Thanks for the perspective. The first run on "The '66" was chicken thighs and I tried using pellets for smoke. Too much surface area ended up in an over-done smoky flavor on about 3 dozen thighs. Edible but not incredible. Next tried the Smokeshack recipe for 3-Meat Chili: awesome! Ordered two rib racks and filled them completely. 14 racks of pork ribs for a family event were spiced and rubbed then jammed into a dream machine with the intent of proving the concept. End result was 12 family members completely enthralled by the results from my latest wild@$$ online purchase. Vindication is sweet (and smoky).
Then came the Texas showdown: B-R-I-S-K-E-T. Have made some very respectable brisket on a pellet grill but had to go for the gold on "The 66." Checked out the recipe on Cookshack.com and followed it exactly. Time/Temp/basic Brisket 101.
10 hours later l removed the meat and let it rest. I cut the meat. Chewy. I cut at a different angle thinking maybe I had "offended" the grain with my cavalier cutlery handling. Still tough. The brisket, just shy of 9 pounds, was cut in half for further manipulation. One plate; sliced thin and served with white bread, potato salad and dill pickle my dinner gave my jaws more exercise than I like to spend on chewing. About half of the meat was plastic-wrapped and frozen. The remainder was chopped and combined with Head Country BBQ sauce for three days of sam'iches. Not a Big Win but a win nonetheless. Live, learn and dine like you're hungry. The other 4 pounds or so of brisket will be chopped and served as needed.
My next brisket will either go into my pellet smoker or I'll modify the methodology to get the falling apart, melt in your mouth meat I always aspire to eat and serve.