I picked up a 14# choice packer brisket at Sam’s. I’ve never cooked a brisket on the pellet grill.
I’ve previously cooked briskets, mostly flats on a gas smoker, and a cheap off set, with mixed results.
My question is, I love burned ends. I’ve made them from pork bellies, and chuck roasts.
Should I separate the point, and flat prior to smoking, or should I separate after cooking, and then finish the burned ends?
My other question, what if anything do you use the trimmings for?
Thanks
Jim

Great questions. Regarding separating the flat and point I think it is a personal choice. Back before briskets became the hot thing I use to only do flats. They were cheap back then :-). Now I do whole briskets (packers) and when doing burnt ends I separate after cooking, then cut up the point for burnt ends and back onto the pit. I don't think there is a right or wrong way. As for the trimmings If you make sausage then I would use it for that. I just discard mine.

Good luck.

Your likely to get a lot of different answers, but I cook them together and separate after the cook.  I do find that the point tends to get done before the flat, depending on the brisket, and I will separate, put the flat back in and then get the burnt ends ready.

I've done them both ways but I believe that separating them before smoking allows more surface to be exposed to the smoke. I also do something that few, if any, other people do. I trim them until there is no visible fat on either the point or the flat for the same reason. 

I cook em whole. Trim lightly. Fat at side up.  Usually chop up some of the trimmings to mix with the dogs food.

I'll grab my popcorn now, likely to get many different answers. 

Good luck on the cook...

They are great questions and like the others I have done it both ways. If your Sam's club is one of them that has started carrying the Prime's I would go for that the next time. I think the most important thing is letting them smoke until "they probe like butter". That can and will be different on almost every brisket so you just have to set your target temp to begin probing. Smoking Temp, trimming preferences, brine or no brine, inject or not, choice of rubs, are all all personal choices, and the only correct combination is the combination you and the people you feed love and enjoy. The key is to get them to probe like butter. If by chance you are one that really likes bark, the you do get more bark by separating before the smoke.

Looking forward to pictures and details of how you decide to proceed!

I've seen prime ones at Sam's lately.  Just trim off some of the fat and the hard tallow portion. I use the Aaron Franklin rub- half restaurant grade black pepper and half kosher salt mixture. Depending on what your time frame is, I usually look at an 1 and 15 minutes per pound to smoke. I may or may not probe for temp, but by the feel of it. I don't wrap if I am going to serve it within and hour. Anything longer I wrap in foil, along with a towel and throw it in a cooler.  I will let it smoke the first couple of hours at 150-175. then crank the heat up until to 250 after that and wait.  I will flip it over half way through so to have the fat side down when I cut it. Good eats for sure!!

>Should I separate the point, and flat prior to smoking,

I did this for the first time a few weeks ago and was real happy with the results. That's probably the procedure I will do from now on if I'm planning on making burnt ends. There are a few advantages that I can see. There's more surface area for bark and smoke, it reduces the cook time, and it's easier to time things so that both parts get done right.

Thanks for the replies.
My Sam's, doesn't carry prime brisket. Only choice, and mostly flats. Packers are hit and miss.
I'm going to split the point and flat.
My plan is to inject with "Butcher BBQ prime brisket injection", and season with Butcher BBQ brisket rub.
I'm going to use perfect mix pellets.
I'm going to prep it today, and throw it on the smoker "0 dark thirty" Sunday morning.

Good luck, Jim; I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job. I know I'm late to the party, but I also like to separate the point and flat if I'm making burnt ends for the same reason as others have stated. Also, I just kinda like doing knife work, so trimming up a packer and separating the two muscles is kinda fun.   

bregent oh man those burnt ends look awesome. so if I get this right you smoked the flat then cut it up and resmoked it right? did you add any beef stock?

bregent oh man those burnt ends look awesome. so if I get this right you smoked the flat then cut it up and resmoked it right? did you add any beef stock?

I believe if I understand your comment correctly he cut up the point for the burnt ends not the flat.

Did a 6.4 lb choice flat from Sam's today.  Temp was 13 outside. Started at 10 am at 160 for 2 hours, then to 200 for 2 hours, then 250 for 2 hours and put in  IT probe after the 1st hour at 250. After the second hour at 250, I turned it back to 225 in order to slow it down. pulled off at 4:30, wrapped in foil and a couple towels for a hour, used the juice to put in gravy and served about 5:45. Just used 50/50 salt/pepper rub. Probably one of the most moist briskets I've done in the last 12 months. Also used a water pan and smoker was GMG DB with the WiFi climate temp set at the coldest setting.

Cook it in one piece, split when flat goes into rest cooler/cambro.