Brisket #4 - not too bad

pretzelb

Just finished my 4th brisket and thanks to this forum it wasn't too bad. Below are some pictures. It was a 9.5 full brisket from Tom Thumb. I trimmed some fat and added a simple rub that had salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, and a dash of cayenne. On the XL at 8am with plate setter feet up and 3 oak chunks. I used my Thermoworks to monitor the grate and meat (you can barely see the grate probe in the first pic). My dome was near 300 but my grate was in the 250 range. It hit 160 after 5.5 hours so I wrapped in foil. After 8.5 hours it hit 200 so I wrapped it in a towel and put it in a cooler for 1.5 hours. 

The family liked it. I was surprised the smoke ring was so thin. My biggest gripe is that it dried out shortly after cutting but I guess that is what makes brisket hard to cook. I did my best to separate the two parts of the brisket and cut them separately but to me it looks as if I didn't cut against the grain. I also thought the run was a tad too spicy in areas so next time I might try something without any heat. I did try 50/50 salt and pepper on my first brisket but that seems a bit salty to me. I had fun separating the flat from the point and tasting the differences. The full was so much cheaper than the flat and having two very different cuts makes me think I'll get a full brisket from now on. 

I'm still not sure I'm dialing in the temp correctly but I do trust the Thermoworks readings and 250 is what I was shooting for. I'd like it to not be as dry as it was but I'm just happy it wasn't something I had to throw away like my 2nd brisket. Always good when you make the family happy but I don't think I'm ready to cook this for company just yet. 

SGH

@pretzelb‌
Looks like a winner to me my friend. I will be more than glad to be your company and let you cook it for me!!!