I have always been the beer drinking helper when it came to smoking pork butts or brisket and I finally decided to get my own smoker and give it a try... I'm sure I'll be following every bit of advise i can get here as this is an awesome source of information! I have made the suggested modifications found on this site to my 1st smoker, a Char-Griller 1224 Smokin Pro and have successfully smoked several beer can chickens, sausages, and armadillo eggs. The grill also easily converts back to a charcoal grill for burgers and dogs which i cook with the same lump charcoal and wood. I'll let you know how the beef brisket and pork shoulders turn out