Kevin, I did brine but I think I need to do a little more research before trying to get the pellicle and I needed more time than what I had. I've been trolling the forums and the CB looks incredibly tasty and I can't wait to make that. Baby steps though, this is just my third time smoking something. And who would of thought that a bunch of "smokers" would be using vacuum sealers! I've had one since they first came out and I swear I could sell them! It's right up there in my favorite kitchen gadget category along with my electric pressure cooker and salad shooter that I use mostly for shredding cheese.
I do still need to invest in an instant read thermometer and there are so many choices.....
The reason I brined rather than cooked in a pan with this pork loin...the first thing I smoked was a pork butt with a pan and apple juice. It was just ok, I've made better in the oven. It could just be the difference in the cut of meat. Where pork butt has lots of fat it probably didn't need the pan and juice and the loin is lean it may favor better with that method. Either way, I like experimenting.