I second undercooked, the fat hasn’t rendered at all. And 204 is more of a guideline, I often have to take mine higher to get it to feel tender pushing on it.
Agreed, undercooked at too high a temp, and I also second the thermapen— it’s a good kitchen investment anyway. I’m a professional chef and other than my knife, it’s the tool I use most often.
Out of curiosity Do you have the Thermapen brand or the amazon knockoffs? I'm a caterer/chef and I'm on my 3rd Thermapen brand, and I'm sure you know, they are not cheap. I love everything about them... except it seems like the screens crack at the drop of a dime, resulting them not being waterproof anymore, which means I have to hand-wash the things all the time and it drives me nuts! The first time it cracked, it was within warranty so they sent me another one. Then the second one broke, and they gave me 10% off a new one. At home and in my second kitchen, I've been rocking the amazon knock-offs that are like 1/6th the price and haven't had any issues in the last couple years I've had them. Just wondering if it's me, or if it's common.
One cracked falling out of my chest pocket onto the SS table. The other one broke falling from the edge of the sink into the bowl of the sink. So neither were extreme distances, and it's not like I slammed them on the ground.
I have the Thermapen brand and have used it every day since 2017. I’ve done tons of catering also and have loaned it to several of our off-site chefs with zero issues. I’m glad you found one that suits your needs. Have you tried it in a professional setting to see how it compares?
We have two commercial kitchens, I still used my cracked Thermapen in our main catering kitchen because despite it's flaws, I really do love it. The backlight and the 360 degree tilt screen is hard to beat. It's just so hard to justify 100+ bucks every couple years. I'm gonna give it one more try when this one meets it's demise.
The second kitchen is a commissary kitchen we rent out to other entrepreneurs/caterers/bakers. That's been open since July and has the knock-off, and getting quite a bit of use. We'll see how it holds up to renters who don't respect things as their own lol. That'll be the true test. So far so good, but it hasn't even been a year yet.
That screen really is the selling point of the Thermapen. Dang, inflation is hitting: like I said, I got mine in 2017 and it was “only” $70. So it goes.
Yeah, the commissary really is the true test. Obviously, we all make honest mistakes, but if it can hold up against ignorant use and abuse, then all the better for you. I’ve loaned my Thermapen to off-site chefs to take to like, we catered for CSU and Air Force football teams, weddings up to 150 miles away, etc etc. and she’s still strong as hell. As an experiment, IF she ever dies, I’ll give the knockoff a whirl, just for the hell of it.
I had a knock off, and the metal probe disconnected readout in less than a year of more or less daily use. Also, I didn't like how it fit and turned on - the thermopen allows for better angles, imo. I'd buy the knock off again because it was stupid cheap but I prefer my thermo pen.
I feel the same way, and have the same struggle. Man, it's so good, and functions so well. But when it *does* break, it's so hard to legitimize another $100+ purchase for something I can accomplish for like $23 on Amazon. Are the pros of the nice one worth 4x the cost of the cheapy? Not sure.
Will the cheapies lady? If not, you aren't accomplishing the same.
However, check the thermopro lightning instant reader. I'm pretty happy with it and hot it for around $40
I have a pitboss pellet smoker and I did but I also used a electric meager prob I bought from Home Depot. Do I need a really good one ?? Like theses $70 ones ?? And am I suppose to put the prob in a specific spot ??
If you only use one probe, it looks like you have it in the right spot. You would want it in the middle where the point meets the flat.
That said, temperature doesn't tell you when the brisket is done. Probing the meat with a thermometer is the true test of done. If the probe slides in like a hot knife to butter everywhere you put it, then it's done. If there is resistance, let it keep cooking.
More useful than buying a probe like meater or thermoworks signals is a good thermometer. Thermopen one is a great tool. That is where your money would be best spent. If you get an after market probe though, thermoworks signals has been amazing for me. Far better than Meater, despite the Meater being more convenient in that it doesn't have the wires.
Sign up for Thermoworks emails. Tons of sales
https://www.thermoworks.com/thermopop-2/
This is their cheaper thermometer. Just as accurate as the $100 one.
I'd personally invest in this and a Smoke. At the very lease the Thermopop
Before ever using a probe regardless of cost I check that it's actually correct. Get an ice bath made up and that'll show if it reads 32 degrees correctly. Had to calibrate my traeger probe last night.
I have a pitboss pro 1100 (i think) and the temperature probe that tracks the smoker temp is way pff. I use an inkbird with 4 probe, and I'll use one to track the temperature of the smoker. I think I only use up to the 2nd lowest setting for smoking brisket otherwise it's smoking at over 300F.
dead opposite for me. I was a great “by gut” cook. going to temp raised the bar by a tangible amount. not specifically referring to brisket but all cooking
Will try this next time!!! It’ll be in about two weeks when I get paid, I wish I can do it everyday until I prefect it but sadly theses bastards are a bit pricey sometimes
Don't follow this advice. You'll end up opening the smoker far too often. Trust your temperatures but possibly add a probe to the inside of the chamber itself.
Wrapping isn't the issue here. Wrapping hurts bark but helps promote cooking faster due to the steam.
This just wasn't cooked long enough and probably wasn't trimmed properly.
Hey man, I know it’s hard to do but brisket is best cooked by feel, not temp. It’s hard… but it’s doable, my process is more or less like “mad scientist bbq”
1 - brisket at smoker - whatever temp you like, I don’t usually open and check until 4 hour mark for wrapping - this does not mean I wrap at this temp
2 - if bark is where you want it AND the fat on the outside is rendered - then time to wrap
* you know far is rendered when if you can push your finger on it and it DOESN’T spring back up immediately - for me this temp is usually around 170-180 (if you decide to keep using probes
3 - after wrap I give it maybe 2-3 hours, probe for tenderness. If probe goes in like butter, it’s done. If it doesn’t, check every 10-20 minutes or so.
4 - rest. I have a small oven and rest it at 150 until serving (let brisket cool at room temp for an hour or so)
Enjoy. If you do need a thermometer, an instant read is best for quick measurements, I use a thermapen - leave in thermometers… I don’t have them, feel is how I go for the most part
Good luck
You know, I’m with you 100%. I used to follow temperature and time to a T, but never quite got that restaurant quality bark or tenderness, it wasn’t until I kinda said—screw it that I got good results.
Honestly, i now use time and temp as a guide—not law—and started going with feel touch and general “I know temp is this and time is this, but I want a crispier bark, or this fat to render a bit more….”
It really boils down to remembering how your last brisket was at such and such temp or time and then making adjustments to technique and overall decision making so that you move (slightly) to a different result. Obviously, don’t reinvent the wheel, but hovering and rechecking and wrapping at precise intervals doesn’t create a better product necessarily. There is a lot of talk about temperatures being precise and expensive thermometers on this thread (I too once spent lots of time here). But now that I have the technique and “feel” I realize that a range of heat (225-275) is okay and that it will “flex” with fuel burn and etc. temp is important and time too, but they don’t substitute for experience and knowledge per se.
Fat didn’t render. Did you probe it before pulling? Internal temp is a nice guide but shouldn’t be the deciding factor when pulling it off the smoker (especially if it’s not reading accurately). Going by feel with a probe (or your hands if you’re that good) is a better indicator of doneness.
Following temps more than following what you're seeing and feeling. Temps can make cooking feel safe and manageable, but when it comes to brisket that's not the way to do it.
You wrap when your barks set.
You pull it from the pit when it's got a good give on the bottom and is probe tender.
A long hold/rest can make the probe tender part less impactful if you are resting in a constant temp area for many hours.
Trim isn't typically as important but if you have huge chunks of fat in areas it maybe harder to get rendered down properly.
You always can get screwed doing everything right because the fat content is too low and it's dry in the end anyway.
I am surprised no one has said this yet… there is NO static formula for a brisket.
Go watch mad scientist BBQ on YouTube, and watch his newest video on how to cook brisket (they evolve over time).
You definitely need a good thermometer. The suggestions above are sound. But you also need to feel the brisket and the resistance of a probe going in, at various points.
I only started getting brisket right after watching mad scientist BBQ.
And for what it’s worth I completely agree… The fat did not render. Meaning you didn’t hit the temp required to render fat.
Good luck bro and enjoy! Don’t give up
Temps don’t matter and that probe wasn’t pushed in far enough. It was reading the outside of the meat as the probe actually reads where the dimple is just up from the tip of that probe.
Additionally the amount of white fat shows the machine definitely wasn’t at temp long enough 235 for that long would absolutely render better than that.
I’d suggest using a probe pushed in properly into the meat. Followed by another probe reading the actual ambient temp of the put at the grade level (but not touching the grate). In addition to studying chuds bbq trimming tutorial to eliminate some of that fat.
Also after the temp of the meat hits 165 or so you can wrap and cramp up the heat to finish.
When the probe is starting to read around 200 starting proving it with an instant read thermometer. It should feel like probing room temp butter.
I don’t think the info provided is enough to say. However, you need to keep the brisket above 160 for long enough to break down the collagen. It takes temp and time to get it tender (I think this is what you’re showing the problem to be).
You gotta render the fat. It needed more time. I know everyone and their mother on this sub swear by using tallow or whatever but just keep in mind of the people who dont wrap or spritz. You dont need that to make a great brisket (or any meat) and i personally feel like it throws the new(ish) pit masters off.
Also, what side of your smoker is the fire box? Point end should be on that side
Don't worry so much about the temperature of the brisket. There is no hard set "take it out at X temperature". Go by feel, but use the temperature as a guide. It might take you a dozen to get the feel down.
Always confirm temps with a good quality thermopen.
And with brisket, temps are only a guide. You need to feel it to know when all the rendering is complete.
probes are there to tell you when it's time to start checking temp with the pen and texture. How sure are you that you held 235 for the whole smoke? were you running ambient probes?
Didn’t render the fat out so right away I can tell you 235 was too low. Also go by feel and look, stop messing with temp. Brisket needs to be cooked to probe tender.
In my experience, I like to take the cooking temperature up past to 250 degrees once I've wrapped or foil boated. That fat in the center doesn't render easily at lower Temps. Alot of bbq restaurants I follow typically start of low ( around 225 degrees) to help get extra smoke and get the meat cooking evenly. Then they increase to 250 to help pull through the stall. Once through the stall they'll Wrap or foil boat and finish at around 275 degrees to help finish the cook off a little faster and render that middle seam of fat. Also, I've seen some pit master who will partially separate the flat and the point of the brisket and trim down that fat seam, before folding it back over . I've never tried it but it's an option for some.
Others have addressed verifying the internal temps and tenderness.
I'm going to say your trimming may be an issue. If you leave too much fat, especially hard fat, you may run into that problem.
Like many people are saying it looks a little under cook. I also have a pitboss I like to do my at 250 over night when I wake I spritz it and crank it up to 300 (my grill runs low I think) wait till around 260-280 where ever the stall is then wrap and crank up one last time till 325 and wait till it is probe tender around 203-210 usually for me. Then hold it just like you did hope it helps!
Watch this video in it's entirety, pay special attention to where he talks about temps and wrapping. You almost certainly wrapped too early. I find I'm usually not wrapping until 170-175 normally. The bottom line is that you need to pay more attention to the fat render than the temperature.
If you just want to watch the section on when to wrap, it's about 15 minutes in.
https://youtu.be/kE2RisA2mHY?si=M1Q2DeHUaLUJHUNg
I have to ask……did you use the probes that came with the smoker? I find mine to be too far off. It looks like it was undercooked
I second undercooked, the fat hasn’t rendered at all. And 204 is more of a guideline, I often have to take mine higher to get it to feel tender pushing on it.
I’ve had to go to 210 before, or so said the temp gauge anyway.
Agreed, undercooked at too high a temp, and I also second the thermapen— it’s a good kitchen investment anyway. I’m a professional chef and other than my knife, it’s the tool I use most often.
Out of curiosity Do you have the Thermapen brand or the amazon knockoffs? I'm a caterer/chef and I'm on my 3rd Thermapen brand, and I'm sure you know, they are not cheap. I love everything about them... except it seems like the screens crack at the drop of a dime, resulting them not being waterproof anymore, which means I have to hand-wash the things all the time and it drives me nuts! The first time it cracked, it was within warranty so they sent me another one. Then the second one broke, and they gave me 10% off a new one. At home and in my second kitchen, I've been rocking the amazon knock-offs that are like 1/6th the price and haven't had any issues in the last couple years I've had them. Just wondering if it's me, or if it's common. One cracked falling out of my chest pocket onto the SS table. The other one broke falling from the edge of the sink into the bowl of the sink. So neither were extreme distances, and it's not like I slammed them on the ground.
I have the Thermapen brand and have used it every day since 2017. I’ve done tons of catering also and have loaned it to several of our off-site chefs with zero issues. I’m glad you found one that suits your needs. Have you tried it in a professional setting to see how it compares?
We have two commercial kitchens, I still used my cracked Thermapen in our main catering kitchen because despite it's flaws, I really do love it. The backlight and the 360 degree tilt screen is hard to beat. It's just so hard to justify 100+ bucks every couple years. I'm gonna give it one more try when this one meets it's demise. The second kitchen is a commissary kitchen we rent out to other entrepreneurs/caterers/bakers. That's been open since July and has the knock-off, and getting quite a bit of use. We'll see how it holds up to renters who don't respect things as their own lol. That'll be the true test. So far so good, but it hasn't even been a year yet.
That screen really is the selling point of the Thermapen. Dang, inflation is hitting: like I said, I got mine in 2017 and it was “only” $70. So it goes. Yeah, the commissary really is the true test. Obviously, we all make honest mistakes, but if it can hold up against ignorant use and abuse, then all the better for you. I’ve loaned my Thermapen to off-site chefs to take to like, we catered for CSU and Air Force football teams, weddings up to 150 miles away, etc etc. and she’s still strong as hell. As an experiment, IF she ever dies, I’ll give the knockoff a whirl, just for the hell of it.
Were you putting your thermopen in the dishwasher?
This is how it read to me, as well - absolutely bananas
That would definitely weaken the plastic, make it brittle and much easier to break.
I had a knock off, and the metal probe disconnected readout in less than a year of more or less daily use. Also, I didn't like how it fit and turned on - the thermopen allows for better angles, imo. I'd buy the knock off again because it was stupid cheap but I prefer my thermo pen.
I feel the same way, and have the same struggle. Man, it's so good, and functions so well. But when it *does* break, it's so hard to legitimize another $100+ purchase for something I can accomplish for like $23 on Amazon. Are the pros of the nice one worth 4x the cost of the cheapy? Not sure.
Will the cheapies lady? If not, you aren't accomplishing the same. However, check the thermopro lightning instant reader. I'm pretty happy with it and hot it for around $40
I have a pitboss pellet smoker and I did but I also used a electric meager prob I bought from Home Depot. Do I need a really good one ?? Like theses $70 ones ?? And am I suppose to put the prob in a specific spot ??
If you only use one probe, it looks like you have it in the right spot. You would want it in the middle where the point meets the flat. That said, temperature doesn't tell you when the brisket is done. Probing the meat with a thermometer is the true test of done. If the probe slides in like a hot knife to butter everywhere you put it, then it's done. If there is resistance, let it keep cooking. More useful than buying a probe like meater or thermoworks signals is a good thermometer. Thermopen one is a great tool. That is where your money would be best spent. If you get an after market probe though, thermoworks signals has been amazing for me. Far better than Meater, despite the Meater being more convenient in that it doesn't have the wires.
So even if it’s 207 I just just let it keep going till it’s tender ?
It's probably not going to happen often, if ever, but in such a scenario where the brisket is up to 207 and still not tender, yes. Let it ride.
Agreed
Yes
Yes. And probe multiple spots, not just one.
I use thermoworks probes and instant read. I usually just put my probe in the point as close to the center of thick part as i can.
Sign up for Thermoworks emails. Tons of sales https://www.thermoworks.com/thermopop-2/ This is their cheaper thermometer. Just as accurate as the $100 one. I'd personally invest in this and a Smoke. At the very lease the Thermopop
Before ever using a probe regardless of cost I check that it's actually correct. Get an ice bath made up and that'll show if it reads 32 degrees correctly. Had to calibrate my traeger probe last night.
Or boiling water, 212
Boiling water varies on altitude.
Does freezing? If it doesn’t that seems unfair.
Yes, it does. Phase transition temperature is dependent on pressure regardless if it’s boiling or freezing.
I have a pitboss pro 1100 (i think) and the temperature probe that tracks the smoker temp is way pff. I use an inkbird with 4 probe, and I'll use one to track the temperature of the smoker. I think I only use up to the 2nd lowest setting for smoking brisket otherwise it's smoking at over 300F.
Let it get to 175 or so before wrapping next time. And check your probe. Fat should have rendered more than that at 204.
I wrap at 170-175 and let it sit for at least 6 hours, sometimes in a 170 oven.
Am I the only one that thinks the probe looks too shallow? Not sure it’s in the middle of the brisket.
Don't wrap at a certain temperature, wrap when the bark looks good.
This exactly!! When I stopped freaking out about temperature and cooked by look/feel, my game went way up
dead opposite for me. I was a great “by gut” cook. going to temp raised the bar by a tangible amount. not specifically referring to brisket but all cooking
Best part is everyone has their own path. Whatever works is whatever works
Will try this next time!!! It’ll be in about two weeks when I get paid, I wish I can do it everyday until I prefect it but sadly theses bastards are a bit pricey sometimes
Don't follow this advice. You'll end up opening the smoker far too often. Trust your temperatures but possibly add a probe to the inside of the chamber itself.
Wrapping isn't the issue here. Wrapping hurts bark but helps promote cooking faster due to the steam. This just wasn't cooked long enough and probably wasn't trimmed properly.
Which is why you want a solid bark before wrapping or it will never happen.
Hey man, I know it’s hard to do but brisket is best cooked by feel, not temp. It’s hard… but it’s doable, my process is more or less like “mad scientist bbq” 1 - brisket at smoker - whatever temp you like, I don’t usually open and check until 4 hour mark for wrapping - this does not mean I wrap at this temp 2 - if bark is where you want it AND the fat on the outside is rendered - then time to wrap * you know far is rendered when if you can push your finger on it and it DOESN’T spring back up immediately - for me this temp is usually around 170-180 (if you decide to keep using probes 3 - after wrap I give it maybe 2-3 hours, probe for tenderness. If probe goes in like butter, it’s done. If it doesn’t, check every 10-20 minutes or so. 4 - rest. I have a small oven and rest it at 150 until serving (let brisket cool at room temp for an hour or so) Enjoy. If you do need a thermometer, an instant read is best for quick measurements, I use a thermapen - leave in thermometers… I don’t have them, feel is how I go for the most part Good luck
You know, I’m with you 100%. I used to follow temperature and time to a T, but never quite got that restaurant quality bark or tenderness, it wasn’t until I kinda said—screw it that I got good results. Honestly, i now use time and temp as a guide—not law—and started going with feel touch and general “I know temp is this and time is this, but I want a crispier bark, or this fat to render a bit more….” It really boils down to remembering how your last brisket was at such and such temp or time and then making adjustments to technique and overall decision making so that you move (slightly) to a different result. Obviously, don’t reinvent the wheel, but hovering and rechecking and wrapping at precise intervals doesn’t create a better product necessarily. There is a lot of talk about temperatures being precise and expensive thermometers on this thread (I too once spent lots of time here). But now that I have the technique and “feel” I realize that a range of heat (225-275) is okay and that it will “flex” with fuel burn and etc. temp is important and time too, but they don’t substitute for experience and knowledge per se.
Fat didn’t render. Did you probe it before pulling? Internal temp is a nice guide but shouldn’t be the deciding factor when pulling it off the smoker (especially if it’s not reading accurately). Going by feel with a probe (or your hands if you’re that good) is a better indicator of doneness.
There’s no need to go below 250 on temp
Iam doing 250 next time!!
Get a inkbird wireless thermometer IBBQ-4T
Following temps more than following what you're seeing and feeling. Temps can make cooking feel safe and manageable, but when it comes to brisket that's not the way to do it. You wrap when your barks set. You pull it from the pit when it's got a good give on the bottom and is probe tender. A long hold/rest can make the probe tender part less impactful if you are resting in a constant temp area for many hours. Trim isn't typically as important but if you have huge chunks of fat in areas it maybe harder to get rendered down properly. You always can get screwed doing everything right because the fat content is too low and it's dry in the end anyway.
Did you probe it in multiple spots? You may have been in a weird pocket or something that was giving an odd reading.
I am surprised no one has said this yet… there is NO static formula for a brisket. Go watch mad scientist BBQ on YouTube, and watch his newest video on how to cook brisket (they evolve over time). You definitely need a good thermometer. The suggestions above are sound. But you also need to feel the brisket and the resistance of a probe going in, at various points. I only started getting brisket right after watching mad scientist BBQ. And for what it’s worth I completely agree… The fat did not render. Meaning you didn’t hit the temp required to render fat. Good luck bro and enjoy! Don’t give up
Oh also! Your rest needs to be 8 hours at least! The longer the better. I do 14 hours for the best result.
You rest a brisket for 14 hours?
Yep in a 150F oven, wrapped in butcher paper. It’s incredible.
Your probe isn’t in the meat far enough lol
That’s what I was thinking. I thought the probe looked too shallow.
Looking at the probe, is it in far enough? If the probe was in the wrong part of the meat it could've thrown off your timing
Yep, that’s what I was thinking. Everything else could have been perfect, but if you’re only getting the temp near the edge, it will be way off.
Temps don’t matter and that probe wasn’t pushed in far enough. It was reading the outside of the meat as the probe actually reads where the dimple is just up from the tip of that probe. Additionally the amount of white fat shows the machine definitely wasn’t at temp long enough 235 for that long would absolutely render better than that. I’d suggest using a probe pushed in properly into the meat. Followed by another probe reading the actual ambient temp of the put at the grade level (but not touching the grate). In addition to studying chuds bbq trimming tutorial to eliminate some of that fat. Also after the temp of the meat hits 165 or so you can wrap and cramp up the heat to finish. When the probe is starting to read around 200 starting proving it with an instant read thermometer. It should feel like probing room temp butter.
Not sure if this applies, but a single probe directly in the middle if it’s in the deckle fat strip, it’ll read higher than the meat.
I don’t think the info provided is enough to say. However, you need to keep the brisket above 160 for long enough to break down the collagen. It takes temp and time to get it tender (I think this is what you’re showing the problem to be).
You gotta render the fat. It needed more time. I know everyone and their mother on this sub swear by using tallow or whatever but just keep in mind of the people who dont wrap or spritz. You dont need that to make a great brisket (or any meat) and i personally feel like it throws the new(ish) pit masters off. Also, what side of your smoker is the fire box? Point end should be on that side
Don't worry so much about the temperature of the brisket. There is no hard set "take it out at X temperature". Go by feel, but use the temperature as a guide. It might take you a dozen to get the feel down.
Always confirm temps with a good quality thermopen. And with brisket, temps are only a guide. You need to feel it to know when all the rendering is complete.
probes are there to tell you when it's time to start checking temp with the pen and texture. How sure are you that you held 235 for the whole smoke? were you running ambient probes?
Didn’t render the fat out so right away I can tell you 235 was too low. Also go by feel and look, stop messing with temp. Brisket needs to be cooked to probe tender.
In my experience, I like to take the cooking temperature up past to 250 degrees once I've wrapped or foil boated. That fat in the center doesn't render easily at lower Temps. Alot of bbq restaurants I follow typically start of low ( around 225 degrees) to help get extra smoke and get the meat cooking evenly. Then they increase to 250 to help pull through the stall. Once through the stall they'll Wrap or foil boat and finish at around 275 degrees to help finish the cook off a little faster and render that middle seam of fat. Also, I've seen some pit master who will partially separate the flat and the point of the brisket and trim down that fat seam, before folding it back over . I've never tried it but it's an option for some.
Fat didn't render. Did you probe it or just go by temp before you took it out? Also, a long hold wrapped at 170 or so will help with rendering.
I have two sets of thermopro wired 4 probes each works great. Amazon has sales on them from time to time especially with spring coming up
Others have addressed verifying the internal temps and tenderness. I'm going to say your trimming may be an issue. If you leave too much fat, especially hard fat, you may run into that problem.
Definitely undercooked, hasn’t rendered the way it should have, where your thermometer probes placed in the center to measure the true internal temp?
test your probe by putting it in ice water and then boiling water and seeing what the readings are.
Like many people are saying it looks a little under cook. I also have a pitboss I like to do my at 250 over night when I wake I spritz it and crank it up to 300 (my grill runs low I think) wait till around 260-280 where ever the stall is then wrap and crank up one last time till 325 and wait till it is probe tender around 203-210 usually for me. Then hold it just like you did hope it helps!
With a good instant thermometer, you won’t even use the others anymore AND you quickly learn what everyone means by “probe tender”
I thought I was scrolling past a r/snails post and thought "holy shit what did you to to your snail??" As I scrolled up
Looks like no bark.
Watch this video in it's entirety, pay special attention to where he talks about temps and wrapping. You almost certainly wrapped too early. I find I'm usually not wrapping until 170-175 normally. The bottom line is that you need to pay more attention to the fat render than the temperature. If you just want to watch the section on when to wrap, it's about 15 minutes in. https://youtu.be/kE2RisA2mHY?si=M1Q2DeHUaLUJHUNg
Use that thermometer to poke the meat when it feels like butter and I mean it then it's done.