Using wood on a smaller smoker is a catch-22/combination of sorts. It's pretty much how I do my thing, and the only way I can describe what I do is more-or-less starting with some charcoal.. just because it's a hot, realiable source of heat to get everything started. I use lump for this, and after making a nice bed of coals I will, depending on mood, barometric pressure, jupiter being aligned with venus.. then transition to wood over the period that constitutes the 'majority of smoking intake', eg, hours 1 to 6. It's around the end of that time, if doing a large cut of meat (pork butt anyone?) that I'll start thinking about foiling.. ((or my new secret that a friend turned me on too.. (and since nobody's listening).. it's a paper grocery bag)) and use charcoal as a low maintainence heat source. I'm starting to digress through. the point is that I use each one for their best atributes. Lump for heat, wood for smoke.. and after the meat gets unfoiled, or what I refer to as "her close up, Mr Demille", I might throw some wood back on, jsut because I know it will make flame and reinforce the crust I'm going for it this point. This is where high art meets palate. Bottom line.. use both and dance with each depending on what the DJ is playing and space on the dance floor. Keep both small, glowing and red hot.. watch for too much flame after wood additions on a smaller smoker.. sometimes you'll need to choke it down. Then come back to pet her nicely a few minutes lately. It's high maintainence, but the results will be worth it.
