A Couple Brisket Questions

Will the tip still get good bark?

Yes, you absolutely need a thermometer. Why risk overcooking a $50 hunk of beef?
What kind of set-up are you smoking on?

I've got a home built offset Oklahoma Joe's type Stick burner. I'm not a novice or beginner or anything, I just haven't smoked a brisket in over a year and and just trying to solve some problems I ran into last time and modify accordingly.

I know all about Franklin's videos and stuff, helI I even own his cookbook, but I've never used a thermometer before, I just gauge by look and feel, which has always worked just fine, but last time I made brisket I dried out the tip because of said smoke stack location.

The cooker is an arse kicker for pork, chicken, turkey, ribs, etc, ...anything smaller and with a faster cook time, but brisket is a bit duifferent because it's not a huge cook chamber and the constant fire monitoring is tolerable for a few hours, but 12, 15, 18 hrs is a total pain.

I've modified it slightly by adding bricks in the bottom of the firebox and adding insulation on the outside to help keep the residual heat but it still struggles to stay constant anything above 225 or so without messing with the fire every 10 minutes or so.

dang that looks good.

Kroger has brisket for 1.69/lb

Thinking about doing this

I don't use a thermometer, though it wouldn't hurt I guess.

I usually do briskets for 1.5 hr/lb at 210-225ish.

You can wrap it after an hour or two on the smoker if you get nervous

It is a crutch, but to call it a dumb arse move is a bit much

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1) Do I actually need a meat thermometer? How hard is it to judge without one?

2) Any methods to keep the tip from burning/drying out, especially close to the smoke stack where heat intensifies? My smoker is too small to simply move it away from the stack.

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1) Absolutely NOT

2) Yes, wrap in foil after four or five hours.

I have have the Maverick wireless thermometer and haven't used the meat thermo for briskets for two or three years now. I just use the smoker thermo run through a sensor grommet I bought for the WSM. Fifth item: https://www.rocksbarbque.com/Accessories.html

My BIL smokes briskets for four hours at 225 and then wraps in foil at 225 for four hours. He slices all of his briskets.

I get as much smoke flavor as possible and smoke at 225 for five hours. Then I wrap in foil for the remaining four hours of the cook. If I want to slice I continue to smoke at 225. If I want to pull(which I usually prefer) I open all of the bottom vents and don't care how hot the cooker gets.

This way is fool-proof and you know exactly when the brisket will be ready - taking time for wrapping and the rest period.

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Do I actually need a meat thermometer? How hard is it to judge without one?

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The difference between 205 and 210 is a brisket that you can slice and have it be tender and juicy as it can be, and a brisket that falls apart when you try to slice it. Still tender and juicy, but it'll shred even with a sharp knife upon cutting. I don't like "pulled" brisket, so I use a meat thermometer. I pull at 200 and wrap with towel for an hour before cutting.

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Any methods to keep the tip from burning/drying out, especially close to the smoke stack where heat intensifies? My smoker is too small to simply move it away from the stack.

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Once you have trimmed it up just a little bit, cut across the grain at the point where the flat and the point come together. Now you have 2 portions. After about 3.5 hours of smoke at 225, the flat should be reaching 160. Triple wrap it in foil alternating sides and add a touch of water or beer to it. About 1/4 cup. Larger point portion will be same temp in about 30 minutes after flat. Wrap it same way. Bring smoker up to 275 or put in oven at 275 for around another 4 hours until temp hits 200 internally (just stick probe through foil on top side). Pull flat and wrap in towel and set aside still in foil. About 30-45 minutes later point will be same temp. Do same with it. Around 45 mins to an hour later unwrap carefully and save juice in foil for au jus. Slice and enjoy. No dried out flat. No dried out point.

If you want burnt ends disregard the entire post. Lol.

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It is a crutch, but to call it a dumb arse move is a bit much

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Refer to LSU MNC

You should definitely wrap but use the butcher paper instead of foil