"Matthew L. Martin" > wrote in message
...
> Brad Houser wrote:
> > The mesquite lasted longer than I thought it would, but during the
actual
> > smoking, I learned it was best not to add fresh mesquite, but to get it
> > going in the chimney first. This minimizes the recovery time and reduces
> > heat loss. I added coals twice, and in 4 hours my babies were done. I
was
> > the BBQ hero saturday night!

I wouldnt worry too much about temp swings up and down. It's really not a
big deal. Another thing to consider is that the bulk of the smoke comes
during the lighting process.
Most people don't bother pre-lighting lump (kingsford yes, lump no). But if
you like doing it, why not.

Try the smoky chicken in a sandwich, or a burrito, or a salad
or.....................
As long as there's room for one I always put a chicken or two on. They cook
up faster than anything else, so time's never a problem, temps arent a
problem, they'll do just fine anywhere between 225 and 350, and you can use
em so many ways.

Congrats. Next you'll be wanting Matthews instructions on how to make a
double decker ECBX2.