I think the problem I have been having is that I am not getting good combustion of the chips. I have only used my smoker a couple of times since buying it and I don't think I am getting as good of smoke as I should be. I am using an MES 30. For example, right now I have a pork butt on the rack. I put it in at 9:30 this morning. I filled the chip box with dry, apple chips. Here it is 6 hours later, and the wood chips are a blackish/ rust brown color, and I even added some new chips about half way through and those are still a light brown color. I took the chip box out and put a torch to the bottom of it, hoping to get some more heat to it, and then put the lid back on and put it back in the smoker. When I first start up the smoker, do I need to jack the temperature way up to get the chips really smoking? I have just been setting it to the temperature I want it to cook at, and letting it go. Is the temperature not getting high enough to get the chips smoldering. I am trying to keep the temperature about 230-235. I am sure I will still produce a good tasting pulled pork sandwich, I just want it to be smokier than I believe it will be. I removed the rack that the water pan/smoke box sit on, and I have both of them just sitting directly on the heating element, so I know the chips are getting heat. Getting a little frustrated that I can't figure out how to make more smoke. Maybe I will looking into doing some mods to it. Sorry if this reply is so confusing.