Brisket and a Butt on the AR

GRE1

I have a packer brisket as well as a 9lb butt going on my XL using my CGS adjustable rig. My question is which should go on top, or will it affect flavor? Should I just fire up the other XL and cook separately ? 

byrne092

Not really sure if there is a right or wrong answer. One idea could be that the pork drippings might help with keeping the brisket moist. Some may say you don't want the flavor of the pork drippings to mess with the brisket. I don't think there is any safety concerns since both get cooked to way above the safe zone. 

tjv

When it comes to butts and briskets, I always put the butts on the bottom.  Brisket is a more fickle meat, while butts are more forgiving.   

t

Ladeback69

Do them together, I have done this before with my home made raised grate and I put the brisket on the bottom because it usually takes longer and that way the pork butt would be easy to pull off, but with the AR I guess it wouldn't be an issue.  I didn't notice any flavor of pork in the brisket by the way.  Hope this helps.

SmokeyPitt

On an XL couldn't you just put them side by side? 

lousubcap

Another vote for brisket over butt-just because as @tjv mentioned above the butt is a much easier cook to manage. 
Regardless, make sure you have a good sized air-gapped drip pan to catch all the renderings as there will be a good amount.
Edit:  go one set-up this time and flip the next-probably the differences in the cooks will be unnoticeable.

Photo Egg

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I did butts over brisket.

Ladeback69

tjv said:

When it comes to butts and briskets, I always put the butts on the bottom.  Brisket is a more fickle meat, while butts are more forgiving.   

t

Another thing to think about, isn't the egg hotter higher in the dome?  If so the pork butt would handle the heat better, but some on here have done turbo briskets so I may be way off.

Photo Egg

Ladeback69 said:

tjv said:

When it comes to butts and briskets, I always put the butts on the bottom.  Brisket is a more fickle meat, while butts are more forgiving.   

t

Another thing to think about, isn't the egg hotter higher in the dome?  If so the pork butt would handle the heat better, but some on here have done turbo briskets so I may be way off.

I know Tom is far better at brisket than I am. Not to mention his experience with multi level cooking.
My reasoning was same as yours. Higher temps in the dome to cook the butts and brisket below. It came out great.
I also did as mentioned above on my XL on the same level. Really no difference.

Ladeback69

Man, now I want an AR even more.  @Photo Egg, that setup makes it a lot easier then what I have.  Nice looking food too.  My Christmas list is getting big and expensive.

tjv

Ladeback69 said:

tjv said:

When it comes to butts and briskets, I always put the butts on the bottom.  Brisket is a more fickle meat, while butts are more forgiving.   

t

Another thing to think about, isn't the egg hotter higher in the dome?  If so the pork butt would handle the heat better, but some on here have done turbo briskets so I may be way off.

It's not hotter in the dome if that is what I use as my target temp.   I'm smoking the more difficult cut in more open area and up near the thermometer.  Easiest to set the target cook temp for the brisket.

butts can smoke from 200 to 350  grid temp, as long as they get to 200 internal temp, excellent chance they will come out good.  not sure I can say that about brisket, least what most of us buy - choice and select grade briskets. 

t  

fishlessman

always have done butt over brisket, fat down on brisket, fat up on butt if theres fat with this setup though i mostly cook butts fat cap
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BIll-W221

I'd think of it as bacon dripping on my brisket, how could that be bad ????

GRE1

Brisket on bottom , butt up it is !

GRE1