Up or Down: The Fat Cap Saga

GalanteNate_OneEa

so I was reading 
https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1214394/brisket-help#latest

And that infamous question popped up. Is it science, or just the BBQer’s ‘Bitter Butter Battle’? Or both?! Does the smoker make the difference?

A-A-Ron Franklin, who undeniably possesses a doctorate of smokology, with a post graduate certificate in brisket, once said that he preferred to put his brisket fat cap up and point towards the heat source. He further explained that he felt that this would protect the meat from the dry heat passing over and across it. If this is true, than that concept would be the most practical approach. But the difference is he cooks on an offset, which is a similar concept, but different setup than our BGEs.

When we light our fire within our lower level firebox, whether center, front, or rear, the air source being supplied from the front, causes the flow of the smoke to come up the back of the egg. This would make me believe that you would want the larger and thickest portion of the brisket to go towards the rear of the egg as well.  But that still leaves the fat cap debate open. Over the past few months I have done them different ways, but I have determined fat cap direction with one factor, that being, how high in the dome the brisket was set.

Using the AR I have the option of placing the brisket on the bottom grate, or lifting it high up in the dome, depending on what else, if anything, I’m cooking as well. Like if I’m going to throw some ribs on at the end of the cook, I will place the brisket on the lower level, point to the rear, fat cap up, so that i can easily toss the ribs on without much fuss. But if I’m going to do a solo brisket, I prefer to get it high up in the dome, point to the rear, but fat cap down. My decisions were made with the thought of when and where the heat makes first contact with the brisket. If the brisket is low, the heat will pass over just as in an offset, but when you place it high up in the dome, the smoke will go beneath the brisket and pass around it to escape through the daisy wheel.

Both of these setups I’ve had success with, and possibly because of Franklin’s theory that the fat cap shields and protects the meat from the passing dry heat. That, or just more proof that it doesn’t matter, up down left or right, and that this will just continue to be a never ending debate with no victor. 

Thoughts? Critiques?  Advice? 

Foghorn

Put the fat toward the heat. 

I set set up my egg to block enough of the rising heat so that the dome is the hottest area and then I put the fat up. It takes a lot of aluminum foil. 

But fat down is how most people cook on eggs. 

GalanteNate_OneEa

Foghorn said:

Put the fat toward the heat. 

I set set up my egg to block enough of the rising heat so that the dome is the hottest area and then I put the fat up. It takes a lot of aluminum foil. 

But fat down is how most people cook on eggs. 

Thanks much @Foghorn , maybe you could post a pic of your next cook?

Foghorn

Here's how I do it.  I'm having trouble with the wifi at my mother-in-law's house so it may be one pic at a time.

Platesetter (legs up).  Then a few foil balls for an air gap (not shown - about 1/2 inch thickness).  Then a layer of foil.

Foghorn

Then the standard grate.

Foghorn

Then another layer of foil on the grate (no foil balls needed) (it's dirty because the pic was taken after a cook)

Foghorn

Then another layer of elevation.

lousubcap

Cap down, point to the back camp here.  Set-up similar to @Foghorn's; platesetter legs up with an air gapped drip pan, then stock grate.  If the cow is initially too long I will drape over a foil protected fire brick until shrinkage allows it to sit flat on the grate.  Always foil protect any part that over-hangs the heat deflector.  FWIW-  
BTW @GalanteNate_OneEa - nice write up above.  

Foghorn

Then the cooking grate.

northGAcock

I sleep in my back so my fat cap is up.

Foghorn

Then the brisket.  Fat side up.  The goal is that there are at least 2 layers of material (3 in most places) between the fire and the brisket - so that the heat comes up the sides of the egg and the hottest part of the egg is the dome.  So the fat gets exposed to the hottest part of the cooking space.  I hope that helps.

GalanteNate_OneEa

@Foghorn the pics definitely helped me understand your process. Thanks for sharing. I’ll definitely make some modifications to my setup. 

GalanteNate_OneEa

@lousubcap I’ll keep the foil shield in mind. Makes sense to ensure no direct heat. Thanks! I was just sitting on my front porch thinking about it, as we all ponder the great mysteries of life, lol.

GalanteNate_OneEa

northGAcock said:

I sleep in my back so my fat cap is up.

Well in that case, I’m fat cap left,lol!

stlcharcoal

For the argument you see sometimes saying that if you go cap up, it's going to melt and baste the meat for you........no.  That brisket fat is solid as a rock and it doesn't render.  I've tried it when I need some fat for the onions, peppers, etc in BBQ beans.  You need to get a real soft piece that connects the point and flat if you expect to get any fat out of it.  The hard pieces just fry up like gristle.  This is true for pork butt, but that has so much fat you don't really need it.

I trim it off my briskets, then have a drip pan underneath.  Between the platesetter and the pan, the temp under vs the temp above cannot be that much different.  I think it's kind of a moot point in a kamado.

One thing I have seen that's cool, put ribs, a pork butt, or something else fatty on a two tier rack above the brisket and let it drip on brisket.

GalanteNate_OneEa

stlcharcoal said:

For the argument you see sometimes saying that if you go cap up, it's going to melt and baste the meat for you........no.  That brisket fat is solid as a rock and it doesn't render.  I've tried it when I need some fat for the onions, peppers, etc in BBQ beans.  You need to get a real soft piece that connects the point and flat if you expect to get any fat out of it.  The hard pieces just fry up like gristle.  This is true for pork butt, but that has so much fat you don't really need it.

I trim it off my briskets, then have a drip pan underneath.  Between the platesetter and the pan, the temp under vs the temp above cannot be that much different.  I think it's kind of a moot point in a kamado.

One thing I have seen that's cool, put ribs, a pork butt, or something else fatty on a two tier rack above the brisket and let it drip on brisket.

By the time i get my ribs on the egg, my brisket is normally wrapped. But I would totally do that with some pork butts.

NPHuskerFL

Egg cap down
Offset up 

GalanteNate_OneEa

NPHuskerFL said:

Egg cap down
Offset up 

Are you subscribing to my theory? Or just set in your ways?

stlcharcoal

GalanteNate_OneEa said:

By the time i get my ribs on the egg, my brisket is normally wrapped. But I would totally do that with some pork butts.

Why wrap it?  At that point, you could just put the brisket in the oven.  Go nekkid.....you don't need the "crutch" when you have an egg.

nolaegghead

I've tried it every which-way from Sunday and I don't notice a difference.  That said, one thing I've never tried is point in the front, which would make sense from the perspective the flat is the last part past the finish line (really the flat in the middle so maybe this isn't a good idea).

GalanteNate_OneEa

stlcharcoal said:

GalanteNate_OneEa said:

By the time i get my ribs on the egg, my brisket is normally wrapped. But I would totally do that with some pork butts.

Why wrap it?  At that point, you could just put the brisket in the oven.  Go nekkid.....you don't need the "crutch" when you have an egg.

I like to finish in a covered foil pan, not only to bust through the stall, but to get a good portion of au jus.

Dondgc

stlcharcoal said:

GalanteNate_OneEa said:

By the time i get my ribs on the egg, my brisket is normally wrapped. But I would totally do that with some pork butts.

Why wrap it?  At that point, you could just put the brisket in the oven.  Go nekkid.....you don't need the "crutch" when you have an egg.

@stlcharcoal - my July 4 brisket seemed to have too much Bark. @nolaegghead suggested in another thread that one reason for wrapping is to stop Bark development while the rest of the brisket cooks. That made wrapping sound pretty appealing. I guess I just need to keep cooking and try different things ...

lousubcap

Here is a link to the brisket finish-line relative to the wrap:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnRRDSYgdmw  
FWIW-

stlcharcoal

Try wrapping it in Kraft paper.  You can buy the peach paper, or use an inner liner of a charcoal bag.  Best of both worlds.....let's it breath, but doesn't steam it like foil.  I've just set it in a foil pan too.  

GalanteNate_OneEa

stlcharcoal said:

Try wrapping it in Kraft paper.  You can buy the peach paper, or use an inner liner of a charcoal bag.  Best of both worlds.....let's it breath, but doesn't steam it like foil.  I've just set it in a foil pan too.  

But I won’t get me au jus...

GalanteNate_OneEa

Dondgc said:

stlcharcoal said:

GalanteNate_OneEa said:

By the time i get my ribs on the egg, my brisket is normally wrapped. But I would totally do that with some pork butts.

Why wrap it?  At that point, you could just put the brisket in the oven.  Go nekkid.....you don't need the "crutch" when you have an egg.

@stlcharcoal - my July 4 brisket seemed to have too much Bark. @nolaegghead suggested in another thread that one reason for wrapping is to stop Bark development while the rest of the brisket cooks. That made wrapping sound pretty appealing. I guess I just need to keep cooking and try different things ...

The best part, keep trying! Every week my wife agrees that I should cook brisket. Every week I win, 

lousubcap

Dang- @GalanteNate_OneEa  you are living a dream with that request.  I don't know how you can inhale that much goodness between cooks but if I had your offer I would figure it out with a friggin smile!
Experiment til it hurts and then press on!

thetrim

Up

GalanteNate_OneEa

lousubcap said:

Dang- @GalanteNate_OneEa  you are living a dream with that request.  I don't know how you can inhale that much goodness between cooks but if I had your offer I would figure it out with a friggin smile!
Experiment til it hurts and then press on!

Since we started our Ketogenic lifestyle, my wife’s words, ‘Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Don’t screw it up.’