Root cats don't eat sympathy tokens though. That's the real tragedy.

I actually watched a breakdown by a competition pitmaster who said the opposite - that brisket has way more intermuscular fat that renders down slowly, while chuck has those big fat caps that melt off quick. But your mileage may vary, I've only done a handful of briskets myself. @jasonp71 has probably got way more experience than me in the kitchen though. What temp are you usually braising at? I've heard low and slow around 225 works best for both but that's just what I read somewhere.

Listen for the knock but check the timing marks too. The old guy is right that your ears catch stuff the book misses, especially on worn engines. @laurabennett that knock is basically your motor telling you where it wants the fuel, not just what the manual says.

Checking for hidden grease" sounds like my dishwasher has trust issues.

Man, I used to be the complete opposite. I thought keeping everything forever was smart, like a safety net for episodes I might want to revisit. But you got me reconsidering after reading this, my phone's been crawling lately and I bet it's from the same clutter.