Vertical Smokers - Fat Side Up or Down?


 
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Dave Pasma

TVWBB Member
I have a UDS. I use a pizza pan as a diffuser, and a water pan on top of that - below the meat. I typically cook fat side down
I have read logical reasons for both. Fat side down may protect the meat from heat coming from below. Fat side up perhaps helps keep the meat moist. Has anyone found that one way works significantly better than the other - particularly for briskets?
 
I do down for briskets since they are temperamental just in case there is a temp spike, but I'm not sure it makes a difference.
 
I went fat down last time on my brisket . The downside is it can mess up the crust which is more delicate over the fat which happened to my last brisket. Other than that I don't think the fat really can protect the meat that much. I flipped mine after the wrap though . Other than what I said, I don't think there's a downside to going fat down. Most folks will say fat up for vertical, and fat down for offsets.
 
I did a brisket last weekend fat side up. I always do them fat side down. I didn't notice a bit of difference. IMHO we've been having this discussion for years, and it's all about nothing. lol
 
For brisket i started doing fat side down. I find that it really does help protect the flat from drying out on the end.
 
My first ever brisket I cooked fat side up in the WSM. The bottom 1/8" was like shoe leather. All the briskets since then I have done fat down and I've never had the dried out layer again.
 
Paul Pearson said:
My first ever brisket I cooked fat side up in the WSM. The bottom 1/8" was like shoe leather. All the briskets since then I have done fat down and I've never had the dried out layer again.
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Thank you I was trying to understand the "why" behind fat side down on Brisket.
 
I don't think it matters much if you are a low and slow cook.
Having said that I have always cooked low and slow fat side down on the WSM.
 
Have to agree with fat side down. I've tried both with brisket and fat down has yielded better results for me. Just seems logical. Extra layer of protection for the flat of the brisket. That's the toughest section of any cut to BBQ (for me, anyway), might as well get all the help you can.

I will say with a pork butt I've done both and haven't noticed a huge difference either way.
 
I have cooked both ways... Do any fat side downers use a pan to catch drippings under the brisket? Do you think that provides any protection from the heat?

I think there is value to have the fat up top so as that fat melts it keeps the meat moist but do worry about the heat first hitting the none fat side. Do we know at what point of the cook the fat really begins to render?

I have cooked both ways and at the end of the day it probably does not matter too much either way but just curious to get everyones thoughts.
 
A nice prime grade brisket on the wsm currently. Fat side down. Only the foiled, empty water pan below. Usually foil the brisket once the bark has set.
Once cooked, juices inside the foil pouch are de-fat & used as Au Jus.
 
I've been hanging my briskets in the 22" recently, vertically, with the point facing the heat. So brisket fat cap up-and-down for me.
 
I go fat side down, I don't eat the fat anyway so if I must sacrifice a little bark or rub because it stuck to the grates I would prefer it be fat and not the meat.
 
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