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View Full Version : Shirley used as vertical smoker question?


luvysbbq
01-31-2016, 11:05 AM
i posted a couple videos of the brisket I cooked yesterday and it was incredibly juicy and tender. My mother said it was the best thing I've ever cooked. The one thing I did not like was the bark or lack of one on the fat side. I did have a pan under the brisket with water catching the drippings. I was cooking brisket on middle rack with pan with water on charcoal pan (square that comes with cooker).

I wrapped the brisket when I hit 165 and finished to 195. I then triple wrapped brisket in aluminum foil and rested for five hours. The taste was really good, tender, and juicy. My only regret was the lack of bark on fat side.

Does anyone else use their shirley as a vertical smoker much? Do you use a water pan? Fat side up or down? I cooked mine with fat side up

Thank you in advance for replies.

Mike

Shagdog
01-31-2016, 11:13 AM
It works fine as a vertical, but you'll get better results in the main chamber. The wrapping is most likely what killed your bark. Wait longer/use paper?(if you didn't)

I get insane bark, but I don't wrap usually. If I do, it's with paper and not till I have really good bark. Also, if you leave too much fat cap, it can have an effect as well. I trim to 1/4" or less.

I've also found I get best results with the cap down, point is pointed away from the firebox. Hope this helps

luvysbbq
01-31-2016, 11:58 AM
I trimmed it down to about a 1/4 inch, curious what is the point of keeping fat cap on if keeping fat cap pointing down? Is it mainly for resting and keeping juices/fat in?

I left fat cap up.....allowing juices to keep other side moiste.

Maybe I do need to wait and wrap later in cook? I used butcher paper for wrapping.

Thank you.

SmittyJonz
01-31-2016, 12:32 PM
Fat Cap towards the Heat for heat shield - esp if you cook HotnFast. Fat Cap don't render much - the marbled fat/collagen within the meat render to make meat moist. I usually don't wrap at all but edges will char - trim off for Dog snacks. Fat cap on mine will be Hard- cut off n toss it. But I cook 300/325*.........Hat Yellow Fat in between the point n flat is useless and will slow your cook- cut it out completely when prepping.

pjtexas1
01-31-2016, 01:17 PM
Trim the fat cap a little more aggressively and cook fat cap down.

KevinJ
01-31-2016, 04:05 PM
Trim the fat cap a little more aggressively and cook fat cap down.
I 2nd this, plus if you're going to wrap use butcher paper.

Nuco59
01-31-2016, 05:29 PM
Ok- I'm stumped... I'm not sure how much fat you left after trimming. But if it was fairly thick, why would you want bark on something you aren't gonna eat anyway? Bark covered fat off the bottom? No thanks. Bark on the top? Yes please!

luvysbbq
02-01-2016, 05:42 AM
Ok- I'm stumped... I'm not sure how much fat you left after trimming. But if it was fairly thick, why would you want bark on something you aren't gonna eat anyway? Bark covered fat off the bottom? No thanks. Bark on the top? Yes please!

I cut the fat cap down to about a 1/4 inch. Do you remove the fat cap when slicing or do you leave? Most I've noticed leave and slice it all together. It looks as if they eat the fat as well, due to most rendering.....,but not all.

Noticed you live in Texas.......you probably know beef more than us here in NC.......we cook mostly pork. I've probably only cooked briskets 4-5 times, they come out really tasty, first time the fat cap did not render as much.

BoLiles
02-01-2016, 09:15 AM
ummm properly rendered fat after proper trimming is what makes brisket...brisket. Please for the love all things holy, cook it in a way where the bark and rendered fat are edible and delicious.

pjtexas1
02-01-2016, 09:51 AM
I cut the fat cap down to about a 1/4 inch. Do you remove the fat cap when slicing or do you leave? Most I've noticed leave and slice it all together. It looks as if they eat the fat as well, due to most rendering.....,but not all.

Noticed you live in Texas.......you probably know beef more than us here in NC.......we cook mostly pork. I've probably only cooked briskets 4-5 times, they come out really tasty, first time the fat cap did not render as much.

i trim my fat caps so that it doesn't have to be trimmed off after cooking. to me it seems like a waste to get the bark and rub all cooked just right and then slice off the fat cap because it's too thick to eat. its like a sticky/tasty/crusty fat cap vs a big piece of fat.