Yes I am a grandma to 8 and a newbie to really smoking meat but I have given a it a try a few times. I first tried it in my 18" weber grill and a slab of ribs. Turned out ok, but I knew I could do better. So I bought an ECB to try my hand. I found instructions for mods on the Brinkman site and incorporated some of them but today I found even more I want to do to make it a little better. I will probably want to get a better smoker in a year or two. I also own a Char-griller duo. I don't think I will use that for smoking though, strictly grilling. I've been lurking around for a few days and there is so much info here that I decided to join so I can learn as much as my brain can handle. Thanks in advance for all the great lessons and info. Weather permit, I will be working on my ECB this weekend to make it a better smoker.