Just looking for opinions with your reasoning why please "Fat side up or down when you smoke a Bris

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little smokey

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Aug 4, 2011
337
28
Omaha
I have only done a few and I always go fat side up and have never tried fat side down so please provide me your reasoning and how does it work for you.  

My best brisket has been not foiled and I switched from rub to just plain old S&P with no foil and fat side up. The wife loved it and I plan on doing the same this Saturday unless I hear some sound reasoning of why I should change to fa tside down.
 
I like fat side up....and if I do it the other way....the meat seems to stick and tear worse on my grates in the smoker.

That is just the way I like to do things.  Only "valid" reason I can offer.

Kat
 
Yep fat side up, salt, pepper, galrlic, paprika. No foil, pecan and cherry for me. Run the smoker @ 265* until I hit the magic temp that allows a toothpick to insert with no resistance.
 
it's a personal preference...some like fat cap side down to help as a heat barrier on hotter smokes...some like the fat cap up to baste as it renders down while smoking...i've tried it both ways on brisket and pork shoulders and really haven't noticed a difference
 
What I do is trim the fat to about a 1/4 inch thick but put all the trimed pieces of fat on the rack above the brisket so as it melts it drips down to baste the brisket in heavenly fat. Im drooling just looking at all that crispy goodness
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I trim the fat off.  - Me too, at least on pork butt.  With brisket, I do just like Mike Johnson and trim the fat cap to about 1/4".

Why?

Rub doesn't stick to fat. - Actually, rub does stick to the fat - but who wants to eat the fat?  Also - when you remove the fat you remove the rub too....better to put the rub directly on the meat.

Takes longer to cook. - Not that I have noticed, and I have cooked a lot of meat.

Smoke doesn't penetrate the fat. - Smoke will penetrate the fat - however, it penetrates the meat better if the fat is not there.

My opinion.  Good to have opinions but even better to have good information.  
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So....fat up typically, when there is fat.

Good luck,

Bill
 
Good stuff fellas thanks for the info I like that Redneck69 has tried both way and I love the "trim off the fat and let it drip on your brisket" thing also from Mike Johnson.  PGsmoker64 you are right good information is better than opinions thanks
 
 
I trim the fat off.  - Me too, at least on pork butt.  With brisket, I do just like Mike Johnson and trim the fat cap to about 1/4".

Why?

Rub doesn't stick to fat. - Actually, rub does stick to the fat - but who wants to eat the fat?  Also - when you remove the fat you remove the rub too....better to put the rub directly on the meat.

Takes longer to cook. - Not that I have noticed, and I have cooked a lot of meat.

Smoke doesn't penetrate the fat. - Smoke will penetrate the fat - however, it penetrates the meat better if the fat is not there.

My opinion.  Good to have opinions but even better to have good information.   
biggrin.gif
Opinion mixed with information I suppose.

True, rub does stick to fat, but don't think it penetrates the fat very well. So the side of your meat where you leave the fat, and then put rub on it, that rub isn't going to penetrate as well as the rub applied directly to the meat.

Trimming off the fat on our briskets has reduced our comp team cook times in half. We separate out the flat and the point and don't cook it whole. Others may cook it whole. If so, then cook times may be around the same.

The smoke does not penetrate through the fat layer as well. Thus the missing smoke ring when you look at cut brisket with the fat left on. (images below)

See the lack of ring where the fat was kept on this brisket:


Compared to this where the fat was removed:


To each his or her own, just sharing what I've learned.
 
 
Opinion mixed with information I suppose.

True, rub does stick to fat, but don't think it penetrates the fat very well. So the side of your meat where you leave the fat, and then put rub on it, that rub isn't going to penetrate as well as the rub applied directly to the meat.

Trimming off the fat on our briskets has reduced our comp team cook times in half. We separate out the flat and the point and don't cook it whole. Others may cook it whole. If so, then cook times may be around the same.

The smoke does not penetrate through the fat layer as well. Thus the missing smoke ring when you look at cut brisket with the fat left on. (images below)

See the lack of ring where the fat was kept on this brisket:


Compared to this where the fat was removed:


To each his or her own, just sharing what I've learned.
Proof in the pictures! This thread was very informative.
 
I'm mostly a fat side up guy. However, I have also tried the method of smoking about half the time with fat side up over an aluminum pan, then during the second half, put the brisket in the drippings pan fat side down. That method is very moist and tastes good but I like the bark better you get if you smoke it just on the rack and not in the drippings.

Each to their own I guess.

Scott

Hampton, VA
 
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