This article is from the Food Preserving FAQ, by Eric Decker ericnospam@getcomputing.com with numerous contributions by others.
If you keep the temperature low by closing down the inlet dampers, the
smoke gets thick and sooty and produces an unattractive and bitter
coating on the surface of the meat. I prefer to keep the fire burning
more freely and control the temperature by providing some draft between
the fire and the meat.
 
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