So this guy smokes Briskets on a weber kettle, yet I suck at trying it.

Used Weber Smokey Mountain. Or Weber 26.

Others will come along with suggestions on how to tweak and get more time and a quality brisket on the 22.

I just answered the question.

Before I got the slow n sear, I did smoke using snake method and never had a problem. I suspect you might be closing the bottom/top vents to try to control temps? With snake, you should leave the vents fully open, because you're limiting the fire by limiting its fuel, so no need to choke the air as well.

If you were using a different method, a deflector, or a SnS, you would be controlling temp with air flow. Or if your snake starts getting out of control/it was very thick. Hope this helps, let me know if this isn't your problem.

I too am afraid to try brisket on my Weber kettle. I purchased a Weber slow and sear to cook brisket and turkey. The turkey try will be for Canadian Thanksgiving next month. The price of beef is so expensive that if I do brisket and I screw it up, I’ll feel really bad.

Don't be afraid, as long as you don't do anything outrageous it will be edible. For brisket on the kettle, if you have trouble controlling temps like I do (my grill is old and very leaky), I would cook it until the stall, wrap it, and finish it in the oven at 225-250. That method I think is very safe, and you won't have to worry about refilling the grill.

don`t panic it`s real ez get a slow and sear they work

Yeah like Stlsportster said, go with the WSM. Learn the touch and feel of toothpick probe tender brisket. Once you have that you can cook brisket on anything. I mean, yeah, you can use a kettle, but a WSM will give you solid temp control. And start with quality too. Costco sells perfectly good prime packers, or even practice on choice grade a few times.

I run snake method on a 22.5 OTG kettle all the time for several years now. I don't usually do briskets on it, but I have. I have done a lot of pork butts on it. I never have a problem with it going out. Always make sure the briquettes are touching/overlapping a little. I run a 4 coal snake (2 on top of 2) if I want to run about 250. If it's warm outside it might go a little higher or lower if cold. I run both vents wide open unless it's start's to go a lot hotter. I put a small chunk of wood every 2 or 3 coals. I run 5 coals if I want to go 275 up 2x2x1. Check your temp guage and don't fight it for a few degrees. It's best if vents stay wide open. If you have to, close off bottom vent some to control excess temp. That shouldn't be a regular problem. Sometimes it happens. Dry/damp coals/wood effects it

I failed to mention. I usually only smoke till I wrap and then go to oven. I can finish on kettle. But I like a nap :-D

I love smoking meat in my kettle but have never been a fan of the snake.
I prefer a pile of unlit lump with a few lit coals on top to get things going. Then I add fuel and adjust vents as needed. Works for me.

However...When it comes to brisket it goes in the stick burner...

What size weber do you have
what fuel are you using and is it dry
Can you show us a picture, I have only ever had one snake go out on me
I do 12lb Briskets in mine

The best brisket I have ever had was cooked on a 22 Weber Kettle.

Years ago I started taking motorcycle trips all over Texas to eat Q at as many places that I could that were on the Texas Monthly top 50 list. This resulted in eating some really great brisket. I still do this but not as much as I used to, mainly if one is really getting great reviews now.

I had a manager that I worked for that had the same desire for great brisket, he and I spent more time talking about food than work. Anyway, he cooked all his briskets on a 22 Weber. They were always better, far better than any I had ever eaten. The bark that his briskets had were unbelievable. Sometimes I laugh when I see pics of what people call bark on here. I retired almost 5 years ago and he eventually left the company and is working in Temple Texas now, but we still talk occasionally about smoking meat. He still does his brisket on the Weber. He did not use the snake method but put the coals on one side with firebrick to hold them in place.

I tried to do a few on my Weber but my results were not in the same ballpark as his.

I tried to get him to enter a few cook offs around here but he had no interest in doing it.

Now I need to head to Temple for a visit and some of his brisket.

I too bank the coals to one side using two 1.15" thick paver stones. If they break, it's like a dollar to replace. Pack the cavity with a mixture of briquettes and slightly larger than briq sized wood chunks (about 7-8 chunks mixed in with the unlit charcoal). Dump 10-12 lit briqs on top to get things going. leave kettle open for 10ish minutes, then put lid on leaving top vent wide open and bottom vent open about a pencil's width. After 15 more minutes, I am very close to TBS. Cooker will typically start out low at around 250F, then gradually rise, if temp gets over 325F, I'll start to close down the top vent a bit to slow down the air flow. I flip the brisket at least once during the cook. It will typically run about 6-7 hours like this. If I run out of heat before brisket is done, I'll finish in the oven. Pretty simple process and works great.

I don't skimp on the rest period ever! 2 hours minimum, 4 hours preferred.

First off 12lbs is a big brisket to try for your first time. But don't give up. It's totally doable.

Some things you don't mention:
What fuel you are using
What you are measuring temperature with
Your vent settings
How much leakage your kettle has
How often are you opening the lid
How you are lighting the snake.

For a large slab I run in a 7 or 8 brick snake with overlapping briquettes. I fire it off with about 20-25 briquettes in a chimney and place it next to the snake. I sprinkle about 1/8 cup wood chips every few briquettes but not touching. I've also found that some brands of charcoal are much more forgiving. Kingsford probably being the easiest to work with but it imparts a unique flavor. Once the kettle gets to about at the grates (not the cheap lid thermometer) I close up the bottom vent to big enough to let a pencil barely slide in. Then I tweak it a bit to get my target temp.

Once I hit my target temp I throw the meat on and it's cruise control. Very little interaction required. Maybe if it gets breezy or it starts to rain in when I need to touch it. I don't open the lid unless I need to move the meat. The temp prob tells me what's going on, the temps in the kettle are so even there is no need to move stuff and I can shine a pen light in the vent holes to see what's going on.

I will say that I've never done a burn for longer than 10 hours, my snake goes 3/4 around the grill and I could make a 12 hour burn by the looks of the coals leftover.

If you only follow one bit of advice from me, I would say do a few test burns with no meat.

I would suggest watching this video to see how Malcom Reed sets up for the snake method for a pork butt on the Weber kettle. He uses an inverted vortex in the middle and sets up the coals around it, with wood mingled with the charcoal all throughout the snake. I would think this would work for a (smallish) brisket as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfpwIp7etc

Eli,

It can be done. Pretty much, the only way I do brisket. I just bank the coals on one end. I may use some foil as a quick deflector as shown. I do have some coal baskets I use to keep the coals banked. If you have the hinged grate, I just add new coals at the hinged area. Never really track kettle temp. Add some chunks once in awhile.

Bob

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193751&highlight=brisket+kettle

I realzie it's not necessary to have a special smoker for brisket but, if you have an oportunity to do so I would go for it :-D. "Honest Honey all I need is one more smoker"