Next time try a higher cooking temp. If you are not comfortable doing a high heat brisket (325-350 degrees) then do a moderate temp cook (250 - 275 degrees) My briskets have come out better since I started cooking at higher temps, usually around 250, but I have recently cooked a 12 lb brisket at 350 for about 4 hours. It was moist and you could cut it with a fork. Also, try foiling after the brisket reaches an internal meat temp of 165 degrees for a low to moderate temp cook or 150 degrees at a high heat cook. The foil will help produce a more consistent end result. Cook until tender, temperature and time are just guides. I use about an hour per pound for a moderate cook as a rule of thumb - just for planning when to start the brisket. I use a remote probe thermometer that I leave in the brisket - this I use as my guide to (1) when to foil and (2) when to start checking for tenderness. I never take this thermometer out, I use another (dial) thermometer, because it is thin and leaves smaller holes. Once I stick the smaller thermometer in and it goes in and out like butter, then it is ready. (Usually between 190 and 205, but I usually start checking at 185) I then remove and hold in a cooler until time to slice. When ready to slice, I remove the point from the flat (if I am using a packer) and slice the flat. The point, I either chop or freeze for later use. The last cook that I did, I separated the point, sliced it in 3/4 to 1" strips, sprinkled heavily with a 50/50 blend of brown sugar to rub mix and through it on the grill (grill grate set on top of the charcoal chamber on the WSM) I seared it on all 4 sides until the sugar/rub mixture caramelized and some of the fat rendered out. Then I removed and cut them again creating 1" crunchy cubes of goodness.
Weldon
