1st Brisket 2night Please Review for me

I'm no expert ,but here's a couple thoughts-until some chime in.

Not sure what you gain by putting a probe in the point,except there is one top MIM cook that teaches hot/fast cooking,and he does only that.

What are you cooking on?

Don't know what a "top choice" packer is,unless maybe a CAB,or the Hereford product that someone like whole foods might sell.

You might add more rub,about an hr before you place in cooker.

8 oz total,not counting your sugar,won't be too much.

I really doubt you'll be done,at 185*,so don't worry too much about seperating the point then.

You could go up around 200*,to poke tender.

You might be happy with the point, as is.

Depends on the beast.

Point also might need 210* internal.

Depends.

You could toss 1/2 cup plus of bbq sauce/losalt beef broth/black coffee,etc in the foil-when you cooler it.

When done,you can pretty much run your gloved hand between point and flat,to seperate.

Hope this helps a little.

Thanks Tom

and here is a little more info
The cooker is a smokette 009 so I will be placing diaganol on the grate and lifting the middle.

The brisket is "sterling silver premium beef" and supposedly is in the top 12% of all beef making it "prime/choice AAA or maybe just a marketing ploy. Anyhow, it was more expensive than the selects that they have at Sam's. It was $2.49/pnd and I will let everyone know the results.

I will add more rub prior to putting it in the cooker with about 2ozs brown sugar, 2ozs turbinado, and 4ozs rub. I forgot the sugar my first time so thanks.

Okay, I will wait to 190 to poke and test I just want to make sure the flat can be sliced. Anytime I have done a brisket in the past (prior to this forum) I just guessed when it was done and overcooked them so the ended always pulled and/or chopped. I have learned a lot here.

Thanks for the help

Sounds like they are trying to market to match the CAB program for quality.

That would be nice.

We have had a couple CAB s come tender down around 187*,but they were unusual.

We have had some primes that the point would slice like a nice flat,but they also have a mind of their own.

Remember you have a large meat mass to surface area ,so it is hard to overseason.

We do tend to season primes a good bit less than choice.

Hope this helps a little.

I prefer choice over select and I would test brisket to see if it flexes in the middle. Ask if it has been frozen. My yield from select has not been as nice as choice. I also like the flavor of choice better.

Just an update. Cooked brisket at 200 for 9 hours overnight. Cranked up to 225 till one probe read 187 and the other 189 (15.5 hours total). Opened cookshack and probed flat with instant read, tender and probe slid in/out with ease in the flat with juices pouring out of probed holes.

Removed from smoker, seperated point and flat, chopped half the point for burnt ends and put the other half of point and burnt end pieces back into smokette until point reached 203.

End result point made excellent juicy chopped brisket, burnt ends practically melted in my mouth.

Flat, after resting in a foil pan (opened so not to cook to much more) with a cider vinegar, beef broth, other misc spice mixture (1 cup) for 1 hour was sliced very thinly across grain. Very good flavor, sliced perfectly, but dry, not chewy just dry.

Anyhow, the crew loved it and ate up so I guess that is the most important thing. However, I will buying another brisket from the same butcher (I know each brisket is different) except this weekend I will be foiling at 175 then taking to temp just to see if my sliced flat is less dry. Anyhow, I wanted to say thanks to all those who responded and for everthing I have read on this sight.

FWIW, I have found that the Super Target in my area carries Excel Choice Briskets (full packer) for the same price as the selects at my local Sam's (which I believe are also excel). I will be attempting one of these for my 3rd attempt.

Not that you have to slice brisket any particular thickness,but the width of a number two pencil is pretty common,and required in some comps.

Also,that gives you a standard to work against,as you adjust your technique.

In real life,if it falls apart-slice thicker.

If too tough to gently tug apart-cut thinner.

If it was a good brisket,I wouldn't expect too much from foiling it.

That is one place to start,though.

When you wrap it,some folks like it in a foil pan,loosely covered-not sealed.

Some like the pan tightly covered.

Some like the brisket very tightly wrapped-but this can give you pot roast-but tender.

At the end,you may find that the moist CS will give you the best brisket ,from a quality packer,by only being foiled,tightly, when it goes in the hot box for several hours.

Just something to ponder.