You could put it in the oven too, or buy a cooked brisket for that matter, that doesn’t mean you do. Having to babysit the smoker for 18 hours is the whole point. And if you’re going to be working the smoker all day, I mean you might as well have a beer or 18 while you’re at it. This is America, after all.I used to be this naive as well. Then I realized its 2022(23) and technology will allow me to multitask.
I can go do whatever I want over the course of a 12-18 hour brisket cook and not be straddled to my grill. I can go fishing. I can go hunting. I can watch tv. I can go to the strip club. The world is my oyster. And when I get back, the brisket will be 98% as good as a stickburners with 5% of the effort involved. It's a beautiful thing.