Brisket Drippings.

[brisket envy]

I usually have an aluminum pan under my brisket, sometimes with warter, sometimes without. It helps at clean-up time, catching the drippings that would otherwise be baked on to the bottom of the smoker.
One day I looked at the brisket drippings in the pan, and thought how good that must taste.
Well, much to my chagrin, I got a mouthful of smokey tasting grease! I know, that is exactly what it is.

The question:
I am thinking of building a 4-rack insulated, cabinet style smoker, and am wondering if the drippings from the top briskets are going to bathe the lower briskets in liquid gold, or with smokey grease??

So, was the unpleasant taste I experienced just because the drippings had all the juicy wonderfulness boiled out of it?
Can the drippings negatively affect the meat below?

Note:
The brisket itself had no over-smoked taste, just what was in the catch-pan.
Also, the drippings contained in the foil wrap are fine.

[SMOKE FREAK]

I usually have an aluminum pan under my brisket, sometimes with warter, sometimes without. It helps at clean-up time, catching the drippings that would otherwise be baked on to the bottom of the smoker.
One day I looked at the brisket drippings in the pan, and thought how good that must taste.
Well, much to my chagrin, I got a mouthful of smokey tasting grease! I know, that is exactly what it is.

The question:
I am thinking of building a 4-rack insulated, cabinet style smoker, and am wondering if the drippings from the top briskets are going to bathe the lower briskets in liquid gold, or with smokey grease??

So, was the unpleasant taste I experienced just because the drippings had all the juicy wonderfulness boiled out of it?
Can the drippings negatively affect the meat below?

Note:
The brisket itself had no over-smoked taste, just what was in the catch-pan.
Also, the drippings contained in the foil wrap are fine.

I think you got it figured out...
Now I have never used a smoker where one level dripped on to the next but I dont see how thats gonna be a bad thing...

[Conumdrum]

Yea, only the pan where the meat sets like when you foil a brisket or pan a butt is the fat worthy of keeping. The stuff that drips down, heated up by the grate and no water in the pan makes for S%^t.

The drippings are golden. Do what you can to keep them pristine and ohh such added flavor...

[Kyote]

kinda like toaster leaving i always thought.

around these parts the mexicans smoke hams and such and place the ripened peppers below the meat and alow the drippings to fall over the peppers. they are wonderful.

as for catching the stuff and reusing.I think yuck. when the lang is stuffed and going i have a catch bucket to catch all the drippings [and there be a lot] I just toss it over into the neighbors yard. he thinks he may have used to much round up in that area.

[jwbtulsa]

Use a large foil pan with a wire cooling rack inside. Dripping will collect without the meat having to take a bath. Untrimmed packers can lay directly in the pan as you probably will trim the fat cap anyway. I've done packers that way and the cap mostly slides off.

Split the two parts at 175. leave the flat in the pan and foil. Remove at 195-ish. During this process, chop the point into burnt ends and season/ sauce as desired.

After the flat is off the heat, remove from pan. Foil it until properly rested. All reserve drippings go into a useful glass container. Place in fridge to help speed up the fat coagulation. Remove fat but do not discard. The remaining liquid is the loveliness. Use it to moisten the sliced flat or freeze for later beef cooks. (Awesome in beef stew). The liquid gold can be frozen and added to stuff like baked beans for a nice subtle smoky flavor. Anything that your imagination calls for.
Remember, it can have a concentrated flavor so a little goes a long way.

I don't allow distance from meat to drippings if I want to keep it. The liquid in the pan collects smoke particles and everything else floating around in my stick burner. Plus, if it's just drippings then it tends to burn and taste bitter.

[Richtee]

Soo..you see HOW you collect them is key. And WHEN as well. The best stuff is when the collagens start to break down. At around 160. Not coincidentally... the pros and those in the know will foil or pan their hunks right around then ;{)

[veryolddog]

I have gotten lazy in cooking brisket in the last year. I usually cook it in the pellet smoker since I can set it and forget it. I place the brisket, usually 15 to 17 lbs. in pan purchased from Walmart for $5.00 that is steel. I don't care if it discolors since this is used in the smoker only. I usually add beef boullion to the pan, about a cup or two to provide moisture and place the brisket fat side up. I cook the brisket until it reaches 150 degrees internal temperature, and foil to cover the pan. I remove the brisket at 205 internal temperature and let it sit for a half hour before serving. I proceed to slice the entire brisket as I vacuum seal packages that will be future dinners and reserve that evening's dinner. By that time, the fat has jelled which I screed off of the top and the remaining juice becomes a gravy for the brisket.

[brisket envy]

Thanks for the input, y'all.
I do save the drippings caught from the foiling (usually at about 160-170), to pour back over the meat before serving, or wrapping and chilling.
The reason I'm goung to a vertical smoker, is that I am buying a bus, from which to sell BBQ. It has everything on board to be licensed by the city, except a smoker.
The City of Houston now mandates that even a smoker must be contained within the solidd structure of a mobile unit.
I will build the smoker into the back door, with the firebox door facing the outside of the bus, and the cooking chamber facing inward.

[HornedToad]

One of our local BBQ legends, Up in Smoke / Junior Urias, uses the brisket drippings to make his sauce. He must be doing something right because he advanced to the finals on the TV show BBQ Pitmasters!!!


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