I don't think I have ever seen a packer under 10#.  Most of what I have seen have been in the 15-18# range.

I have only cooked 2 briskets since Bent is the one who always cooks them for comps and we have maintained that practice over the years.  But neither of us separates the point and flat.  I understand the rational behind separating if you want to have more rub.  I am not a fan of a lot of rub on all surfaces, so am happy with the rub on just the whole packer and then cooked.

I don't think I have ever seen a packer under 10#.  Most of what I have seen have been in the 15-18# range.

Every now and then I'll find one and freeze it until I need to cook it.  The smallest I remember was between 8 and 9 pounds.  They are usually around 10 though.  I haven't even looked in a long time due to the prices now.

It is funny the different things you her on the internet.  And I am not say one is right over the other.  I have always heard you look for harder fat as it shows that the beef was fed more grain, which in turn would make for a stiffer brisket.  That has always been my guide for picking brisket.  I have also heard that the color of the fat makes a difference but I am not sure about that one.

Is prime worth the extra cost over choice?

Not for a Brisket by my standards, unless the price difference is just a few dollars for the whole thing!

My local Cosco carries both prime and choice. The full packers are usually prime and actually cost less per pound than the flats, which are typically choice.

I am still working on trying to cook a full packer where both the point and the flat are juicy. Usually, I get the point right but the flat ends up a bit dry.

The best brisket I ever cooked was the first, which was a flat cooked with charcoal on my Weber kettle. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

I tried 3 times to do brisket on my Weber kettle. One was edible, one was not, the third was ok, I just cut it wrong. My wife on the other hand nailed it her first try. And 3-4 times after. I told her she was the brisket captain from then on. Then I bought an EX6 SmokeFire…several brisket later i have yet to do a bad one.


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Is prime worth the extra cost over choice?

Like the prime