I did my first brisket as well last weekend, an 8.5 pounder with rub it was both the point and the flat, I did not use a marinade, I just mopped it every hour and a half or so.... came out tasting great and had a good smoke ring.. It was not tough but it was not fall apart either. I foiled it a little late I think.. (maybe just the last 45 minutes) after about 9 hours of smoking, so almost 10 total hours
The brisket internal temp never got to 200 though, I think I should have foiled it an hour early, or just taken it out after 8 or so
My question is this:
When it gets to 170 or so and it has been smoking for 8 hours, does foiling it for another hour or two make it fall apart or do I need to cook it at a lower temp for a longer period of time. it seems to me like it was done when I put the foil on it and maybe I should have not put it back in when i foiled it and just let it rest,
I mean isn't the meat safe to eat well before an internal temp of 200? Is getting the internal temp to 200 in foil what makes the fat render and get everything more soft?
Sorry if my questions are unclear, just trying to understand the process and brisket meat in general!