Yeah that foil steam is real, it's like wrapping it in a tiny sauna lol. I see this everywhere now, people trying to shortcut a process and losing the good part, like when you microwave bread and it gets all soggy. For brisket, I go by bark feel, not just temp, if the bark is set and has some dark color to it, that's when I wrap with paper. Lets it breathe just enough to keep cooking without turning into a pot roast.

Wait, that article actually called them something?

Honestly, a rope snapping with no visible wear sounds off. You sure it wasn't damaged during storage or had a hidden factory flaw you missed? Six months is a long time for something to happen to it.