New to Smoking and looking for some guidance

I don't know anything about your smoker but with the folks on here with a variety of different smokers someone is bound to know bout it !

Also I put in the search bar at the top "Charbroil H2O" & had a few results.... Maybe give that a try & see if there's any helpful info to ya ! Good luck !

That looks like a variation of the venerable ECB. Try searching for ECB mods in the search bar at the top of the page. There is a lot of info on that type of smoker on this site to make it a much better unit. I started with one years ago and did all the mods and more. It is a good place to start and learn the craft. Also welcome! Edit... this is the link to the ECB group. You should join it and read the many posts about smokers similar to yours and how to get the most out of it. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/37/ecb-owners-group

Defiantly search ECB mods in the search bar. Lots of good info.

Scott 

Also I suggest that you take Jeff's free e-course on smoking meat. In my opinion a great way to get started out on the right foot.

Welcome to the world of smoking...

Most of my experience with smoking have been with trial and error while keeping a log of some kind.  As for first smoke I would do some chickens.  They are cheap and easy to cook.  We smoke at 275f for most of our cooks so your time will vary with your temperature of course.  We cook our chickens to a breast temp of 165f.  Pull them off, wrap them for about an hr, then serve.  Nice flavor moist and tender.  Experiment with the different woods such as hickory, apple, cherry, and so on.  Our favorite is mesquite but it is too strong for most people.  Once you have mastered the ways of the chicken, move on to ribs.  Search the forums and try different 3-2-1 methods until you find one that works to your taste and cook temp.  Once you have these two meats mastered, time take it up a notch and start taking on the shoulder, butt, and onto the master Yoda meat, THE BRISKET.  The full brisket, not just the flat. 

of course during this time you are refining your rubs and sauces.