I have been grilling  over charcoal year round for over 60 yrs all of that time with a kettle style grill. I bought the Kettleman to replace the brand I had used all of those years because it cost less. What a wonderful surprise! I like this grill more than any other I've used and now have two, one for summer use in MN and the other for home is SC. It uses much less charcoal but does flair up if the meat or fish is fatty. I won't  try brisket because I don't believe this unit controls the intake air adequately and there is an opening at the back of the cover which vents the exhaust thus making low temp cooking iffy. I still recommend this unit.