You're going to be surprised at how little coal you use. That said, you'll also notice the fire burning a particular direction. If you spread your wood chunks around, you'll likely not burn them. I regularly just use the lower grate covered with foil as a deflector, so absolutely your drip pan will work. If you start off at 225°, you can always crank the temp to finish if it's running too slow, particularly if you're wrapped, I would have no problem going to 325° if necessary. Are burnt ends worth it? Let me think..YES!!!! Once the flat probes tender and you pull the brisket to rest, separate the point from the flat, wrap the flat and let it rest. Trim as much external fat from the point as you can, and cut into roughly 1" cubes. Season with whatever rub you used, and coat with just enough Bbq sauce of your choice to give a light coating. Put the pieces in a foil pan, or I like to use an iron skillet, put back on the grill. Sauté the pieces for as long as you care to, I like the sauce to carmelize a bit. You now have meat crack. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk