points and flats

[tws]

greetings,

is it possible for me to smoke a packers brisket in my gas smoker... this is an older well seasoned metal smoker of the upright variety - racks measure 12"X13".i've always wanted to smoke a brisket texas style but will a packers cut fit? if not, is it wise to cut it in half?  my local store sells points and flats... the flats seem a lot leaner... the point however seems fatter... is it worth it  to smoke just the point or several of them at once to cryovac and freeze the extra? is this a common practice?
thanks for your valuable feedback.

[GTR]

Sure others will chime in but here’s my take.
12x13 is a little small for a full packer.
We don’t see a lot of cut briskets around here but the practice is common in some areas.
If you’ve never done a brisket I would suggest the point. It’s a little more forgiving than a flat.
Last advice is “KISS” or
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid
no offense intended, very common acronym.

[Chasdev]

I cook points all the time, my preferred part of the brisket.
More tender, more internal fat content and no excess beef filling up my freezer.
Half the fun of smoking briskets is smoking briskets, the other half is eating them.

[Scott P]

12"x13" is going to be too small for a packer. My main WSM is 18.5" and pretty much anything bigger than 15 lbs has to be bent a bit to fit inside at the start. Like others said, separating the point and flat along the fat seam would be a good option. Plus, you get the benefit of more surface area for seasoning.

[txsmkmstr]

Most packers I find these days have a very thin flat. I'd cut the thin part off to the dimension that will fit your rig. If you have two shelves then take the small thin piece and smoke separately. I'd cut the smoke time in half for the thin piece and then wrap in foil with some broth or sauce to finish while the bigger part is still cooking. Not sure if that makes any sense but I think you can do it quite easily. Start by searching out a 10 pound packer if possible. Best of luck.