Just to clarify 1 photo: I trim the excess fat on briskets, smoke fat side down and the trimmings are laid across the lean side. As for smoke, you can try raising your wood up off the bottom of the wood box just a little and that reduces the wood temp a tad. Also, wrapping the wood in foil and leaving the top open has been tried by folks on another site who claim it works to produce a lighter smoke. Keep at it and enjoy.