How do ya keep BBQ tender?

170 F is a bit too low for brisket. It will usually be chewy if you don't take it higher. Try up around 185-195 F next time. A fork should penetrate with no resistance. That's the best test.

BTW, if by chance you undercook a brisket, all is not lost. It makes great stew. Cut it into cubes, brown it in a pot, toss in some onions, garlic, etc, pour on some stock and wine, and simmer until completely tender.

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Reg

1. Take it off at a higher temp (185-190) or when you can easily insert and twist a fork.

2. Let it rest before slicing. Wrap it in heavy-duty foil, wrap that in a towel, and set it in a cooler (without ice, of course). I use a square soft-sided cooler about 14" X 14". It'll stay warm for hours that way; more important, the time spent resting will enable the juices to be redistributed throughout the meat.

There is no way to competely hold that fresh-out-of-the-grill tenderness, but tin foil is your friend. Wrap your meat (without

slicing/pulling/chopping it) as soon as you can after coming out of the grill, or store it in some sort of sealed container. It won't be as good as that bite you pulled off while it was still in the gril, but it'll sure beat a bite from the same piece of meat sliced and left to sit on a table for an hour or two.

I agree with others in letting it rest. The first bites may be insanely delicious, but that's because the juices are rushing out into the pieces you've cut into :(.

To add something new, despite being no expert at bbq, I've been playing around with brines lately. You could try your hand at that for an experiment. I use a heaping tablespoon of salt per cup of liquid (like apple juice). Wikipedia has the science behind why brining keeps meats juicier. Fascinating tasty stuff!