New to smoking brisket

[SmokeyJeremy101]

Hey everyone,
I'm new to smoking brisket and I need some advice from my fellow smoking brethren. I have brisket flat that is roughly 5 lbs. I also have a charcoal grill/smoker combo where the grill is directly above the charcoal which can be raised and lowered to some extent. I have a rub picked out. My main questions for you all are: one, how should I arrange the coals underneath? Off to one side or evenly over the bottom? Keep in mind that the grill/smoker is fairly small, so I'm not sure if putting the coals off to one side would really make a difference given the size of my grill. Two, what temperature should I smoke the flat at? Three, how long do you think it's going to take a five pound flat to finish properly? Four, to ensure that the flat does not dry out, should I smoke it in a pan with beef broth?
I believe you're supposed to wrap the flat at 165 and pull it at 205, checking the tenderness first of course. I was planning on using cherry wood to smoke with and use a homemade ginger brew BBQ sauce on top. Do you think the ginger brew BBQ sauce is going to complement the brisket or or mask the brisket flavor too much?
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mike243]

well I aint no professional by any means but, rub it and put the coals as far away as you can get them and if the unit is that small don't be afraid to rotate the meat, I prefer sauces on the side, let the meat and salt pepper and maybe garlic season it. every body's tastes are different , lotta great meals are made on small cookers with a little effort, they host pictures here so don't be afraid to post some, its easy, good luck I bet it turns out great.

 

[Winterrider]

This won't really help in your coal situation, but this brisket method is proven.

BRISKET FLAT, MY WAY

It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[Winterrider]

And welcome to the forum !

 

[SmokeyJeremy101]

I hope so. I will move on to the full brisket once I can master half. When I say small grill/smoker, I mean pretty small. Lol

 

[SmokeyJeremy101]

The stall struggle is real aggravating! How long must i wait for the temperature to go up again? It seems like it's been stalled at 160-150 degrees for four hours now. It seems like the temperature stall is never going to end. what is everyone's experience with the meat stall? What is the longest time you have had to wait for the temperature to rise again?