Smoked some ribs and chicken today. Been having some problems with bad tasting meat so I took the advice here and paid a little closer attention. Started a fire with peach and pecan and let it burned down to coals. Trick here was as the fire was developing I smelled the smoke coming out of the stack. When the fire wasn't right I could smell that funky taste that was on my meat,kinda sour smell. As the fire developed and got hotter the smell went away. I placed my wood on top of the firebox letting it sit until the next pieces needed to go in. So it was a ballet, as the wood burned down I put a piece or two on never too much that I smothered the fire and created thick white smoke. Ribs and Chicken came out tasty and juicy!