Brisket: Fat cap up, down or both?

I keep mine down.. always. Its really a personal decision though. I usually do Wagu and there is plenty of fat throughout.

Fat down...

DR said:

I have coked briskets in 2 ways. I always wrap in foil after 4 hours. Sometimes i have kept the fat cap down the entire time and others i have started with the fat cap down for the first 4 hours and then when i wrap in foil, i flip it to fat cap up. I have had good results both ways but wanted to know how most people on here do theirs. I know BD has great success with flipping after wrapping, but is wrapping in butcher paper and not foil.

Just for the sake of argument, i always cook between 275-300 and try to hover just under 300 for most of the cook.


Any thoughts fellas?

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I had started thinking to always do fat side UP..thinking the melting fat would help self baste the meat as it slowly cooked.

However, I got mostly from this forum many moons ago...to do it fat cap side DOWN, this helps protect the meat as it cooks, especially if you have to place it nearer the heat source, in an indirect smoker.

I have had this really save my ass more than a few times (I tend to drink a bit on smoking days, and Hell, I live in New Orleans, it is almost mandatory)....but I'd miss a rise in temp on the firebox...and having that fat cap between my meat and the heat, it saved me.

I've never gone back to fat cap up on brisket or most any meats.

What I WILL do, however, if I'm smoking (I have a bandera style tower smoker) say brisket and a pork roast...I'll put the pork roast or other fatty cut that will render...above the brisket or things that don't mind being basted a bit, and let the fat drip down on it as they both cook.

Some might not like mingling flavors, but doesn't bother me and I've had no complaints.

I too wrap my meats....after brisket comes to temp, I put in foil, spritz with some of my mop...and seal it up and let it go back into finish cooking mode. I've honestly never really thought about fat cap orientation when it is wrapped.

HTH,

cayenne

In my PBC fat cap points left.

I've done both and tasted no difference, I'm spraying it down through the cook anyway. Though I do like Cayenne's reasoning behind the fat cap down.

Bob C Cue said:

In my PBC fat cap points left.

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I always turn mine to the right:doh:

I cook it with the fat cap towards the heat source.

tcv21 said:

I keep mine down.. always. Its really a personal decision though. I usually do Wagu and there is plenty of fat throughout.

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I agree. With Waygu you can turn it any way that you want and it's a win. The only noticeable difference that I can see is the bark. Taste is identical in every way.

Since people say it doesn't matter, I put it down to protect it from the heat source.

down until I wrap. fat is like a nomex fire suit put it between the heat & the meat and form the bark on the non fat areas. once wrapped it bastes the rascal.

Fat cap towards heat source to protect the meat. This also helps caramelize the fat cap, and ends up nice and crispy and good eats along with the brisket slices...

I do mine like Blu. Down till she's purty and up while she's covered and till she's finished.




Edit..... Didn't mean it to sound so dirty, but it is what it is. LOL

SGH said:

I always turn mine to the right:doh:

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Only on left hand briskest ?

Or if your trimmings skills are as good as mine by the time your done prepping you don't know which end is up!

I'm toward the heat source too.

So, on a reverse flow, is the heat coming from the top or bottom?

I don't think it matters unless your "heat source" has zero baffle like a drum and even then depending on temp and closeness to the direct fire it might not matter still. I cook brisket on my backwoods meat up which is towards the heat source and it works quite well including a 400 cook a few times.

Also what about side heat like stick burners? Bottom line is you have to try it both ways many times and see what others techniques come into play to make good brisket.