Butcher paper or HDF?what works better?

Just to make sure you have many options, give the following link a look.  End game-your call.  FWIW-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnRRDSYgdmw

Captainjimpark said:

Great video,thanks that answers a lot of questions.but how far into the cook do they wrap it in paper?

I usually go 160-170 IT. 

I run nekked thru the cook ( lazy and will likely end up in the FTC mode since the cow is so unpredictable...) but if you use foil, you will speed the cook and lose some of the crispness to the bark.  Butcher paper allows the brisket to breathe and preserves your bark texture and color.  All wrapping decisions are based on how the cook is going nd generally take place in the 160-175*F range as noted above.  FWIW-

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

 "when" depends on a lot of things. 

No truer words have ever been spoken. The Thunder Gods could not have said it any better brother Tex. 

a proper hold is as important as the cook. It does not have to be in a cooler if you are eating soon but I like a couple hours in the cooler for sure. I only wrap during the cook if my bark is getting too dark and crusty. Some wrap to speed up the cook, others think it will magically make the brisket more moist (it doesn't). On most of my brisket cooks I wrap in paper once it's done and hold in a cooler for a few hours. You don't need towels unless you are planning on holding a long time or you have a really big cooler and need to fill some space.
I go at least an hour then allow it to cool down on the counter until you can easily handle it with bare hands to slice. I also wait 10-15 min before putting it in the cooler so the temp is not still rising. don't want to overshoot while in the coole\r.

@Captainjimpark
Brother Captain, if I'm interpreting your question correctly, you are inquiring about "resting" a brisket, not cooking it. If that's the case, there is almost zero difference in a brisket rested in foil versus one rested in paper. Only a select chosen few or the Brisket Gods themselves could tell a minor difference. 
As long as the brisket is allowed to cool (so the cooking stops) it really doesn't matter what it's wrapped in for the rest. You have heard many times before no doubt that paper breathes better than foil. While this is certainly true, it's only true while cooking. Once cooking has ceased, the ability to breath, or the lack thereof, is insignificant for the most part. As with most things, there are some exceptions to this, but they do not warrant mention here as they are not applicable to beef primals and subprimals. 
Just to be clear, when it comes to "cooking" I prefer both paper and naked over foil. But that's just me my friend. But as far as resting, the difference is insignificant as long as the brisket is allowed to rest for a short while to stop the cooking before wrapping it. 
For the record, I made all the above up

The only one I cooked so far was without a thermometer

I like your style

@Captainjimpark -  if that's your process and it worked-all I have to offer is "better to be lucky than good any day."  But great results.  If you nail it again-as you mention, take a few notes

Battleborn said:

I saw some on The Ceramic Grill Store website for around $30. Can't remember to size and shipping cost though. I have always used foil, because that is always what's available. However, every Texas Hill Country place I have ever been to swears by the paper, if they wrap. 

yes, 30 bucks includes shipping.  it's 40#, noncoated, 24" wide by 250' rolls.

t

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Captainjimpark said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker great info thanks. What temp do you like your briskets before you pull them off? The only one I cooked so far was without a thermometer

I go by feel. Store bought briskets usually feel right somewhere around 200. I start checking around 190 and pull when it probes right. If it's not super tender by 202-203 I pull it no matter what and hope it settles down in the cooler. Some do, some don't.  

I'm doing a snake river farms tonight. They are usually done in the mid to high 180's so not all beasts are created equally. That's why you really need to learn to trust how they feel rather than pull at a certain temp. 

I have never had a SRF brisket done at under 200 and it is usually higher than that. It's all I cook in competitions.

smokeyw said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Captainjimpark said:

@The Cen-Tex Smoker great info thanks. What temp do you like your briskets before you pull them off? The only one I cooked so far was without a thermometer

I go by feel. Store bought briskets usually feel right somewhere around 200. I start checking around 190 and pull when it probes right. If it's not super tender by 202-203 I pull it no matter what and hope it settles down in the cooler. Some do, some don't.  

I'm doing a snake river farms tonight. They are usually done in the mid to high 180's so not all beasts are created equally. That's why you really need to learn to trust how they feel rather than pull at a certain temp. 

I have never had a SRF brisket done at under 200 and it is usually higher than that. It's all I cook in competitions.

Pulled at 186 yesterday. It was like probing a birthday cake it was so tender. Last one I did was 187. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

pasoegg said:

if you watch some of the shows almost everyone of the bbq joints in Texas use butcher paper I reason cause it's cheap to buy and serve food in....clean up is easy and straight forward....fwiw

Most of the old school Texas places were all retail meat markets as well. They cooked the briskets and sold them on the weekends because they weren't highly prized as a cut of meat. They also made sausage out of it which is why all our sausage is beef down here. That's why they used/use butcher paper to wrap it all up and even as plates. They had tons of it lying around. 

Most of how BBQ started was due to the low cost of the goods.