The Brisket

Hi guys! Sorry I missed you yesterday; I hope your Fourth of July was fun and safe!
I did prepare my (first) brisket on the smoker Sunday evening. Here's how it went:

3 1/4 pound "flat" brisket
about 4 cups water
about 2 cups kosher salt
about 1 cup cider vinegar
about 1 cup brown sugar
a few whole peppercorns
a few whole cloves
a few whole allspice
a couple of bay leaves

I soaked the brisket in the brine for about 20 hours. After the soak, I rinsed the brisket, and patted it dry. Then I added a generous amount of my Rub to all sides.
I allowed the charcoal to ash-over, then I added the oak pieces (assorted sizes, soaked in water for about an hour beforehand).
I added a 1-quart, stainless-steel bowl to the center of the water pan. In the stainless bowl, I added about a cup of beer, about a cup of cranberry juice (it's what I had on hand), and one whole onion (cut into large chunks). I put the stainless bowl in the center of the water pan, and added just enough water to the water pan so that the stainless pan wouldn't float around. The idea was to catch the meat drippings in the stainless bowl, and turn the whole thing into a gravy later on.
I placed the grill on the top of the smoker, gave it a brief spray of vegetable oil, and threw the brisket on. I put the smoker lid in place (fighting thick smoke the whole time), and left it alone for about an hour. Although I checked the smoker's built-in thermometer frequently (the temperature was in the "Ideal" range the entire time), I did NOT (repeat: NOT) remove the lid from the smoker. That has been my downfall in previous attempts at smoking: too much peeking. Removing the lid---even for a second or two---allows heat and smoke to escape. So, I limited myself to one peek (and any necessary adjustments) after the first hour, then one peek every 40 minutes thereafter.
I did add some more (pre-soaked) wood to the coals, on two occasions, just to maintain the smoke and the heat (I didn't add any more charcoal, however; the 8 pounds I started with provided plenty of heat).
After about 4 hours on the smoker, I stuck the probe thermometer into the thickest part of the brisket; it read about 142 degrees, which was 3 degrees from my target temperature of 145! I just left the brisket on the grill, and kept it moist with an occasional spray-on "mop" (made from water, a little liquid smoke, brewed coffee, and vinegar).

Finally! After about 5 hours and 40 minutes, the internal temperature read 145 degrees. I put the brisket on a plate, covered it with foil, and stuck it in the oven. I didn't turn the oven on; I just wanted a safe, draft-free place to keep it, and to let it "rest". I strained out the gravy from the stainless-steel bowl, and simmered it for about 10 or 15 minutes, until it reduced by about half (I didn't use any thickeners).
For serving, I sliced the brisket perpendicular to the "grain". A little drizzle (just a little!) of the gravy on top, or alongside...the gravy is pretty intense in flavor. As a side dish, I opted for a light salad of fresh greens and cucumber, dressed with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Awesome!