Just a question of: Fat side up or down on a brisket. I made the mistake of answering on this Facebook post: It depends on the heat source. FFS I was lambasted as to not saying fat side up. No more. I'm not going back to the dark side for anything. The folks here are true Pit Masters. So irritated. Breathe in...exhale.....i'm ok now, i think.
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I do both. I start fat side up when cooking indirectly, then flip to get the other side barked up as well.
In the PBC I hang for the first 5-5.5 hours, then I go to the grate. I do fat cap down first if it needs it, then fat cap up to bark up the other side; or I just go straight to fat cap up because sometimes they (fat caps) will bark up plenty just by hanging.
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- Jul 2014
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- Smiths Grove, Ky
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Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
I always smoked my briskets with the fat side down no matter what I'm cooking with Weber kettle (indirect heat), pellet smoker, WSM or the Lang. The reason I do is the fat doesn't penetrate the meat and with the fat on top it can washed some of the rub off.
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Administrator
- May 2014
- 19033
- Clare, Michigan area
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You are absolutely correct, as far as I'm concerned anyway. It does depend on the heat source. People who can't see that different conditions necessitate different actions are the people who go in ditches when it snows.
My rule (for me) is place the fat cap as a shield from the heat. Whichever direction the heat is coming from, there's the fat cap as a barrier. On my kettle with SnS, fat cap up since most of the heat is higher up, as opposed to lower at the grate (I rotate it later to bark up the bottom side, maybe for the last 2 hrs or so)
On my stickburner, fat cap down since most of the heat comes from below.
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I guess I have been doing it wrong for at least 1/2 of the Last 40+ Yrs?
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan
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Charter Member
- Oct 2014
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- NEPA
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Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Maverick 732, DigiQ, and too much other stuff to mention.
Honestly I don't think it matters, does it? If your heat source is indirect, then the roast is getting evenly heated. It probably depends on your smoker. If the heat is uneven, then start it one way and flip it halfway through. Otherwise, don't worry about it.
Edit: I answered and then read the other posts. I agree exactly with what Huskee wrote.
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Charter Member
- Nov 2014
- 3071
- Chico, CA
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Here is something that I have observed on my smokers over the years - it seems to be a consistent phenomenon with my current uprights, my old COS's and my Vision grill. It may or may not also be applicable here. I cook bacon wrapped tenderloins, chicken and turkey breasts on occasion. At low temps, the bacon on the top crisps faster than the bacon on the bottom. When the temp goes up to 275 or above, the bacon on the bottom cooks faster. Has anyone found a correlation between cooking temps and the fat side up/fat side down preference question?
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