Hot N Fast Brisket - sorta

Soi I decided to try a brisket going hot and fast. I've seen several threads here discussing the merits (and cons, of course) but gave it a try. Here's what I attempted:

• Started with a 12lb choice packer from Walmart.
• Removed fat down to 1/8" as well as pockets and some of the fat between the flat and point.
• Injected with beef broth and worchester, used remaining broth to marinade overnight
• Dried off the next morning and coated with mustard and rub.
  
  Here's where things went off plan:
• Cooked fat down while trying to get the smoker to 350F, never got past 275F. (FYI, I was using hickory and pecan wood.) Now I'm somewhere between hot and fast and low and slow!
• At about 2 hours, I pulled it, wrapped it in foil with about a cup of apple juice and broth, and moved it to the oven at 350F.
• Cooked for another 2 hours and then probed. The point was perfect, with the probe going in "like buttah" and hitting 204F. The flat, however, did not probe well. It was at 190F.

I rewrapped and let it go for another 30 minutes at 350F. At this point the probe inserted well in both the point and the ends of the flat, but still had some resistance in the center of the flat. However, the flat now registered 209F! I pulled the brisket, wrapped it in some new foil without the juices, and then some heavy towels, and let it rest for another hour or so.

In the end, the point was simply amazing, as were the ends of the flat. The center was still not as moist/soft was I would have liked. Of course the smoke penetration wasn't much, but I knew that would happen based on the short amount of time it was under smoke.

So, now the question - what went wrong? If I'm at 209F but still not probing easily, should I leave it alone until it does? Would the abbreviated time under smoke before foiling have done that? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

Thanks, that's the kind of advice I was looking for!

Bludawg, if I had any doubts that the probe test is the way to go and ignore temp altogether, this finished them off! After all the reading of people pulling them between 190 and 203, I admit to freaking out at 209 not realizing what some posters said earlier about the hot and fast method having higher finishing temps because of the time needed to render. I'm convinced next brisket cook I'm using a small skewer and nothing connected to a readout!

As for the temp, I trust the thermometer. The 350F was in a convection oven, so it was potentially a bit hotter, and after fat trimming keep in mind the brisket was probably closer to 10 lbs. So I do think the center of the flat was 209F. All that said, clearly the right thing to do was to keep going!!