The perfectly done brisket will, as Stogie said, be fork tender and give no resistance. (I'm currently munching leftovers for lunch... yum!) You can tell the perfect time when you stick a thermo probe into the meat here and there and have problems telling if you've stuck the probe into lean meat or into a fat pocket.
The ULTIMATE perfect brisket will dance for you. My husband Robert was having fun poking at one of this weekend's briskets and watching it do a visual rendition of "Waba-Waba" - like meat jello. "Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle..." A lovely smoke-ring, tender and juicy but not pot-roast-ish, and 99 cents a pound to boot.
How it went: 2 smallish full packers (10 and 12 lb), partially trimmed, and cut between point and flat but not separated. Coated with a combination of Head Country rub and MOntreal Steak seasoning, with a few more goodies thrown in for good measure. Went into the smoker at 10:30 or so, full ring of Kingsford, 15 lit on top, pecan for smoke, vents 100%, hot water in Brinkman pan. Vents to 33% at 180, held 234 +-2 in the lid all night. I think the slightly lower temp in the lid throughout the night contributed to a longer stay in the high 160's plateau zone, actually, to the benefit of the meat. Never stirred coals, didn't flip or reverse from top to bottom. Topped water when the dogs wanted outside about 4 am, but didn't really need to. I guess I just felt like I needed to do SOMETHING to it. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Temp rose to 258 upon sunup, as I could tell by the trusty ET-73 receiver sitting on the windowsill of our bedroom. Left 'em in till meat temp was actually close to 200 - the highest I've ever run a brisket to my knowledge. (I usually pull them at around 188-190, or when a fork will test with no resistance). I always check several areas throughout the brisket to check temps - figured I was safe when I couldn't tell fat from lean by resistance of the probe. They came off about 10 a.m. to be foiled, wrapped in towels and blankets, and tucked away in the ice chest for a hour or two's rest. I haven't tried Stogie's technique of adding beef broth upon foiling, but may have to, next time, out of curiosity.
Brisket jello, my dear Joe, brisket jello! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif Now, granted, I DID have to slice these a bit thicker, but the slices held together nicely. Barely. It was probably a bit over-tender for competition purposes, but the trophy I like to go for is that glazed look in the eye and that low moan of ecstasy followed by a mumbled "ooooh d@mn..." after someone gets their first taste of the meat de jour.
Now you guys can't sit there and honestly tell me that you don't just love seeing that reaction...
Keri C, smokin on Tulsa Time
(who once again proves that she can't write a short post to save her life)