Normally I crutch it but this time I'm determined to power through.

Just wrap it in two layers of heavy duty foil. It really helps with the power through on the stall.

Wrap in butcher paper... A paper target will work in a pinch

That is what the crutch he said he wasn't going to do is...

Leave it alone.

No crutch.

If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'...

It finally broke through and turned out just fine. That one took close to 15hrs which is longer than I have experienced in the past when crutching it. Just wanted to try it without wrapping to see how it went.

Look at it this way. The stall lets you get more sleep at night. Put it on before you go to bed instead of having to get up in the middle of the night.

So, did it lose moisture?  I always use the crutch because i don't want the brisket to dry out.

Was there any real change (smoke ring deeper, outside more charred, etc), or did it just take longer to cook?

Here's a screen shot of a brisket.  At 225F, meat temp went from 40F to 150F in under 4 hrs, then took it 4.5 hrs to bust out of the stall at 160F.

BBQ Guru?

Nope, been there, done that and dumped them.

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The outside had more bark too it. It was a little dry in the thinner areas but not terrible.

I'll check it out thanks!

Depends on what you using to smoke with and a lot of time how much moisture is being keep inside your smoker. When I would try it with the charcoal smoker it would come out dry sweet smoke ring and thick bark on it. With the electric smoker I don't need to do a crutch to it as it's is just full of moisture.

What I have found that helps a lot is after your done smoking is Holding. Then it comes off the cooker and it gets wrapped in foil and sits in a faux cambro, an insulated box, for 1 to 4 hours. You can also let it hold in foil in an oven, indoor or out, at 170 to 190°F. Holding helps tenderize by allowing some carryover cooking which helps melt tough connective tissue. The foil also captures natural jus for use in a sauce, and holding the meat allows the surface parts that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices. This is not the same as resting a steak or other meats, which I do not recommend. Holding is also a great fudge factor that lets you take the meat off when it is ready and hold it until the guests are ready.

Link to a great site for smoked food