We have heard above that there are different techniques,that work with what meats we have,and what we are trying to accomplish.
There might be comp bodies that control whether we are allowed to separate the two pieces.
Smokin' gives great recommendations how it can work generally.He not only teaches us,but his own restaurant cooks how to produce one of the best platters of burnt ends in OK.[It ain't easy to get the help to do good,either.]
We know of cooks that cut them apart and save all the points in a bag in the freezer and finish them when they want a short 3-4 hr cook of great brisket.
Seems like Fast Eddy,or drbbq taught us that one.
Depending on the manufacturer that cut the packer,you might have to adjust to what you have.Sometimes,it isn't worth the effort.
Ribdog,a great brisket cook in his own right,knows these predicaments.
Ribdog and my other co-cook,Barbara,often look at four 16 lb packers and decide whether we can even cook and present "burnt ends".
Folks in TX and parts of OK cook "noseoff" briskets,which only leaves you good slices.
Yes,at home.with a big,old 20 lb packer,you can go either way.The trick is don't serve what you wouldn't be proud to eat.
The nice thing is,when you cook lots of packers there will be plenty of what is known as "cooks' candy".
You won't want to give them up to your guests.