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?
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?