Been a while since I cooked a brisket. Had a family get together for my daughters birthday, she said she wanted brisket and chicken on the bone. Smoked an 18 pounder, smallest one H‑E‑B had, but was a good looking brisket. Put it on the smoker at 9 pm and took it off at 1:30pm the next afternoon, longest I have ever smoked one on a mix of oak and mesquite burned to coals. Came out great.
Making coals

Coming off

What’s the chunk to the side of the brisket?

That’s the deckle, some are pretty well attached and I cook them attached some hang off and tend to cook better separate from the brisket. It was a mid morning snack and while some would think it was fatty, I prefer my brisket off the point end of the cut so I was in heaven munching on it for breakfast after a night of tending fire.

Nice! I prefer the point also.

You left the brisket on the smoke without wrapping it from 9PM to 1:30Pm?

We also call it the chefs cut. Gotta have a little snack during the cook

It’s really not that big of a deal. The wrap helps it cook faster, that’s really all it’s for.

didn’t wrap it but for the last 2-3 hours put a piece of foil to block a little more direct heat.

Gonna borrow that

I have never used the Texas crutch, or wrapped a brisket, it's just not needed, if you know what you are doing. Now when I pull my brisket off around 203 degrees I will wrap it in foil and a towel and let it rest that way.

I am a master.

That’s too much smoke for me. I wrap mine after 4 hours.

Looks really good; I love good bark and smoke!!

Cooking with coals instead of a fire in the firebox makes a considerable difference.

I’m sure that’s going to be tasty !