re: What's a good brisket rub?

Yep....and it's Aaron's advice I followed when I did my first one. I got post oak instead of using hickory because he recommends and uses it. I wrapped in paper because it's what he recommends as well.

To the OP, sorry to contribute in the hijack but maybe you can take something from all of this and put out a killer brisket. The rub you use is subjective to your taste buds. On brisket (any beef actually) I don't like a sweet profile.

Coarse Kosher salt and a good dustless black pepper (also a Franklin rec) are all I like. Garlic powder is not a bad addition either. Whether you smoke fat cap up or down should be determined by where the heat hits the meat. If it's from the bottom, go fat cap down...and vice versa. Good luck.