Brisket was pretty tender, but dry?
 

I've cooked four or five briskets in the last few months and they have all come out great! Unfortunately, I had some issues with the one I cooked this past Saturday. Wondering if anyone can help me figure out what went wrong...

I bought a 14 pound full packer last month. Unfortunately, I can't fit these on my medium Big Green Egg so I cut it in half. The half with the point came out pretty great and I froze the flat half in a big freezer bag. (For about a month.)

Last Wednesday I took the frozen flat out of the freezer and transferred it to the refrigerator to thaw. Then, late Friday I trimmed it up and rubbed with my usual spices, before putting it back in the fridge.

Saturday morning I injected with beef broth and worcestershire (I made the broth with hot tap water) and reapplied some rub. Then I put it out on the Egg, indirect, no water pan, with some pecan chunks and one hickory.

Kept the temperature around 250 for about four hours, but although the meat was about 155ish it hadn't formed much bark, so I decided not to wrap it. After another hour or so the bark was looking better so I wrapped it in butcher paper.

Checked on the meat again about 45 minutes after the wrap and it was 190ish so I took it out of the paper to firm up the bark. (It was NOT tender yet.) Checked again 30 minutes later and the meat temp had dropped a bit. Still not tender.

My Egg temp was falling so I transferred the brisket to the oven at about 300 degrees. Checked periodically and it NEVER probed tender. At an internal temp of around 205 I turned off the oven and wrapped it in foil. When I opened the foil 30 minutes later I noticed there was NO juice.

Although it never probed tender, I could cut pretty thin slices and there was only a little tug. It looked and tasted great, but it was kind of stick-in-your-throat dry. Never had that happen before. Any suggestions about what went wrong?

Dry brisket is undercooked. Next time cook it until it is probe tender in the thickest part of the flat.

Internal temp and probe tender are Two completely different things. Like Ron said you under cooked it. IF IT AINT PROBE TENDER IT AINT DONE!!!!!!!!

Internal temp and probe tender are Two completely different things. Like Ron said you under cooked it. IF IT AINT PROBE TENDER IT AINT DONE!!!!!!!! At 300 deg the IT would be much higher. I never temp during a cook I go by the Probe, but I do monitor it once it is off the pit. I cook at 300 and have never had one come off the pit before it hit 210 when I stuck it with a thermo at the beginning of the rest.

Once I paper it I don't see it again until I'm ready to eat it. You have heard the term to many cooks spoil the soup,..... to may steps spoil the BBQ.