How do YOU... BBQ??

[Smoke Daddy]

Had some free time recently....


Watched some DVR'd episodes of BBQ Pitmasters, PBS airings of BBQ with Franklin (Aaron Franklin's series), Jeff Stehney's DVD (Slaughterhouse 5 cook team)...

After doing so...the jury is is deadlocked on fat cap (brisket/butts) and bones (spares/baby backs) UP or down. I have a brand new reverse flow smoker from East Texas Smokers. I always thought you put the fat cap/bones UP to protect the meat. NOW... I read that this way causes the rub to wash off and not penetrate the meat. Jeff starts his brisket fat up and flips after 5 hrs. He leaves butts fat cap up the entire cook. In an offset cooker, Aaron puts brisket fat cap up with the point toward the heat source. Now...the BBQ Pitmasters ALL put their meat fat cap/bones DOWN!! One of these guys won $50k...I am inclined to listen to him.

What do all of you think/do? Please be sure to include what you cook on in your answer. Want to get an idea of where your heat and smoke source is located.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Fat cap down, point towards the heat.

 

[Smoking Piney]

Assassin gravity feed smoker:

I've tried butts both ways. It's fat cap down for me now. I get a better bark.

Ribs - bone side down.

 

[Stlsportster]

Fat cap down. Protects the flat from getting too crispy and the fat renders better. Ribs bone down.

 

[Czarbecue]

I protect the flavor, so fat cap up for me.

 

[blazinfire]

I just throw the meat in the smoker and tend to a fire That's the best way to cook BBQ :thumb:

 

[SirPorkaLot]

Fat cap always goes towards the heat, so it depends which smoker I'm using whether it goes up or down

 

[Nuco59]

Fat Cap? There are only two ways to do it- up or down- do what makes your BBQ MOJO work best. My cookers are verticals- bottom heat- so it's fat cap down. IF you use a vertical and want to be a "fat side up rebel"- go for it.

 

[ncmoose]

Fat cap always goes towards the heat, so it depends which smoker I'm using whether it goes up or down

This. Down on my egg. Up on the stick burner.

 

[BBQ Freak]

I do not thick it makes a difference and food comes out the same .

 

[Westx]

Since I cook on a reverse flow vertical insulated smoker fat cap down and I want the meat getting the smoke first. Unknown how I will cook on my Shirley when I get it. Most likely fat cap down also since the heat is coming from the RF plate.

 

[frognot]

Fat cap down with my Big Green Egg

 

[Kyle Hasty]

Hasty Bake cooker here. Fat cap down until I wrap, then cap up. Ribs always cook bone down. Just my deal...

 

[pjtexas1]

Fat cap down, bones down in all my cookers. This includes my rf insulated vertical where the heat comes in from the top.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[CeramicChef]

I'm a kamado cooker. The Komodo Kamado I used for smoking I call TheBeast because it is. Almost 1,000 pounds of refractory and I heat soak it at temp for at least an hour prior to putting the meat on the grate to cook.

Because of the fact that the kamado has been heat soaked and the fact that I use heat deflectors, fat cap up or fat cap down makes no difference whatsoever. That butt gets heat from all directions. It simply makes no difference whatsoever in my kamado; it's a moot question.

 

[cowgirl]

Fat cap always goes towards the heat, so it depends which smoker I'm using whether it goes up or down

^^ This :thumb:

 

[hellrzr]

On my WSM I always have the fat cap up and everyone always loves it. I figure why do anything different when folks like it.

 

[Czarbecue]

On my WSM I always have the fat cap up and everyone always loves it. I figure why do anything different when folks like it.

Yuuuup! Finally a backer here. I protect the flavor zone, which is all in the fat. Plus when slicing, my fat cap is up so it makes no sense to have it resting against the grate and getting some fugly tan lines on them.

 

[WareZdaBeef]

What is a fat cap? Are you talking about that white stuff that prevents bark formation? Yeah i like bark and smoke ring so that white stuff get removed before it even touches the grates.

 

[Haole Pete]

I agree with WareZ.

I trim really close for maximal barkage.