Q: Laying out a brisket on the grill

FearlessTheEggNoob

I've got a brisket smoking away on my extra large kamado and a thought occurred to me.

I have plenty of room now, so I wondered what would be the better option...

Scrunch the brisket up so that it lays out on the grid as compact and thick as possible while it cooks?
or
stretch the brisket out so that it has the most surface area?

Now before someone immediately pipes in that "it doesn't matter," let me just say in advance that "everything matters" to some degree.

lousubcap

One of the goals when selecting a brisket is to find one with a fairly consistent thickness (to the extent possible) in the flat so if you can achieve some improvement in that area then go for it.  That's my vote-as "if it matters."   >-

xiphoid007

I would just lay it on. If you stretch it, its gonna shrink anyway as it cooks. If you scrunch it, its gonna relax and expand. Either way, it should find an equilibrium. However, I don't think I matters either way, given how long brisket takes to cook. If anything, you may rub off the rub trying one or the other.

More important to me is where to position it. I've hear put the point toward the back, the hot part of the egg.

Then the other debate, fat cap up or down? If you have a water/drip pan below I think it helps insulate and block the heat, thus I would put the fat cap up. This should insulate on all sides.

So just lay it on, point towards the back, fat cap up. My opinion, and we all know what those are like. . .

nolaegghead

Scrunch the thinner flat so it is thicker, not much you can do about the point anyway.  When it's all done, it'll be a floppy chunk of meat anyway.

FearlessTheEggNoob

I decided to scrunch it all up because the flat is my favorite part. The difference in the thickness of this flat from scrunched up, to having it stretched out, was very significant...even though I purposely picked out the packer with the thickest, and most uniform flat.

It's 2+hrs in, and is holding shape the way I placed it. I might try 2 or 3 skewers lengthwise in flat next time to see how close I can force it to being even thickness.

Biggreenpharmacist

nolaegghead said:

When it's all done, it'll be a floppy chunk of meat anyway.

Thats what she said.

lousubcap

@Fearless-with the point don't go down the burnt ends road-just rotate it about 90* from the flat and slice away.  No there is the best part of the brisket IMHO.  But I've been wrong before-enjoy the cook!

henapple

Biggreenpharmacist said:

nolaegghead said:

When it's all done, it'll be a floppy chunk of meat anyway.

Thats what she said.

Dammit. ..beat me to it.

)

FearlessTheEggNoob

xiphoid007 said:

 Then the other debate, fat cap up or down? If you have a water/drip pan below I think it helps insulate and block the heat, thus I would put the fat cap up. This should insulate on all sides. So just lay it on, point towards the back, fat cap up. My opinion, and we all know what those are like. . .

I have been using an empty drip pan to catch grease before it hits the heat deflector and scorches. No water. My chamber humidity is plenty high already IMO.

The bottom side seems to be the hottest side, so I go fat side down to protect the brisket there for one. Also, to keep the rub on the lean side from getting disturbed and being washed away by top-rendered fat.

lousubcap

@FearlessTheEggNoob-I'm all in with the fat cap down on the BGE.  The insulation effect works for me.  FWIW-

FearlessTheEggNoob

This may be my best one yet. Very moist. In fact, after letting it rest uncovered until the internal temp dropped into the 170's, I pulled the Maverick probe and moisture came bubbling out of the hole like I had struck oil. Never seen that before.