re: Brisket help please

I forgot about a key thing I do:

I used to marinade, but gave it up...instead of marinade, I dry rub the night before. I sometimes inject steak sauce, hot sauce, or beef stock and cayenne or beef stock and apple juice (for my Yankee sister-in-law ... shhh, don't tell on me to any purists).

Anyways, I now keep a jar or spray bottle of olive oil mixed with cayenne pepper. That's it...olive oil and cayenne. "Color" the oil to taste -- orange = some spicy, reddish brown = real spicy.

After the brisket gets a "char" starting to form around it, I baste on a little oil/pepper mixture whenever I open the smoker. It gives a nice coating, keeps the meat from drying out, and leaves a hint of spice behind when the oil evaporates.

So, instead of marinade, periodic bastings of olive oil and cayenne (on top of the previous seasonings I mentioned in earlier posts).

It just takes an extra five seconds whenever the smoker is opened.