First brisket on Kamado Joe.....need some “hep”

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temp 225?

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that will work

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How many hours (I have read anywhere from 30 min to 1 1/2 hour per pound) ?

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. Varies. You will need to learn your pit. Cook to temp as you noted below

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Water pan?

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not needed with a kamado style cooker

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Fat up or down?

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this is a debate, but I would do down. Fat acts as a heat insulator from your source that is below the meat

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Flip or rotate?

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Only if you start to see very uneven cooking. I would not expect that on a small pit

225 is perfect temp.

Fat down since heat comes from the bottom. It will shield the meat from drying out.

Don't go by time per pound because eat cut of meat is different, use a thermometer and wrap at 160.. take it off at 205.

No need for water pan or to flip and rotate.

Really no difference between doing it on a Kamado and a propane when it comes to the meat. The process is still the same.

It's all about feel when you pull it. It's a big piece of meat with different thicknesses, so the internal temp varies depending on where you probe. It could be 205 in one spot and 208 in another. When you can poke the probe throughout the whole brisket and it feels like poking through butter everywhere, pull it.

Also, 225 works fine but I aim for no higher than 275 and have never had a problem and it takes less time.

Wrap when the bark starts getting too hard and crusty.

Great info in this thread, but if you have a heat diffuser plate, you probably don't need a water pan other than to catch grease drippings. I trim back the fat on mine, so up or down makes no difference. Wood chunks only in the first few hours, and don't add more because it will lay down an acrid taste on the bark. But again, everyone has their method, think crawfish boil, lol! Also, If you want to build a good bark and smoke ring, spritz it with a water/ACV mixture every 30 to 45 minutes for the first few hours. Probing with a bamboo skewer for doneness once reaching desired IT is also a good way to "feel" when it's done - should feel like pushing into firm, room temp butter.

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11lb whole brisket... temp 225?

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I do around 225-230.

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How many hours (I have read anywhere from 30 min to 1 1/2 hour per pound) ?

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Don't go by time. Go by internal temp. Thickness, fat content, how well you trim, grade of meat all affect cooking times. Get yourself a good instant read or something like the igrill where you can monitor it as it cooks. But if you want to know time, to decide when to serve, then assume for 11 lbs, about 1/2 hr to 1 hour/lb. All of my briskets cook quickly on the KJ, and i think that has to do with the Joe itself. It's ceramic insulated and you get a bit of a convection affect going on inside the dome due to its shape, and the deflector plates.

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Water pan?

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Not needed on a Joe. Do it if it makes you feel good, but i never use one.

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Fat up or down?

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I do fat side up. The idea being, the fat will render and self baste the brisket.

ETA: Based on other comments about fat side down helps keep it from drying out, makes sense. I also recall reading somewhere that the idea of the fat rendering and "soaking back into the brisket" doesn't really happen.

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Flip or rotate?

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No.

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I will wrap in butcher paper at 160ish..and pull at 205 degrees.

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You can do that. I wait until about 170 or so. Just don't forget the rest. Once you hit internal temp of 205, remove and place inside a cooler and let rest. It will stay hot for hours. I've let it rest for 3 hours before, due to it being finished quicker than expected.

A side note, all of my briskets now, will come with burnt ends. I used to just slice the entire brisket, and would end up tossing some of it by the end of hte week because i had too much leftover. The last brisket i made, i made burnt ends out of the entire point (fattier side) of the brisket. I cooked the entire packer together, and then once the flat got up to 180, i separated and removed the point, wrapped the flat and point in butcher paper, and continued cooking. Once the flat got to 205, i removed and placed into a cooler. When the point got to 205, i took it off the joe, cubed it, tossed it in a sauce, and raised the heat in the joe to about 300 and added a few wood chunks and continued cooking for another 1-2 hours until they were a nice dark color. It is meat candy.

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You're not doing it right
I'm always wishing I cooked a 2nd one.

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Well, when i cook a 16 lb packer (untrimmed) and only my brother and his wife comes over, and my wife doesn't really like bbq or smoked meats, i end up with a bunch. If i have a bunch of people over, however, this isn't much of an issue.

I'm just giving you a hard time.
Get a vacuum sealer and seal a meals worth per pack. Drop in hot water for a couple minutes for a damn good sammich or to put in the next round of beans.

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temp 225?

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That's standard smoking temp. I usually roll ~250 but recently got a temp controller so may look at going lower.

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How many hours

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Plan for 1.5h and be happy when it's ready sooner. I've had a 12lber be done in 9h and another take 16h.

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Water pan?

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I always have. Not sure if needed but old habits....

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Fat up or down?

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I go down to protect from heat source.

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Flip or rotate?

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Nah.

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pull at 205 degrees.

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Start checking for doneness around 195. When probe slides through flat & point with no resistance, it's done. Could be under 205, could be over 205. I've even wrapped just the point or flat before if one side is lagging behind.

Don't forget to let it rest after pulling off smoker before wrapping & storing for later use. If you wrap immediately, temp will continue to rise a bit and push it to overdone.