Smoking Brisket

[SPchief]

Fat side up
or
Fat side down


Edit: Offset smoker
Go

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

The added moisture from your water smoker is the difference. You're cooking in a very moist heat. In an offset, it's a lot dryer in there.

Agree.

Although at 1.50/lb I would probably still at least try it in a normal smoker. Add a water pan and try to get back ~15% of your bark.

[KCUnited]

Fat side down on a vertical to help insulate, fat side up in an offset.

Or try it both ways and see what works best for you and your rig.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by jspchief

Up in an offset

Just did one Sunday. Mmmmmm.

[MTG#10]

Regardless of what anyone says, it really doesn't matter and will not effect the juiciness or tenderness of the meat whatsoever. Ive smoked at least 50 briskets in the last 10 years, tried both ways many times and there has never been a noticeable difference.

[Color Red]

Originally Posted by SPchief

Fat side up
or
Fat side down


Edit: Offset smoker
Go

Up. Juice from the fat coats and seeps down through the brisket throughout the smoking. Mmmm.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Always up. Why would you ever do otherwise?

I put it down on my BGE, sometimes I'll lay bacon across the top.

Cook until 190, remove the flat wrap it in foil and let it rest in a cooler packed tight with towels for 2 hours while the burnt ends finish

[Omaha]

I'm smoking one right now. Fat up. I wanna eat it right now!

[buddha]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

I disagree with this on so many levels.

Once you get it in the smoker, for the most part you should leave it alone if you have decent air flow around the brisket. Flipping it every two hours is unnecessary and will typically result in a dryer brisket unless you mop it every time your turn it. Let it sit on the smoker, fat up, for 75 percent of its cook time, then flip.

And wrap it in foil and pour in a marinade? You're braising your brisket, might as well put it in the oven. If you're going to marinade, do it before you cook it. The only reason you should foil it on the smoker is if you're getting too much caramelization.

You're on point (heh) on the burnt ends part, though!

Just my 2 cents.

This...brilliantly said.

[gblowfish]

Can I have a sammich???

[Stewie]

It's absolutely essential in an offset smoker to start fat cap up AND THEN FLIP! Every great BBQ competition winner does it this way. There's a video with Jeff Stehney (owner OK Joe's) that shows exactly how to smoke a brisket. If you can find it it's gold. You'd be surprised at his techniques compared to backyard amateurs. It covers selecting a brisket, trimming (really important), creating a rub, applying the rub, firing up the smoker, selecting/adding wood... and much more.