I waxed philosophical about wrapping brisket in this thread- post #26
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/250599/need-brisket-help/20#post_1599757
First off , r2 on your brisket: it is generally accepted that if brisket is tough then it ain't done enough. Dry or not, tough usually means undercooked. You were right to be concerned with probe placement. I use a
Thermopop to check the areas of the flat to determine where to put the cooking probe in after I wrap. Where I get he lowest reading on my
Thermopop is where I place the cooking probe. The
Thermopop is fast to read so it is easy to check for the cooler spots on the flat. Once you have that mastered you are in good shape for a properly cooked brisket.
Also, as mentioned in the link for my previous post, I don't wrap at a certain temp. I wrap when I get respectable bark. Once you get good bark to set, wrapping is fine and will still maintain decent bark. Obviously, no wrap will give you heavier bark, but you can have your cake and eat it too if you wrap after bark is set.
To the OP: I was a non-wrapper that now wraps most things. However, I don't wrap like a lot of folks. I always wait to achieve good bark first. Briskets get pink butcher paper. Foil is fine but you may have to get more bark before you wrap to maintain decent bark for the end product. For ribs I only warp for 30-45 mins, for both Babies and spares/SLCs. This seems to help tenderize and moisten but not result in mushy ribs. Butts get foiled after a hearty bark has set.
FWIW, a lot of comp Q-ers wrap to keep the meat from getting too smokey.