I get the concept that you always want the fat cap ro protect the pork butt (or brisket) from the general direction of the heat, so my question is which direction is that on a kamado? The heat source is below the food, but the deflector plate divert the heat around the sides. SInce the chimney (vent) is in the dome, it would seem the heat would ride the sides of the dome and exit via the vent, so there would be nothing to draw the heat doen over the top of the meat. I am hopeful that Huskee or some of you other "egg heads" can help me out.
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Fat Cap up or Down when cooking on a Kamado?
Collapse
X
-
Club Member
- Jan 2016
- 817
- Upstate NY, by upstate I don't just mean 30 miles north of NYC ;-)
-
My current cookers include a Shirley Fabrication 24x36 patio model; Weber Performer with the Slow-n-Sear 2.0 & Drip & Griddle; Pit Boss Series 2 propane smoker & SnS Travel Kettle.
Straight Whiskey: I'm a bourbon guy. All time favorite Pappy Van Winkle 12 year. Standard go to Blantons
Blended Whiskey: James Oliver American Whiskey
I also enjoy an occasional cigar
Tags: None
-
Club Member
- Nov 2017
- 7782
- Huntsville, Alabama
-
Jim Morris
Cookers- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (2021)
- Camp Chef FTG900 Flat Top Grill (2020)
- Weber Genesis II E-410 w/ GrillGrates (2019)
- Weber Performer Deluxe 22.5" w/ GrillGrates & Slow 'N Sear & Drip N Griddle & Vortex & Party Q & Rotisserie (2007)
- Thermoworks Smoke w/ Wifi Gateway
- Thermoworks Dot
- Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
- Thermoworks RT600C
- Weber Connect
- Whatever I brewed and have on tap! See it here: https://taplist.io/taplist-57685
I'm going to watch this with interest, as I've had the same question with my SNS Deluxe Kamado. I'll comment on my experiences and what I have done so far though.
On my kettle I always put the fat cap UP, as I know the heat is higher above the grate than at grate level, usually by 50 to 75 degrees. This differential comes down during a long cook, but that is what I have measured. On the kamado, in kamado mode with the heat deflector (plate setter) in place, I've measured similar temperatures on the main grate, and on an elevated grate that is 4-5 inches higher, during a long cook. You are correct that there are hot spots around the perimeter where the heat is coming up, but my feeling is that it evens out much more in the kamado due to the heat absorbed and emitted by the ceramics.
That said, I've been putting fat cap DOWN when cooking in kamado mode, and fat cap UP when cooking in SNS mode. I'm doing a 21 pound brisket (haven't trimmed it yet) this weekend, and plan to roll with fat cap down on the kamado, since that is technically "towards the heat".
- Likes 1
-
Charter Member
- Dec 2014
- 7911
- Grew up in New Orleans, 20 years in Texas, 22 years in Mandeville, LA. Now Dallas, TX
I am not sure it makes much difference, particularly on a Boston Butt. However, on my BGE I’ve always cooked fat cap down. On a Kamado there a lot of heat absorbed into the ceramic, so you get a lot of heat off of the dome.Last edited by LA Pork Butt; September 3, 2021, 09:06 AM.
- Likes 3
Comment
-
Administrator
- May 2014
- 19888
- Clare, Michigan area
-
Follow me on Instagram, huskeesbarbecue
Smokers / Grills- Yoder loaded Wichita offset smoker
- PBC
- Grilla Silverbac pellet grill
- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (SnSK)
- Masterbuilt Gravity 560
- Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Cabinet
- Weber 22" Original Kettle Premium (copper)
- Weber 26" Original Kettle Premium (light blue)
- Weber Jumbo Joe Gold (18.5")
- Weber Smokey Joe Silver (14.5")
- Brinkmann cabinet charcoal smoker (repurposed)
Thermometers- SnS 500 4-probe wireless
- (3) Maverick XR-50 4-probe Wireless Thermometers
- A few straggler Maverick ET-732s
- Maverick ET-735 Bluetooth (in box)
- Smoke X4 by ThermoWorks
- Thermapen MkII, orange & purple
- ThermoPop, yellow, plus a few more in a drawer for gifts
- ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (wife's)
- Morpilot 6-probe wireless
- ThermoWorks Infrared IRK2
- ThermoWorks fridge & freezer therms as well
Accessories- Instant Pot 6qt
- Anova Bluetooth SV
- Kitchen Aide mixer & meat grinder attachment
- Kindling Cracker King (XL)
- a couple BBQ Dragons
- Weber full & half chimneys, Char-Broil Half Time chimney
- Weber grill topper
- Slow 'N Sear Original, XL, and SnS Charcoal Basket (for Jumbo Joe)
- Drip 'N Griddle Pans, 22' Easy Spin Grate, and Elevated Cooking grate, by SnSGrills
- Pittsburgh Digital Moisture Meter
Beverages- Favorite summer beers: Leinenkugels Summer & Grapefruit Shandy, Hamm's, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
- Fav other beers: Zombie Dust (an IPA by 3 Floyd's Brewing), Austin Bros IPA, DAB, Sam Adams regular, Third Shift amber or Coors Batch 19, Stella Artois
- Fav cheap beers: Pabst, High Life, Hamm's & Stroh's
- Most favorite beer: The one in your fridge
- Wine: Red- big, bold, tannic & peppery- Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauv, Sangiovese, Syrah, etc
- Whiskey: Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton's, Old Forester 1870, Elijah Craig Toasted, Basil Hayden's. Neat please.
- Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About me
Real name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:- Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
My personal preference is to not have any fat cap on a pork butt, they have so much internal that I hack all of mine off the exterior to get more smoke & rub adherence and more flavorful bark. On a brisket I wouldn't worry on a kamado, I'd probably instinctively place it down to bark up the top, but I don't think it matters too much, I think it's 6-of-one-half-dozen-of-the-other deal.
- Likes 7
Comment
-
I take almost all of the fat off the cap. I agree there is plenty fat to go around on the pork butt.Last edited by LA Pork Butt; September 3, 2021, 09:40 AM.
- 2 likes
-
Club Member
- Nov 2017
- 7782
- Huntsville, Alabama
-
Jim Morris
Cookers- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (2021)
- Camp Chef FTG900 Flat Top Grill (2020)
- Weber Genesis II E-410 w/ GrillGrates (2019)
- Weber Performer Deluxe 22.5" w/ GrillGrates & Slow 'N Sear & Drip N Griddle & Vortex & Party Q & Rotisserie (2007)
- Thermoworks Smoke w/ Wifi Gateway
- Thermoworks Dot
- Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
- Thermoworks RT600C
- Weber Connect
- Whatever I brewed and have on tap! See it here: https://taplist.io/taplist-57685
efincoop Didn't you just say elsewhere you were selling your kamado? Did you get a new one, or is this just a bon voyage cook?
Comment
-
Club Member
- Nov 2015
- 4879
- The Great State of Jefferson
-
24X40 Lone Star Grillz offset smoker
Weber Summit Charcoal Grill w/SnS and DnG (Spartacus)
20X36 Lonestar Grillz pellet pooper
SnS 18" Travel Kettle
SmokeDaddy Pro portable pellet pooper
2 W22's w/SnS, DnG (1 black, 1 copper) (Minions 1 and 2)
20+ y/o many times rebuilt Weber Genesis w/GrillGrates (Gas Passer)
20 x 30 Santa Maria grill (Maria, duh)
Bradley cabinet smoker (Pepper Gomez)
36" Blackstone griddle (The Black Beauty)
Fireboard
Thermoworks Smoke and Thermapen.
Gourmet dinnerware by PJ Enterprises
Based on my experiences I'm in the "it doesn't really matter much" camp. That said, I trim lean and smoke fat down. I like lots of bark and a big fat cap can just end up being really well seasoned fat.
- Likes 2
Comment
-
Club Member
- Nov 2014
- 5104
- Summerfield FL, NE of The Villages
-
Cookers:
SnS Kettle with SnS Deluxe, SS & Cast iron pans, elevated grate.
Grilla OG with upper shelf and pizza stone.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
Instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
BBQr's Delight Hickory & Apple flavor pellets, propane torch, 12" smoke tube.
Grilla apple & hickory pellets, Royal Oak charcoal pellets.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church, Meathead's.
Rubs without salt: SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef.
Rubs home-mixed: None at this time.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
Occasionally on a pork butt I’ll leave the fat cap on 1/3 to 1/2 and cook up and score for those tasty chunks of crispy fat.
- Likes 2
Comment
-
Moderator
- Nov 2014
- 14129
- Land of Tonka
-
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
********************************************
Grills/Smokers/Fryers
Big Green Egg (Large) X3
Blackstone 36" Outdoor Griddle 4-Burner
Burch Barrel V-1
Karubeque C-60
Kamado Joe Jr. (Black)
Lodge L410 Hibachi
Pit Barrel Cooker
Pit Barrel Cooker 2.0
Pit Barrel PBX
R&V Works FF2-R-ST 4-Gallon Fryer
*******************************************.
Thermometers
FireBoard (Base Package)
Thermoworks ThermaPen (Red)
Thermoworks MK4 (Orange)
*********************************
Accessories
Big Green Egg Plate Setter
Benzomatic TS800 High Temp Torch X 2
Bayou Classic 44 qt Stainless Stock Pot
Bayou Classic 35K BTU Burner
Eggspander Kit X2
Finex Cat Iron Line
FireBoard Drive
Lots and Lots of Griswold Cast Iron
Grill Grates
Joule Water Circulator
KBQ Fire Grate
Kick Ash Basket (KAB) X4
Lots of Lodge Cast Iron
Husky 6 Drawer BBQ Equipment Cabinet
Large Vortex
Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum
Marquette Castings No. 13 (First Run)
Smithey No. 12
Smokeware Chimney Cap X 3
Stargazer No.10, 12
********************************
Fuel
FOGO Priemium Lump Charcoal
Kingsford Blue and White
B&B Charcoal
Apple, Cherry & Oak Log splits for the C-60
*************************************************
Cutlery
Buck 119 Special
Cuda 7' Fillet Knife
Dexter 12" Brisket Sword
Global
Shun
Wusthof
**********
Next Major Purchase
Lone Star Grillz 24 X 48 Offset
As far cooking goes, I really do not think it matters in a kamado. Whenever I am cooking with my kamados I usually put he brisket fat side down, just casue I like to spritz the meat while it is cooking for the first few hours. The meat needs it, and the fat really doesn't, so it makes sense to have it fat cap down. You get plenty of reflective heat from the dome, heat from the plate setter below and heat billowing from there sides, around the plate setter. So I really do not think fat cap up or down matters as far as cooking goes. I go fat cap up or down, just to make spritzing easier.
For pork butts I go fat cap up, only because the fat tends to stick to the grate when I am done cooking.
- Likes 2
Comment
-
Club Member
- Jan 2016
- 817
- Upstate NY, by upstate I don't just mean 30 miles north of NYC ;-)
-
My current cookers include a Shirley Fabrication 24x36 patio model; Weber Performer with the Slow-n-Sear 2.0 & Drip & Griddle; Pit Boss Series 2 propane smoker & SnS Travel Kettle.
Straight Whiskey: I'm a bourbon guy. All time favorite Pappy Van Winkle 12 year. Standard go to Blantons
Blended Whiskey: James Oliver American Whiskey
I also enjoy an occasional cigar
Thanks for all the interest and relies. I ended up going fat cap (scored) down. I was happy with the results. As mentioned above going fat cap down allowed me to spritz the top starting about 4 hours into the cook. Everyone enjoyed the pulled pork so I take that as a win!
- Likes 1
Comment
-
Club Member
- Nov 2017
- 7782
- Huntsville, Alabama
-
Jim Morris
Cookers- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (2021)
- Camp Chef FTG900 Flat Top Grill (2020)
- Weber Genesis II E-410 w/ GrillGrates (2019)
- Weber Performer Deluxe 22.5" w/ GrillGrates & Slow 'N Sear & Drip N Griddle & Vortex & Party Q & Rotisserie (2007)
- Thermoworks Smoke w/ Wifi Gateway
- Thermoworks Dot
- Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
- Thermoworks RT600C
- Weber Connect
- Whatever I brewed and have on tap! See it here: https://taplist.io/taplist-57685
I ran a 21 pound brisket on my kamado over the weekend, and am glad I put fat cap down. I had a lot of extra heat coming up around the heat diffuser and hitting the point and the corners of the flat, and that down facing side definitely got more heat. I ended up a few hours into the cook making a heat diffuser "extender" from a foil steam tray lid, bent down to size, to protect the parts that extended beyond the deflector.
- Likes 2
Comment
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Comment