Used to think brisket was always a gamble. Your post shows it's skill, not luck. My first few tries were just sad. Now I see the importance of patience. Watching the temp made all the difference for me too. Your progress really changed my view on smoking.
Ugh, those early briskets are a special kind of bad, right? My first one was so dry you could've used it as a doorstop. Another time I got the bark so dark it looked like I pulled a meteorite out of the smoker. Turns out the trick is just doing the exact opposite of what your gut says... leave it alone and watch a number on a little box.
Yeah, the first one is always a disaster. I learned the hard way that poking it every twenty minutes just lets all the heat out. Now I just set a probe alarm and walk away until it hits 195.