Selecting the right brisket, could use some advice.

Thanks Jimmy, I appreciate the detailed response.

I'm sure there's a thread on this already, but what is the consensus on freezing? If I did go with the packer I'd probably have to hold onto that point for at least a week or two.

We're probably talking 12'ish or so people. Not really huge eaters though so i'm hoping a small brisket and a few 2-3 slabs of spares is enough to go around.

I get what you're saying about just focusing on the brisket, but i really do want to throw some ribs into the mix also. The Ribs i'm confident about, if something goes horibly wrong with the brisket at least I know i'll have something to put out.

So here's my plan...

Go to costco tonight, get a 10lb packet. If the point is about a third of the brisket, that should leave me with about a 7# flat. Going to inject with Auju and hit it with S&P, onion powder and garlic powder. (do you guys like to hit a brisket with a full rub?)

The arlam is going to be set for 3am. Get up, fire up the pit and hopefully be at temp and ready to put the brisket on by 4. If everything goes somewhat according to plan, i should be able to wrap it and wrest it by 2-2:30 pm and ready to eat for an early dinner. Haha, just that easy right!?

I know it's been a while but I thought i'd post the results just in case it's helpful to someone else. 

So I did end up going with a 10lb packer from costco. Got it home, did my best trimming it up and was left with what I think was a 6-7 lb flat. 

After trimming I injected the flat with beef stock and hit it with my rub.

3am the next morning wake up and get my coals started. By 3:45 my terms said was was right at 220 so on went the brisket, fat side up. 

Woke up again at 5am, temps were down in the chamber a bit so I added a bit more fuel and adjusted my dampers for more air. 

Slept for 2 more hours and then decided to do my first temp check (3hrs on the smoke so far). This is where things got weird, I put my probe in and was shocked to see it at 170 already... my first thought was that my probe had gone bad so I made a quick run the the grocery store for a chepo analog meat thermometer. Got home, tested again and sure enough I was between 170 and 180. According to the oven thermometer I had in the chamber temps were still just a bit over 220. 

Not really knowing what to do I pulled the brisket off the smoke and wrapped. I set the over for 200, threw it in and prayed. After another 3hrs in the oven i pulled it, wrapped it in a towel and chucked it in a cooler to wrest. 

3hrs later I pull it out and had pretty much expected it to either be dry as grandmas pot roast or something else inedible all together. I unwrap it, grab my probe and wouldn't you know it... it's super tender, and by the looks of it even juicy! I did notice that it didn't really have much bark to speak of, but it definitely did have a nice smoke ring. 

Carved it up, set it out and within about 10 mins all of my hard work was in the belly's of my family. They all had nothing but great things to say. 

** One issue i noticed was that after carving it, it went supper dry. I swear when I pulled it out of the oven and took a test, you could have squeezed a pice and juice would have run down your arm. When I sliced it though all of that good moisture just vanished.

All in all the cook was very successful. I also did 3 racks of spares that I picked up from costco. (Costco is the best place for these by far, best price per lb on both trimmed and non trimmed. Our grocery store charges more per lb for untrimmed).