Brisket "Mouth-feel"; Cooking Durations

I did my first brisket on the WSM recently to an internal 190 deg's F. I let it rest foiled, then refrigerated figuring the slicing would be easier the next morning. It was. I trimmed the hard, major chunks of fat from each, cold, thin slice while leaving a lot of fat for taste. Sliced thin then reheated with sauce, people loved the stuff.

But now I'm in Sunset Beach, CA. There's a little weekend mom and pop outside a bar on Pacific Coast Highway with a commercial smoker. Their brisket falls away like pulled pork. It tasted good too.

Is the super tender pulled texture better than mild mechanical resistance of thinly sliced, less done brisket between your teeth? People loved my brisket slices, not pulled.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Dage

How tender or tough you leave the brisket is very much a matter of taste. I generally cook to about 195 and I'm looking for the meat to be able to hold it shape but be fork tendere (able to cut it without a knife). I love being able to slice the meat, then slightly fanfold the slices to show off my 1/4" smoke ring.

I have cooked to the pulled stage, but I don't get the oos and aahhs that I usually get with slices.

I'm driven by the grins and feedback from my guests.

Dale,
Reckon the age old Deeeebate,"style vs. substance" come into play here. Lots of folks down here foil too long and get it "fallin apart". It tastes great.
Lots of folks think that what separate those that can from those that can't. Gotta be a 1/4 inch or less slice, that you can pick up in the middle of the slice without it tearing. Then with a gentle tug, you have to ba able to tear it in two.
Like Clay said this will happen around the 195 mark mas o menos a little according to the brisket and how long you smoked.
Either way it's good! But as Clay sez, "more oohs and aahs."
Mike