First time Brisket - questions

Joeltown

1) place setter position (legs up or down)
2) temperature. Someone who does a lot of smoking told me he does 5 briskets at 300-350 for 12 hours. I've seen 250 as the common temp here and 2 hrs per pound. What is everyone's preference (will be setting up Friday and want to take to in laws on Saturday mid day
3) moisture. Same guy above does briskets foiled and after seasoning pours a cup of water in the foil set up. All the pictures I have seen I haven't seen the briskets foiled just set on the grate. What should I do?
4) I'm learning all the terms, but my brisket has little to no fat on top and the bottom is all fat. Do I trim that fat?

5) I'm not an experienced cook at all, if anyone has a link to an easy walk through or if you have any suggestions to help me wow my wife (so she sees the purchase as worthwhile that would be helpful)

lousubcap

A few comments related to the above-

#1 legs up-drip pan on platesetter (ps) with spacing between pan and ps (can use balled up foil to create air gap to reduce burning of drippings).

#2-I'm in the 250+/- camp so no experience there-you could search "fast brisket" as I have read about that method.

#3-A foiled cook is more of a braising style-Some who frequent here use a braise.  I throw it on the grate-foil to hold temp, if needed at the end.

#4-is it a packer or flat cut?

#5-here are some great links:

http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html
http://www.bubbatim.com/
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/recipes.htm
http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html
All the info you will ever need. Enjoy the journey-<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

BTW-brisket is quite an initial cook challenge to impress the wife.

njl

Google brisket crutch.  The foil can be done part way through to save time (avoid the stall).  It'll sacrifice "bark", but on the plus side, the foil will catch and save drippings which the leftovers can then be stored in and heated up in.

This one is very tough to get right...and if not done right, it will be tough meat.  I've done two (in the egg...have done many in the oven braised) and haven't really been happy with either of them.

If you got a cryopak'd flat, it hopefully has a solid layer of fat on one side and relatively little, perhaps spotty fat (i.e. a little fat here, a little fat there) on the other side.  If so, don't trim it.