ceed wrote:

> So now I wonder when starting using the new one if I should still use
> lump, or if I should get real wood and burn it down to coals? What's
> the normal and/or prefered way of doing it with this kind of smoker?

The prefered way for you is whatever way you end up doing it. Here's what I
do with my CharGriller, based on reading a whole bunch from the various bbq
groups on the internet and experimenting:

The night before, make sure the meat is marinating or rubbed or whatever and
in the fridge all wrapped up.
Pour a whole bag of lump into the firebox. Make a little indentation in the
middle. Put the cover back on the smoker.
Fill up the charcoal chimney with lump and newspaper like always, and put it
inside the house so it'll all get nice and dry.
Get up at 5:00 a.m. Take the chimney outside and light it. Get the meat out
of the fridge so it'll warm up a bit. When the charcoal is ready, pour it
into the firebox on top of the bagfull you already put in there. Get the
thermometer whose end I stuck through a wine cork years ago onto the cooking
grate, so just the tip is sticking out, and just above the grate not
touching it. When it's up around 200, throw some wood chunks in the firebox.
When it's up around 225-250, put the meat on. Check the temp every 15
minutes, and adjust the air intake accordingly. When it's stabilized
(usually by 7:00 a.m. or so), go take a nap for a few hours. The bag of
charcoal you put in there the night before will keep the fire going just
fine for several hours.

Get up, and from now on I use brickets until it's done because they're
cheaper and most of the smoke is in the meat anyway. Put all the remote
thermometer probes in the various cuts of meat. Monitor, switch the meats
around if necessary, take 'em off as they finish.

I've used this method so often the firebox is all rusted, no paint left, and
about shot - might have to buy just another firebox, as the cooking chamber
is still OK. Or, I could actually break down and clean and paint the dern
thing.

I don't know how big your smoker is, but on the CharGriller, I can get a
brisket, two shoulders, a big pot of beans, a big turkey breast, and on the
top shelf 3 racks of babybacks in a rib rack.

--
EZ