Dang, briskets are hard for me!

In my opinion, its about what your end goal is. I did a 17 lb. one last weekend for a work event and the primary request was burnt ends. I trim fat cap to around 1/2"-5/8", cut in half, rub generously, and smoke at 225 in an old MES30 gen1 until IT hits 200-205. Hell, I have even hit 210 before with no negative effects. I put it in my oven to rest (no heat) for a couple hours. This makes the entire brisket worthy as burnt ends. I have been told by several people they were the best burnt ends they have ever had. If you want sliced brisket you need to lower your IT to 190. Sorry no pics of chopped burnt ends, but the end result is amazing.

I very rarely foil briskets unless I have a request for a specific flavor such as jalapeno jelly or dr. pepper which are great foiling sauces. I prefer the old method of meat, rub, and smoke. I usually run 2 mazes full for a large brisket (17 lb took about 23 hours to hit 205). I never change the set temp. When I transfer to oven I use pans. I pour the drippings from the smoker pan into the transfer pans. mostly rendered fat and rub so it works for me. As far as slicing, I use the same method but pull at 190 IT and transfer to cold oven. Rest for 2-3 hours and then slice. A really good sharp knife helps a lot as well. I have a 14" cimeter knife for jobs like this or rib roasts. From my experience the higher the IT gets the more tender the meat becomes making slicing impossible. Over 210 and I'm guessing you would have to shred it like a pork butt. By not foiling it keeps the bark crisp, and the meat incredibly juicy. just my .02

While the IT is important, I also give it the jiggle test: if it jiggles like jello, it is wrapping and resting time. But that is just me. Generally speaking, it is juicy and tender.

I pull at 195'ish. Trim some of the heavy fat, place fat side down, trimmed fat placed on top of the leaner section. I also jaccard and inject. I have never brined.

For sliced brisket, I probe the flat with a skewer. When it slides in like warm butter, get it off the smoker and wrap. This could happen anywhere between 190 and 205.

Mike

What makes brisket so difficult is that the extremely lean flat is connected to the very fatty, almost Wagyu-like point. The good news is that the point is EXTREMELY forgiving. When I smoke a packer, I smoke to the flat, not the point. I use IT as a guide, and the feel of the probe on my instant read therm sliding easily into the flat as the true indicator when the flat is done. It will slide easily into the point WAY before it slides easily into the flat, often by 2-3 hours.

Your temps are fine. I don't wrap my briskets, or spray, or peek. I leave them alone for 12 hours at around 225, give or take a little. By then it is out of the stall. I crank the temp up to 275-300F for the remainder of the smoke until the flat is probe tender.

I am going to try injecting my next brisket with a beef base concoction that includes aluminum free baking powder. My flats are juicy, but I understand the monocalcium phosphate in the baking powder helps the meat retain even more juice. Might try butcher paper wrap too. It's always fun to experiment.

I too want to try butcher paper.

First off, I'm afraid this may be a Sign of the End Times!...A TEXAN WHAT DON'T MAKE PERFECT BRISKET FROM BIRTH!?!?:eek::D
Ok, in general, an IT above 200 gives a probe tender but sliceable brisket. What we call Done and ready to eat with a 15 minute counter rest, no foil needed. Taking the brisket to the point it's Done, then wrapping and resting in a cooler holds the 225+ surface temp in and the meat continues to cook, Carryover, for as long as it is in the cooler or until the IT of the meat drops below 130 degrees. Why would anybody take meat that is Done and cook it for a few more hours?

Cooler Resting has One Purpose...For whatever reason the meat is almost done but the meal is still X hours away and you want perfectly DONE hot meat when time to eat.

The guys above say they smoke to 190ish then rest one or more hours or make Burnt Ends and the meat is perfect. This is because they are taking Almost Done brisket and letting carryover finish the cook, by holding in heat, instead of just leaving the meat in the smoker until it's done or saucing chunks and cooking them more. When you get your meat done to your liking, temp, tenderness, color, pull it out, rest 15 to 30 minutes, or more for really big roasts, for juices to redistribute and eat it...

Some parts are Wet/Moist...Some parts of the Point are made of small bundles of muscle surrounded by connective tissue and fat. The rest of the meat is more dense muscle with little fat. When cooked the fat and connective tissue melt and give the look and mouth feel of Wet meat.
This part NEVER makes it to the table. I just put 16 hours+ in to that sucker and the Chef is getting the Best Part!...JJ

You can see the portion I am talking about on the left side of the Point Pastrami below