You stack charcoal briquettes like dominoes in a little snake around a water pan on the bottom grate of a charcoal grill, and sprinkle wood chips on top. Then you light one end and it takes many hours to slowly burn through. It's a great method if you have a charcoal grill but not a smoker.
Early morning flat white (lemmy.world)
My first brisket, smoked in a Weber kettle via the snake method
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/ec69efb8-2e0d-4f4c-9311-701096d73175.jpeg