Brisket backslide. Any ideas?

xjwheelr

This was probably my 7th brisket, give or take. Honestly they have all been really good, save the very first one which I completely obliterated. This time, it's ok...but just drier, not as tasty, not quite as easy to cut, etc. The only differences from usual are as follows:

- Added a little coffee to my usual S&P only rub
- used oak instead of pecan (I had heard this was the best, so finally tried it).
- I needed to prolong the cook time due to dinner company, so I cooked it intentionally longer and lower than usual around 220-240 for nearly 17 hours (12.5 lb packer). Pulled it at 201 IT and FTC'd for about 2 hours. (The last part is usual).

The smoke and bark combo wasn't as flavorful as usual, but I'm not sure if that's partly due to my change in wood. Also wondering if the longer cook could have possibly dried it out. Any thoughts?

R2Egg2Q

How did it feel when you probed it before pulling it off? My guess would be less tender than it should be if it came out drier than usual. Did you pull it at 201 because it felt right or because it was 201?

xjwheelr

It felt very buttery in the thicker part of the flat where I had the probe, but when I poked the thinner end, it was a little resistant. I thought that since the thinner portion should cook first, that if anything it was starting to overcook. That's why I pulled it.

R2Egg2Q

Sounds like the thick part of the flat should have been good. Was any part of the thinner end hanging past the edge of the platesetter (or other ceramic stone) and exposed to direct heat? Was the thinner end substantially thinner than the thickest part of the flat? One of the things I look closely at when buying packers is uniformity of thickness in the flat and I typically avoid those with really thin ends (or trim off the thinnest piece and pull it early for a treat.