Do you soak your wood in water over night before putting it in the smoker?
Typically, I do not use wet wood because it does not burn as hot and gives off copious amounts of smoke. In this smoker I made, I have to keep the fire up because its a reverse-flow design, and it loses heat quite well. This is a good thing, because instead of a fire jacking the smoker up to 500+ degrees F, it will max out at around 300 and from there its easy to keep it between 200 and 250 by adjusting the damper, amount of wood, and the air intake on the firebox.
Long answer for a short question, but its like one of those questions like, THing. Everyone does what works for them. The proof is when people rave about your bbq or you find yourself standing over a hole in the ground, scrutinizing the gold coin in your hand. The path is yours, and no matter how you get there, the end result is the prize.
When you are smoking meats, only the first couple hours of smoking is effective, and the rest of the time is used just for finishing the cooking process. I like to use very aged/seasoned red oak and maple, and I will occasionally throw some green alder on top of the coals for an extra spicy smoke taste. I'm never lucky enough to get any apple wood, but my uncle in Brattleboro has 30 apple trees that he doesnt keep groomed. I'm thinking a trip is in order.
Dang, I'm long-winded this morning! Sorry 'bout that!
