Brisket - Fat Side Down or Up?

[mixed up]

fat side down keep the bottom from burning but I also trim mine lean not much fat left on befor smoke

 

[Snaddlerakes]

How do you guys smoke Brisket? Fat side up or down?

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[Snaddlerakes]

I've smoked probably 100 briskets over the years with the fat side up to help keep the meat moist. It's kind of like wrapping lean meat in bacon. I really don't think it matters when the heat source isn't under the meat.

 

[BoilerBrewer]

I've probably only done about a dozen, but I start out fat side down. Once it's taken as mush smoke as I want and it's the proper color, I wrap in butcher paper and put it back on the smoker fat side up. That's worked well for me, but there are lots of good approaches.

 

[mark hutton]

How do you guys smoke Brisket? Fat side up or down?

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I trim the fat cap very thin. Smoke fat down. Then fat side up if it stalls and I wrap. 14 hr cook last weekend. Best brisket I've done in 10 years

 

[Elfcane]

Mmmm... More brisket...

 

[tjmicsak]

I do fat side up. Trim that layer ahead to about 1/4" so it renders out and reduces down to a chewy dark sticky bark from the rub.
If you are on an open grid you could try down but its just going to drip away. If you are in a pan on a shallow rack then the heat is going to be more on the top since the pan acts as an indirect shield.

 

[Mike From R.I.]

I do fat side down.

 

[gooose53]

How do you guys smoke Brisket? Fat side up or down?

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Always done brisket fat toward the heat.

 

[Cowboy1955]

Always done brisket fat toward the heat.

Up for over fifty years

 

[gooose53]

Up for over fifty years

That's what neat about bbq, as long as you are happy with the results..that is all that counts.

 

[Jimsmokes]

On my offset I start fat down on my pellet it dont seem to matter.

 

[Ckemble]

I've probably only done about a dozen, but I start out fat side down. Once it's taken as mush smoke as I want and it's the proper color, I wrap in butcher paper and put it back on the smoker fat side up. That's worked well for me, but there are lots of good approaches.

I also flip mine after wrapping, but then flip it back to rest.

 

[Steve In Pa]

I also flip mine after wrapping, but then flip it back to rest.

Fat side up here but we trim the fat first down to about a quarter inch.

 

[Saul D]

How do you guys smoke Brisket? Fat side up or down?

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Fat side down to build bark and protect the meat. But thinking of trying fat side up after wrapping to help meat stay moist.