Summarize this article:

To give the brisket a delicious smoky flavor, you need to barbecue it with wood chips. Take 6 cups of hickory or mesquite chips, and soak them for an hour in enough cold water to cover the wood. When the hour is up, drain the water from the chips so they’re ready for the grill. If you’re using wood chunks in your grill, it isn’t necessary to soak them beforehand. In fact, soaking wood chunks can actually make it take longer to get them burning. When you’re ready to start your grill, place your charcoal in a chimney starter. Use an electric starter or lighter fluid to ignite the coal and allow the pieces to burn until they are red. Once the charcoal pieces are hot and red, add them to the bottom of the grill. However, make sure to create two piles, one on each side of the grill with the center area free of coal. Some grills have special baskets that are designed for holding the charcoal in piles on either side of the grill. If your model has them, you can place the coals in the baskets. Fat may cook off the brisket as you barbecue it, and you don’t want it to reach the charcoal. To catch any fat or other debris that may fall off the meat, place a drip pan between the two piles of coal in the center of the grill. An inexpensive foil pan works well as a drip pan for your grill. When the charcoal and drip pan are in place, toss ¾-cup (177 g) of the wood chips on each of the piles of coal, for a total of 1 ½ cups (354 g). Next, place the grate over the charcoal and wood chips to prepare for barbecuing.
Soak your wood chips. Light the charcoal in a chimney starter. Place the hot coals on either side of the grill. Set up a drip pan between the piles of coals. Add the wood chips and insert the grate.