If you were cooking ...

[BobF]

3 butts and a brisket on a UDS, which would you put on the top grid, which on the bottom, and why?

[BBQ Grail]

I'd put the butts over the brisket. Because I want the butts dripping on the brisket.

[Yakfishingfool]

Briskett over butts, juices of pork over beef, yucky, beef over pork ok, also probably safer for germs too. Scott

[BBQ Grail]

also probably safer for germs too. Scott

Why?

[JD McGee]

Brisket over butts...it'll probably get done sooner (depending on the sizes of each) :biggrin:

[Cliff H.]

I do not like the texture of the bark on a brisket after it has been under a couple of butts. It is very soft.

The only other reason I can think of for cooking brisket over butts is that you are going to be tending the brisket at least one more time than the butts so the brisket really needs to be on top to manage it easier.

[thirdeye]

When I have done just that, I did the butts on the lower rack and brisket on the upper. I let the pork take the direct heat and the brisket get the semi-indirect heat. Also, stuff on the lower rack needs turned about a half hour before stuff on the upper if they are the same thickness. With the brisket being thinner than the butts, I can turn everything at the same time.....which for me is usually at 1.5 hours, 4 hours and once more sometime later on in the cook.

If the truth be known I prefer cooking on one level in my Eggs or BDS's.

[Yakfishingfool]

Theoretically, pork has trich, beef is safe at any doneness level....would you put chicken over beef?

[BBQ Grail]

Theoretically, pork has trich, beef is safe at any doneness level....would you put chicken over beef?

No, not at all, the threat of Salmonella is real. However, with todays pork processing the threat of trich is almost non-existant.

From 1997 to 2001 there were only 12 cases per year reported. Since that time, because of the outlaw of feeding of raw-meat garbage to hogs the threat is almost gone.

That's just what I've read. You, however, are the doc and I would probably defer to you.

[buttrubbersbbq]

i am on the page of brisket on top
thats why I dont like uds's always have to move stuff out of the way.

[Spydermike72]

I dont have a UDS, but I always cook Butts over anything that I have in the smoker. Pork Fat rules!!

[jestridge]

When I have done just that, I did the butts on the lower rack and brisket on the upper. I let the pork take the direct heat and the brisket get the semi-indirect heat. Also, stuff on the lower rack needs turned about a half hour before stuff on the upper if they are the same thickness. With the brisket being thinner than the butts, I can turn everything at the same time.....which for me is usually at 1.5 hours, 4 hours and once more sometime later on in the cook.

If the truth be known I prefer cooking on one level in my Eggs or BDS's. I tend to agree with you on that pork can take a lot more heat.

[bowhnter]

hmmm, butt over brisket every time. I have never had a problem, and really like the flavor of basting the brisket.
I have always heard and done this no other way in my brief 3 yr time at smoking.

[thirdeye]

hmmm, butt over brisket every time. I have never had a problem, and really like the flavor of basting the brisket.
I have always heard and done this no other way in my brief 3 yr time at smoking.

I put butts over brisket in my Egg, just not in my drums.

[BobF]

When I first started thinking about this, I thought butts over brisket for sure. I like the pork fat dripping on the brisky idea. I figured the brethren had this figured out and I could just ask and get a simple answer. Lots of good reasons to do it both ways. I guess there is no wrong way.
Thanks everyone for all the great answers.
This is for next weekend for mine and Mikes birthday party, so when I buy the meat, I will see if there is anyway I can get them all on the same level.
I also plan to do some of the smoked beans Kevin posted a few weeks ago, and I may to try some moink balls. Now I just have to figure out how to cook all that and have it ready in time.

[thirdeye]

When I first started thinking about this, I thought butts over brisket for sure. I like the pork fat dripping on the brisky idea. I figured the brethren had this figured out and I could just ask and get a simple answer. Lots of good reasons to do it both ways. I guess there is no wrong way.
Thanks everyone for all the great answers.
This is for next weekend for mine and Mikes birthday party, so when I buy the meat, I will see if there is anyway I can get them all on the same level.
I also plan to do some of the smoked beans Kevin posted a few weeks ago, and I may to try some moink balls. Now I just have to figure out how to cook all that and have it ready in time.

Often after everything shrinks a bit, you can fit everything on one level. These chuck rolls and brisket flat shrunk enough that a couple of pastrami could fit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/thirdeye2/BDS/DSC05269JPGb.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/thirdeye2/BDS/DSC05289JPGc.jpg

[kitch]

sounds to me like it is time to build another drum

[Mark]

I cooked butts overs briskets for Ashmont's hunting camp. The briskets were thin (flats) and ended up way overcooked. Next time, butts on the bottom. They're more forgiving and brisket aint.

[barbefunkoramaque]

Assuming they are packers and you are smoking the brisket untrimmed as you should be and the fat side down as you should always do especially in this case with this smoker for obvious reasons, if your house temp is 270 at the bottom grate.... then the butts go on top.

As the Butts will reach a safe level before the brisket clears "the Stall" there will be NO RISK OF ANY TYPE OF CROSS CONTAMINATION because even after pork IT of 160, BOTH have a long way to go before they are ready to serve.

And for the people who for some reason insist on doing fat side up, the argument that the bottom (which would be on top) meat being dried is aleviated by those lovely weepings from the pork... which would be the best mop one could ever make.

Pitmaster "T" - Popdaddys Barbefunkoramaque