Smoking Advice Sought

wood on top? if the wood is only on top, the fire can either use it up, or actually burn from under it. the fire (in my egg anyway) goes downward. not in a spiral, not outward, just DOWN.

if i want continuous smoke (and sometimes that can be too much), i will add lump to a fairly empty egg (or just move aside any lump already there) and build the fire in layers.

like this>> a little lump, some chips or small chunks, some more lump, some chips/chinks, some more lump, and so on until it is filled to where i want it. i leave the chips OFF the top.

i light the egg, and when the lumop is burnging clear and i'm at temp, i add some chips into the fire, drop in the indirect set-up and the meat.

burning down, the fire will keep finding wood. i have previously gambled it all on big chunks set up on top, but often the fire says "thanks very much", it smokes for a short while, and then the fire moves on to new fuel (and where the wood ISN'T).

chips or chunks is an argument not worth having. the same amount of wood will last as long whether it is in chink or chip form. and given the propensity of the fire to travel, i like to hedge my bets and put chips spread up and down in a column.

ignore the advice that "meat only takes on smoke for the first hour or so". it's a myth

If you read the side of the package the surgeon general has some advice. :woohoo:

I really like the cast iron pot you can buy from Fred's. I fill it with chips and pellets and let it rip. I don't know if it is the best but it sure is easy and I seem to get the smoke flavor I want.