A perfectly smoked beef brisket is a beautiful thing. It’s not terribly difficult, but achieving that perfect balance of flavors, textures and tender juicy beefiness can take some practice and some patience. Our mediaOrganic brisket starts with a simple dry rub of equal parts salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and brown sugar; a 1/4 cup of each will give you plenty of rub for one brisket. Now there are more variations on dry rubs than you can possibly imagine however the basic flavor science at work here is to create a balanced combination of salt, sweet, savory and heat (look for more about dry rub science in a later post).
For the brisket, it is best to find one that has a nice even layer of fat on the one side. Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow and is generally very lean except for this surface fat. Do not remove the fat; it will help to keep the meat moist and flavorful as it slow cooks. Sprinkle the rub evenly on both sides of the brisket, rubbing it in gently until every part of the brisket is lightly coated. Completely wrap the rubbed brisket in plastic or foil and store in the refrigerator overnight.
I usually plan on 6-8 hours for cooking a brisket. Brisket is a pretty tough piece of meat and, like pot roast, requires long, slow cooking. It will be fully cooked through after just two hours but it will be tough, tough tough. You need those extra hours to break down the connective tissue so plan to start early. I use an electric wet smoker because I don’t have to tend it, I just set it up at 10 AM and return to it around 5 PM. This is where the practice and the patience kick in as you learn to use your equipment and senses to get the results you find most appealing. This is one skill I don’t mind practicing at all. 
A followup – the brisket came off the smoker at 4:30, by 6:00 it was just a memory. And that was just the four of us.