I envy your freedom of time. For me, smoking time is a compromise. Even though I typically wake up around 4-5 am daily, I'm not ready to face the hassle of setting up my smoker until near 9 am unless I have an important meal planned and need to get the meat inside the smoker by 7 or 8 am--which is rare. I'm usually dealing with no more than a 7 lb. brisket or 2-3 racks of b-back or STL ribs. Whatever I'm smoking is scheduled to be dinner that night so I need to make sure it's done in time, but a few times I've missed the deadline.
There are things that interest me in detail that I'll read up on. Science isn't one of them. I've got lots of grilling and smoking books. I've done online reading and tried out smoking tips I've learned here. My eyes glaze over at all the science and chemical interactions and what happens to components of fat and meat when exposed to heat and to smoke. All I can recall is the basics of how to get a smoke ring in meat. All I really have the attention span for is to read a recipe and to recall techniques like wrapping in foil or butcher paper or leaving the meat naked. From my reading and personal experience I decide on the temp set point and on the finish IT. I have developed my own style but if I come across tweaks that might help I try those out. My favorite smoking temp zone is 225-235° because most smoking meat recipes call for that. I wish I were more like you where when the meat's done it's done. With me, it's always a question of if the meat will be done on time, will the wood pellets stay lit, is the smoker temp at my set point or close to it. Given all this, I'm right proud that I can still produce really good Q in my MES.
I actually prefer grilling with my
Weber kettle grill over smoking. For one thing, it's a lot faster. I can lift the lid and instantly see the progress. I don't have to worry about temp swings or the coals going out. While I really like good Q I love the taste of grilled foods. What's nice for me is that I have both a smoker and a grill so I can do both whenever I choose.
As for bread baking, that's my wife's department.