall Kroger had a sale at $1.99/lb. few weeks ago the Kroger sale price was $2.99/lb. Costco primes are $4.19/lb. At this pace it might be cost effective to drive to TX and fill a massive cooler and drive back.

Yup . I was buying them to grind when ground beef was so high , so I still have 2 frozen in the freezer .

 

[tallbm]

Thanks, yes it helps. I like the idea of a pan. My next brisket I will place on the upper rack, in a pan with fat side up. After that later this summer I wil try lower rack (closer to heat source) with fat cap down. I'll be eating a lot of brisket this Summer!
I guess it's best to just try the various configurations and then decide which works best for you.

Yeah I have the pan on my bottom rack. Then I place a rack on top of the pan and then a brisket on the rack. This keeps the brisket out of the pan and allows smoke all around it.

 

[Humo18]

I hope you bought it last summer . Lol .
I have 2 in the freezer from last year . $2.98 a lb. Went yesterday , over 5 bucks now .

No kidding, at Sam's Choice brisket is close to $5/lb!! Last year paid around $3 for a prime full packer.
But money is no object, I plan on selling one of my kidneys to be able to afford meat this summer

 

[Humo18]

Yeah I have the pan on my bottom rack. Then I place a rack on top of the pan and then a brisket on the rack. This keeps the brisket out of the pan and allows smoke all around it.

That sounds like a good setup, thanks.

 

[olecrosseyes]

If I smoke @ 225 to a maximum of 250, I trim the meat and put the fat side closest to the fire source.

At those temps I do not believe that the fat will render and dissolve enough to baste the opposite fatless side when I can manually rehydrate it with it being exposed to me in an upward position.

I'm also a tallow and bacon grease spritzer type.
When using the crutch sometimes in foil but becoming a red butcher paper wrapper with the tallow/bacon grease type I'm seeing some amazing results!

 

[olecrosseyes]

Anyone try the beef tallow in the wrap before? Got the idea from the mad scientist.

Yes that is what I was referring to in my above post.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Fat cap down and towards the heat source. Keeps things from drying out.

 

[bigfurmn]

Try one both ways and go with the one you like most from here on out. Just my thought.

 

[bregent]

It's a myth that the fatcap will render down into the meat.

It is a myth that it will render INTO the meat, but it will definitely baste the sides when it drips over them, and prevent them from drying out as fast - which is a definite issue with a convection cooker.