I used a 16.5 lbs brisket from Costco, $2.99 per pound. Turned on the smoker to 225, added hickory wood chips. Trimmed 1-2 lbs fat off, took just over half an hour to trim. Sliced it in half so it would fit in the smoker. Took out two smoker racks to help it fit.
Some notes from the first time I used the smoker - I made smoked salmon. The result was awesome - I’ve made it a couple times since then, and am just dropping this here for future note.
I really just followed the instructions. I used Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, as he recommends - which, BTW, is probably going to become my goto salt. I used Costco salmon without the skin on - it worked perfectly. I brined in Ziploc bags - no problem. The whole thing came out perfectly. I think I only brined for a few hours, then dried for a few hours. Since then, I’ve brined and dried for longer, but this first batch of fish really needed no improvement.