Ok, that's cool. No problem on the lack of a smoke ring. Can't say that I've ever tasted one, so it doesn't bother me. That said, if you want, there are ways to induce a smoke ring using a MES.
Always good to make the wife happy, or so I've been told. Good luck on your next brisket and the next butt. BTW, do you happen to have a vaccum sealer ? If so, it definitely is more time efficient to cook a full packer then vac seal and freeze whatever is left over. Drop the bags in some hot water to reheat some night down the road.
That's the trick I was thinking of. As far as a vac sealer goes, it all kind of depends. I look at it from a value and efficiency stand point. Take the brisket you just did. Some people buy small pieces of flat because they are only cooking for 2 people. Usually the price per pound is a lot higher for a piece of trimmed flat whereas a whole packer is considerably less per pound. Sure, you'll have some waste in a packer, but even taking that into account, you end up paying much less per pound.
