My 12-hour overnight brisket results 🔥

Alright y'all, I've been meaning to post this for a couple days but here it is — my overnight brisket cook turned out phenomenal and I have to share the full breakdown.

The Setup:
14 lb prime packer brisket from Costco. Trimmed it down to about 12.5 lbs, leaving a good ¼ inch fat cap. Salt and pepper only — I'm a purist. Let it dry brine uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours before the cook.

The Cook:
Fired up the Pit Boss 1600 at 225°F with a full hopper of Bear Mountain Hickory pellets. Started it at 8 PM on Friday. The temp held beautifully all night — I was checking my MEATER probe from bed like a maniac 😂

The Stall:
Hit the stall at 158°F around 3 AM, which was right around the 7-hour mark. I let it push through naked until about 170°F then wrapped in pink butcher paper. Bumped the temp to 250°F to help it push through.

The Finish:
Pulled it at 203°F internal around 7 AM. Total cook time: 11 hours 20 minutes. Let it rest for 2 full hours in a cooler wrapped in towels. The payoff was insane — the flat was moist, the point was butter, and the smoke ring was a solid ½ inch. I almost cried. 😭🔥

Photos below. Happy to answer any questions about the cook!

Man that smoke ring is *chef's kiss*. 11 hours 20 min on a 14 pounder is solid — mine usually run a bit longer but I cook at 200°F low and slow. Did you spritz at all or totally hands-off?

Also — Bear Mountain Hickory is the move. I've been through probably every brand at this point and it just burns cleaner than most. What did you trim the brisket to before cooking?

Totally hands-off until the wrap! I used to spritz every hour but honestly I think it hurts the bark more than it helps. Once I stopped spritzing my barks got way better. Now I just trust the process.

Trimmed it down to ¼" fat cap on top, cleaned up the hard fat on the bottom, and removed the big chunk of hard fat between the point and flat. Left a good amount of fat on the flat side since that cut can dry out.

This thread is gold. I'm attempting my first brisket next weekend and this is exactly the kind of breakdown I needed. Quick question — is a MEATER probe worth it for a beginner? Or should I start with something cheaper?