6.5 lb brisket point - gameplan and advice

[doug7]

I've not done brisket before, so I'd appreciate some specific advice on the following brisket. It appears to be a point due to the widened section. It weighs 6.5 lbs frozen. (I assume in the fridge, that this thing will be ready to smoke in 3 days)
My plan - smoke at 250 degrees (SPOG) until reaching internal temp of 165. wrap in butcher paper (or foil?) until probing tender (195-205 from what I've read). Unwrap from butcher paper. place in foil and wrap towel around it. place in dry cooler for 1-2 hours. pull, cut cross grain, eat. I'm assuming I'll be wrapping around the 5-6 hour mark and pulling in the 7-9 hour range.

So a few things - Is this a point as opposed to a flat? Do you have any comments on the above plan? What happens when the thinner part is probing tender and running high in temperature but the thicker part isn't? This appears to be fairly trimmed already - if I see a few spots on the fat that are greater than 1/4", should I trim them? Any other advice?

Thanks in advance for any guidance to not ruining my first brisket.

 

[whistlepig]

I smoked a 12 pound packer today using the method you described. Only difference is the smoker temp was 225 degrees, foiled at 160 degrees, and wrapped and rested in the cooler at 197 degrees. Total smoke time was 10 hours

 

[Nshamy]

As far as trimming goes, in would follow the 1/4 inch rule, give or take. Keeping that 1/4 inch of fat allows a layer that will have a chance to render during the cook. I wouldnt overthink the idea in hopes to obtain perfection. Dosent exist in this type of cooking.

Another tip ive followed in the past is cutting of any pieces of fat/meat that are small and isolated from the main piece. Those pieces usually burn up during the cook.

Sounds like your game plan is solid brother! Keep us updated on how it goes.

 

[doug7]

It turned out pretty well! I ended up going 2 TBSP of pepper and salt with about 1 tsp of garlic and onion. I went with 250 degrees on the smoker. At about 6 hours in I wrapped it in butcher paper when it was at about 165 degrees. At about 8.5 hours in I decided to crank it to about 295 degrees. Pulled it at 205 degrees internal temp (probed earlier but wasn't getting the butter vibe) at about 10 hours in. Let it sit in a cooler for about 1.5 hours. Then sliced and served with raw onions and BBQ sauce on a bun.

Overall I was pleased with the first brisket (I didn't dry it out!) - It was slightly peppery in my opinion, but other samplers disagreed with my assessment.

Can't wait for my next one!