Brisket cook 101

Danny71

bought my first brisket. The smallest the meat market had was 13 pounds. My question is everything I have read said a fat side up. The fat side up will put the point down it seems. I mean there is fat on both sides but majority is opposite what I would would think. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also on rubs or any type seasoning. Is greatly appreciated. Also on times I'm using my XL egg so I have had trouble in the past trying to maintain temperature. But I'm trying it now regardless

Danny71

I can post a pic of the brisket if anyone would like. It might help with description 

BIll-W221

I'm sure you'll do fine, what do you have for rub ? I like Meat Church Holy Cow but many just use salt and pepper. And do you have any Oak ? Some go fat up while others go fat down. I have been doing fat down 225 until it hits 160 then wrap in foil and continue on until done. I rub with Holy Cow and inject with low sodium beef broth and add a little more of the beef broth when wrapping. And each one is different, some cook faster than others but rule of thumb is 1 hour per pound. But I am far from an expert so ......

Foghorn

So, this is a subject of great debate and I will tell you my opinion, but understand that it is just opinion. 

I've tried to copy as much as I can from Aaron Franklin combined with what I have learned on here from some of the great brisket kings of the egg.  Franklin cooks fat side up in his giant offset smokers.  However, he has said that if he were cooking in an egg he would go fat side down because the heat rises from below and (presumably) he doesn't want to burn the protein.  Some believe (I'm among them) that having the rendering fat dripping down through the protein is a good thing so having the fat side up is desirable.

I took that as a challenge to create enough blockage of heat flow from below to ensure that there is zero chance of heat rising directly onto the bottom of the brisket - so that I can put the brisket with the fat side up and not worry about it burning the lean side that is down.  To achieve this I use a plate setter (now called ConvEGGtor) - then rolled foil balls to create a gap - then a drip pan (aluminum foil) - then a grate - then another drip pan... then I put another grate on top and put the brisket on the top grate.  If done properly you can align the drip pans to block the air flow well around the silhouette of the brisket so that it is essentially baking in the dome of the egg and the temp on the top of the brisket probably exceeds the temp of the air just below the meat.

You don't have to get quite as compulsive as I do and have two layers of drip pans, but I have previously underestimated how my single pan was positioned to block heat and regretted it so since I have the two layers of grid I like the additional height and the additional layer of protection.

Good luck.  I hope this helps.

Foghorn

Or you can just put the fat side down like many here do and still potentially get great results.  Don't take my previous post as anything based on hard science.

schafe98

I'm far from an expert but will offer what I've done.  I just did my 6th attempt at brisket and I think it was the first time I was proud of what I did.  It was also the first time I did a whole brisket.  I followed Aaron Franklin's method.  Just salt and pepper, wrapping in butcher paper, etc.  I have a large egg so my 13.5 pounder did not fit ideally.  I was planning on making beans and throwing brisket in them so I cut a piece of the flat off and cooked it above the big piece of brisket on my AR.  I did fat side down.  Also, I cut up the little pieces of fat that I trimmed off the brisket and made little chitlins out of them. I put them on the upper rack with the smaller piece of flat and pulled them off when I wrapped which was around the 170 mark.  Delicious!  I was at 275-300 for the cook and it was approximately 15 hours total.  Every brisket is different.  It's done when it probes like butter.  My previous attempts I never got that probe like butter feel only because I completely killed it or didn't cook long enough.  I was like a kid in a candy store when I finally got it right.  Be patient and don't get frustrated.  It's a tough one to get right.  Good luck!

ellismate

are you guys getting these cooks without reloading of fuel? i have a medium and did around 13 hours without adding fuel. But that was all she wrote for that cook

Foghorn

ellismate said:

are you guys getting these cooks without reloading of fuel? i have a medium and did around 13 hours without adding fuel. But that was all she wrote for that cook

@ellismate, yes, I can go 24+ hours on one load of fuel in my XL.  I load it so full of lump that the platesetter essentially rests on the lump when I set it in.  I'm not sure how that translates on a medium.

SGH

Foghorn said:

ellismate said:

are you guys getting these cooks without reloading of fuel? 

@ellismate, yes, I can go 24+ hours on one load of fuel in my XL.  

I have ran a tad over 24 hours on my large as well. Not sure about the medium. Maybe medium owners can offer more. 

Danny71

Thank you guys so much for the info I might start it sat night and check early Sunday morning see where it is I'm just afraid of my egg spiking temp over night 

BIll-W221

A thermometer such as a Maverick has a decent range and will alarm if the temp spikes or drops too low. Or a pit controller, I use a PartyQ so I don't have to worry about it.

bob.bud

I have always been a fat side up kind of guy when cooking on the Traeger (no longer with me) and after watching Aaron Franklin's videos and reading through the forum, I attempted my first full packer and my second with the fat side down and have absolutely loved the results. More importantly, those who were served enjoyed it more than I did.

I run a large, and can go all night with out refueling. 

bill37

Check out the Naked Whiz.com and read about briskets.