I just pulled a brisket flat off the smoker and it does not pass the "fork
tender" test. The flat started out at 4 lbs, with a decent layer of fat
(about 3/8"). The temperature insider the WSM was about 250-275 throughout
the cook. I pulled the brisked after 6.5 hours and it had hit an internal
temp of 200-205. I now have it wrapped in foil inside a cooler awaiting
dinner time. Hopefully the quiet time will give it a chance to reflect on
the error of its ways.

The advice I often read on this group is that internal temps are not a very
good indicator of doneness and I have a feeling that folks will tell me that
I should have kept it on longer, but I couldn't bring myself to do it in the
face of the internal temp and the amount of time it had already been on.

Should I have left in on longer? Any other advice for next time? (As I
mentioned in an earlier post, I am in the DC area and good briskets are hard
to get. The best I can ever find are about 7 lb packer cuts. Twelve pounders
don't seem to make it to this area).

Thanks,
Tom