My brisket turned out tough.

even though your internal temperature said 190, the collagens between the meat fibers may not have broken down yet and that could of been why it was still tough..  i personally use a digital thermometer but it is a hand held one, not one that you leave in the meat while you cook.  i have cooked brisket to where the internal temp hit 195 in 4 places in the brisket.  but by the resistance i felt when i stuck my thermometer in i knew the collagen hadnt broken down and that it was gonna be tough if i pulled it off.  what i did is cook it for another 20-30 minutes still wrapped that is then pull if off and wrap it in towels and threw it in a cooler for about 2-3 hours, by that time the collagen had broken down and it was moist and tender and pulled apart like butter... hope this helps

Smokin Myron said:

Yes it does and thank you,  I do have a follow up question, when adjusting time for weight, do you do total weight of the meat in the cooker? Like if im doing 2 10lbs briskets do I calculate it at 20 lbs?

Thanks for the help.

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No you estimate the cook time by the heaviest piece...Example a 5lb Butt, a 10lb Butt and a 15lb Butt smoked at 225-250*F will typically take no more than 15lb X 2hr/lb = 30 Hours...Not the total of 30lb x 2hr/lb = a 60 hour smoke!   Each piece will be done in it's own time, smallest to largest. The 5lb will be done after about 10 hours and so on. There can be some increased smoke time if the Smoker is really loaded full restricting some heat convection. You may need to shift meat around to compensate...JJ

  Just wondering, did you add any liquid when you foiled the brisket? Also, what was the fat content? And are you at a high altitude?  Just some things that can make a difference.

  Mike