Is Fat Cap Down Brisket REALLY Better? Let's Find Out | Rum and Cook

They say if your heat source is below, you should go fat cap down with your brisket. I have been doing my brisket fat cap up on my Yoder, and I wanted to see if the fat cap down was really better.
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#brisket #texasbrisket #pelletgrill

[@RumandCook]

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[@danoesq2]

I do a foil boat and always go fat cap up the whole cook. It renders a lot and creates a bark at the very end. I also rest it for fifteen hours at 145 and turns out perfectly.

[@RumandCook]

Yeah I’ve done a bunch of those as well. I’ve switched to wrap and hold on the last bunch though. Both work well. 🍻

[@SinisterMD]

The hero we need. Thank you for doing this experiment.

[@RumandCook]

🤣 Happy to take one for the team. 🍻

[@fredschaffer7330]

Another great video Jake...I always do my brisket fat side up on my Yoder and have never been disappointed

[@RumandCook]

Thanks. Yep, I’ll be sticking to the same now. 🍻

[@meweez63]

I am part of the fat cap up group. thanks for another great video.

[@RumandCook]

Thanks much! 🍻

[@mattdennis3]

Had the same question and will be sticking with fat side up. Thanks for putting in the work Jake!

[@RumandCook]

No problem. Same here! 🍻

[@Wattsonthegrill]

Cheers. I may have to give this a try

[@RumandCook]

Thanks 🍻

[@xanthippusofcarthage8655]

I am thumbs up #133. I asked you back in December if I should go fat side up or down on my Yoder and you said up was the way to go. Thanks again for the good advice!

[@RumandCook]

🤣 welcome #133. Yep def the way to go! 🍻

[@CoolJay77]

Nice demonstration Jake. I find a way to cook fat side up regardless of the type of the smoker. I like the fat cap up, on the presentation side, unsquished and unharmed. That makes it an additional reason for fat cap up.

[@RumandCook]

Yep I’m with you. Can’t see another fat cap down in my future. Thanks! 🍻

[@txfieros]

I’ve done quite a few on my Maverick 1250 pellet smoker and I will not go back to fat cap down. Since I always do my briskets overnight, the bark would get super jerky-like even after drizzling in fat, spritzing etc. It’s probably too much time overnight and since I’m not there to take care of it, it dries out a lot. I’ve found the fat up helps so much by self basting the bottom non-fat side and keeps it from drying out. I’ll crank the temp to 275-300 in the morning to help with the fat render for a while before wrapping. Overall, it’s just way easier to get a decent bark on the non-fat side that isn’t mushy but still with some texture with fat up IMO for overnight briskets that finish by 12-1 PM.

[@RumandCook]

Yep I’m with you! 🍻

[@williamwilson2624]

That turned out to be a pretty good looking brisket. Great video!

[@RumandCook]

Thanks much! 🍻

[@tmalone893]

I usually cook fat cap up but tr;y adding a pan of water under the brisket with the meat side up. The bark will not dry out due to the humidity level in the smoker. Pellet grills and offset smokers have a lot a airflow which dries the meat side out faster.

[@RumandCook]

I’ve done the water thing and it’s ok as long as it’s off to the side and not under the meat. My best brisket by far is fat cap up on the Yoder. My “best brisket yet” video was a way better brisket. 🍻

[@88Seabass88-n5n]

I agree with your observation. In my experience fat cap down has resulted in a drier end product. Thanks for producing another great video.

[@RumandCook]

I agree 💯 thanks! 🍻

[@franksargent71]

Good video again; cap up makes more sense to me because of the rendering. BTW, what is the source on your spray bottle and smoke tube? The bottle I see on Amazon does not have that angled nozzle (or did you make it?). Thanks!

[@RumandCook]

Thanks! Check my Amazon store in the description. I have one there. 🍻

[@rmcarr448]

The fat cap goes where the heat is coming from. It's the bottom on that Yoder. You want it to protect the meat.

[@RumandCook]

Did ya watch the video? I literally proved that’s wrong. Way better results when the fat cap is up. I’ll never do fat cap down again in the Yoder. Also do it fat cap up in my Kamado, again way better. 🍻

[@badger123123]

I have ask, earlier in your video you had mentioned that time got away from you and that the flat was running a bit hotter than you would have liked. Could that have caused the issue? I have a drummer smoker and because the heat source is coming from the bottom, I as well cook fat cap down. I would also like to know your thoughts about what side you are placing your brisket when placing it on the tallow. If you thought the meat side was dryer, why didn't you place the meat side on the tallow?

[@RumandCook]

No sorry, I said time got away from me and it cooked longer than I expected. I would have normally pulled at 195, but I pulled closer to 203. The cooking temp was fine. I put Tallow down under the brisket when I wrapped it. When unwrapping there a ton of liquid, more than I needed to pour over the brisket. On your pit, it makes more sense to have it fat cap down because the heat is below and there is very little airflow. On a Yoder the fire is on the left and the stack on the right. Pellet grills have fans as well so in this design there is a ton of air moving over top of the brisket. This renders out the fat cap really well. Hope this makes sense. 🍻

[@rmcarr448]

@@RumandCook Yes I watched it and I also have that exact cooker, mine heats from the bottom.....

[@RumandCook]

It heats from the bottom, but that doesn’t mean fat cap down is the answer. Check out a couple of my other brisket videos. They are all fat cap up and turned out much better. Fat cap towards the heat source only really applies to a drum smoker. 🍻

[@jbil8802]

Hey Jake. Will be starting out on my 640 journey here in a few weeks once my deck gets built so I appreciate all of your videos. Was wondering if you've tried the bear mountain gourmet blend pellets and if so what your thoughts were.

[@RumandCook]

Congrats. I have once or twice. I generally prefer the one wood versions. You can mix on your own so I still to the regular ones. They work though. 🍻

[@praetorxyn]

I do fat cap up, but using the Slow N Sear in the SnS Kamado, the heat source comes from the top anyway. I’ll always do fat cap up unless I really need it down to protect the bottom, and then I’d rather just use a foil host or something for protection as long as I can get away without putting fat cap down.

[@RumandCook]

Yeah I’ve yet to find a fat cap down scenario that works better. 🍻

[@praetorxyn]

@@RumandCook All that really comes to mind is a barrel cooker, as the fat would fall onto the fire and become part of the smoke flavor. Though you could probably do that in the KK, I think it has the height for it.

[@k1llerdir]

That is why I prefer fat cap up on any smoker. My friend ruined a couple briskets one by trying to cook a whole brisket on a griddle instead of making burgers out of the brisket for the griddle, and the other time he tried baking it in his gas grill both had 1/2" of bark

[@RumandCook]

Yeah def sticking with fat cap up. 🍻

[@danssmokintreasures]

My fat side down works just fine but needs more spritz and that is not always an option on overnight cooks. I have a 44 farms Brisket I will do fat up again and compare.

[@RumandCook]

I think the fat cap up requires less work and no spritzing. I haven’t sprayed the last 2 and turned out great. 🍻

[@bfantle]

Hi, great video. Did the tallow go on the fat cap or the lean side?

[@RumandCook]

I kept it bottom the whole time so it would have went on the fat cap. 🍻

[@JasonWist]

I think if you have an offset, there is way more airflow over the top of the brisket and that is why they do fat cap up. I think if you have your brisket closer to the heat source (e.g. GMG) it makes sense to do fat cap down for a period of time. If you can create distance with a second shelf and water pan, then fat cap up may be better. Personally I've been playing around on my GMG with fat cap down, till wrap/tallow or foil boat, and that is when I flip it to fat cap up. Still chasing that golden rendered fat colour though.

[@RumandCook]

I have way better results with higher temps on Yoder and fat cap up. Check out my previous brisket video. Best one yet. I don’t like water under the meat because it steams it. Off to the side is better. 🍻

[@WQ9V]

When cooking a brisket with a temp probe in the brisket where is the proper place to insert the probe? I am talking about one in the whole cook.

[@RumandCook]

I’d it put near the middle in the flat. That will usually the flat will cook faster. 🍻

[@keithtrosen7954]

I was curious to watch this because i have a reverse flow offset. A lot of heat from the bottom. But I believe my first will be fat cap up. Unless......I do two to compare. My buddies might invest a few dollars to eat. We shall see. And I will post when I do. Love your channel keep up the great work. Cheers.

[@RumandCook]

Thanks much! On any offset, def fat cap up. You have all that extra airflow and you want the fat to be rendered out by that. That’s who you get that nice tasty yellow fat. 🍻

[@martinpage3477]

What do you do with everything you cook? It seems like you either have a family of 10, eat the same thing for the full week or share to the whole town to eat everything you end up doing. Just curious since I normally want to do this big brisket or pulled pork and don't have the amount of people needed.

[@RumandCook]

My neighbors love me hah. Most of it goes to work. I have 25 at the office. That being said, if you vacuum seal it and freeze it, you can use a sous vide set to 150 to warm it back up for a few hours and it’s learn as good as it was the day you made it. 🍻

[@martinpage3477]

@@RumandCook thanks. That's good to know. A video with this info would very apriciated.

[@martinpage3477]

@@RumandCook ill need to get me a sous vide

[@Wattsonthegrill]

I've always thought this. Since you wrapped it. Why not put it in the oven so you don't waist pellets. Just a question. I turn my pellet Grill off if I wrap stuff.

[@praetorxyn]

Starves you making the whole house smell like meat is my guess. That and Jake has probably $30K+ in cookers, so I doubt he cares about the cost of pellets.

[@Wattsonthegrill]

@@praetorxyn true.

[@RumandCook]

You could certainly do that. I just figure it’s already running so a few more hours won’t hurt. 🍻

[@RumandCook]

🤣 the house certainly fills up with brisket smell in a hurry. 🍻