PBC brisket- Grate or Hang

[Jreilly]

I posted this on another thread but Figured I put it here as well. Anyone out there use the PBC for competition brisket. I have a comp this weekend in WV and will probably have to use my PBC for the brisket but wasn’t sure if anyone had luck using the grate instead of hanging. After trimming it should fit on the grate, it’s a 20 Black grade and I’m afraid if I hang I’ll ruin the point.

[goosebr160]

I've heard of people hanging and grating with equal results.

[SipIt]

I personally prefer to have it hang until wrapping. To me it keeps the temp a little more controlled and the barrel moist with all of the drippings hitting the coals. I find some of the drippings pooling on top of a brisket or larger pork butt when on a grate.

The only real difference I found was the non-fat side was down and the crust was harder than I'm used to. Maybe if I put the fat side down it would have been different, but I've never made a brisket like that in any cooker.

[smn1285]

I’ve cooked a few briskets hanging in my PBC till it got the color I wanted then finished wrapped on the grate, they turn out fantastic. They have been smaller, 8-16lbs, so were never too close to the fire. But with that being said, I have not turned in comp brisket yet so not sure how the hanging effects what you are needing to turn in.

Ruin the point...? Because you hang the point closest to the coals or are you afraid the hooks will ruin it?

[RichRybak]

I promse you....after 30 briskets, you will not ruin the point if you hang from point.

[HawkerXP]

Hang until happy with color and wrapped.

[JeffJ]

If you use the grate be sure to flip it a couple of times. The side facing the radiant heat will develop bark much more quickly than what is on top. Last weekend I cooked a small pork butt and a small chuck roast in mine and was surprised by the color difference from top to bottom.

[Spinaker]

I always hang mine with the flat down towards the fire. Then I wrap at about 185 F, when I have the color I like. (Just like @HakwerXP suggested) Make sure to set up a daisy chain for the hooks so you have redundancy.

[New2Cue]

Full packer might be hard to fit on the grate. I did my last flat on the grate, fat side up, wrapped at 170. Just thought I’d try it out. Interesting about flipping it over mid-cook, might have to try that out. I thought having the fat side up would help baste the meat, but didn’t think about the bottom getting more bark (don’t recall much of a difference in mine).

[au4stree]

I hung mine, point closest to the coals. It was a bit charred compared to the rest. Going forward, I will still hang it, but double hook it where it’s oriented parallel to coals. I did wrap it and place on grate when bark was set

[RichRybak]

Try putting flat closest to the coals