TRUTH REVEALED: brisket fat side up or down

[SpeedyB]

Hey all, wanted to provide a subjective but objective answer to this frequently asked question.

A few weeks ago I began to try smoking brisket fat side up to see if there was any method to the madness of the fat rendering meandering down through the flat as it smokes. Coincidentally(?) I have had the 4 best briskets I've ever made during this time subsequent to flipping fat side up.

But let's pretend the quality of flavor was due to the modified injection recipe, the wet aging process or some other factor; last weekend I had a flat where there was about a quarter inch fat layer over each of the end 1/3's of the flat, and the middle had little to none. As I worked my way to the middle slices, there was a DRASTIC reduction in flavor.

You may ask, "On the bites with the 1/4 inch fat cap, were you eating the bites with the fat?" The answer is yes, and that can transform the bite for sure. But even removing the fat and eating just the meat alone I noticed a drastic difference.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. My wife and the company we've had over the last three smokes have said it's the best they've ever had. I'll take that as sufficient social proof

[fzxdoc]

As many folks say, fat is flavor, no matter how it gets into the bite. Sounds like you had a great tasty brisket experience. Congrats!

Kathryn

[SpeedyB]

Well said fzxdoc. Thanks!

[Huskee]

Fat up on what cooker? I anecdotally believe it matters the cooker type and how the fat cap is positioned. And to be clear, you're saying the areas of the meat where there was a fat cap, even when said fat was removed, tasted better than the areas w/o the fat ever having been there? And this was for sure all the same muscle, not perhaps a little bit of the point+flat sneaking in there?

[SpeedyB]

Huskee affirmative. 100% of the point removed. Cooked on RecTec Bull with mixed Oak pellets. Fat cap facing upward, middle section was almost bare of fat cap after separating the point.

17.7lb Costco packer, wet aged 23 days

[Oak Smoke]

I cook fat side down. That being said, that's on a Kamado at 300 degrees. I tried fat side up, but the bottom 1/8 to 1/4 in of my brisket came out hard and dry.

[SpeedyB]

Oak Smoke understood. The metal pan on the RecTec is a decent barrier between heat source

[Jon Liebers]

wait, doesn't the platsetter provide a barrier to the direct heat from below?

[Troutman]

Meat protein is made largely of water. Fat is composed largely of oil. Oil and water do not coexist very well. That much we do know.

Many factors play into how we taste and our perception of taste. Sometimes fact and perception don’t coexist very well either.

[SpeedyB]

Troutman understood.

However, I've experienced enough briskets in the last year to have noticed a discernable difference in the slices on this 6.6 lb flat. Could there be other factors? Sure, just reporting the experience

[dshaffes]

I agree with Huskee that type of cooker matters whether you go fat side up or down.

[Spinaker]

I always go fat cap down no matter what cooker I am using. Stick burner, kamado, Kettle whatever it maybe. That is just how I do it and always have. I like to have the fat cap down so I can spritz the meat side for the first few hours of the cook.

I think it is imperative to at least a 1/4-1/3 strip of fat on the flat. Then you get a little fat with each bite, but its not too thick. Otherwise people would remove the fat, then there goes your rub and your smoke. Then you are just serving roast beef.

[glitchy]

Spinaker What do you spritz your briskets with?

[Troutman]

But I like roast beef

[Spinaker]

I do a mixture of 1 cup ACV, 1 cup Champagne Vinegar, and about a 1/4 cup of liquid aminos into a 20 oz spray bottle, then fill the rest with water. So about half vinegar/aminos mixture then the rest is water. I spray when I put the meat on, then once an hour for the first four hours. Once it pulls out of the stall, I will hit it once more. Just to keep the bark good and moist. glitchy

[Mr. Bones]

So delighted to hear that ya found a method that works well with yer cooker of choice, an yer technique, amigo! Not to mention a protein source that allows consistency, over several cooks!

There's a lotta cookers in this world, an a lotta protein sources, so that can be a dang dang hard thing to achieve...

Way I'm seein it, if yall happy at that end, then I'm vicariously delighted by yer sucesses...

An, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
DO resolve to keep on pushin th boundaries, an even th envelope of what yer doin, though...
That is where th greatest successes most often occur, albeit, sometimes preceded by some spectacular failures, as well...

Smoke On, an remember that no pics generally = didn't happen, hereabouts...

[Polarbear777]

Fat side should probably go in whatever direction is hottest in your cooker, provides insulation to even out the heat ingress.

[SpeedyB]

Polarbear777 I def jive with that.

[SpeedyB]

Mr. Bones amen!

No pics of this one, but here's a previous flat with some burnt amigos for clicks 🍻

[jfmorris]

I go fat side up mostly as heat rises, and the temperature is higher above the grate. I also with that in mind put the point end towards the firebox if cooking in my offset.

[kenrobin]

I agree that it depends on what type of cooker you're using & where most of the heat is inside of your cooker. On offset smokers where heat rises to the top, I believe in cooking with the fat side up. If you're cooking hot & fast on a drum smoker, I think you should cook with the fat side down.

[efranzen]

How about putting the cutoff fat above the brisket during smoking? Where does that fit in? In my tests, seems to make for a moist cook.

[SpeedyB]

Interesting idea

[Baker Dan]

Great idea light is flashing furiously !

[Henrik]

Great tasting brisket and happy dinner guests - what's not to like? Good job I say! Now as for the statement "the fat rendering meandering down through the flat as it smokes" - that doesn't happen. As Meathead and Dr Blonder has proven fat doesn't go into the meat. It melts, and runs off the side, but that's it. As for the flavorful bites: yes, if there's fat somewhere, regardless of how it got there, then yes it will be tastier :-)

Now as for the difference in taste with the flat covered with a fat cap vs the bare flat: I say the fat cap will protect the meat (especially the flat which is usually < 2"), so it will cook slightly differently, and be less affected by the smoke (due to the fat cap being in the way). Here's an idea (I don't know how this works, but) it would be interesting to compare meat sweating with and without a fat cap.

Either way, great tasting brisket doesn't have one single way to succeed, but several, depending on cookers/temps/other. But it's fun discussing different pit masters' findings and learn.

[SpeedyB]

Henrik yeah man, I'm definitely not a mad scientist 😆 It's an interesting conversation about a result I had not planned for

[texastweeter]

I go fat cap down for 2 reasons. I mainly cook on vertical smokers, so it acts as a buffer to the heat source as well as renders better. And two so that the rub that sticks to the grate is off the fat not the less, as some people trim it off when served. Sticks less.