So heat rises...
If your exit route is higher then your meat...
I'm fairly new to this forum, but I researched the heck out of everything before I put mu first brisket on the fire and had great success.
I did all the mods before lighting my Silver smoker for the first time and I did Jeff's 5 day smoking class.
I have the silver smoker and found my mods online.
Here's a link to one that includes the mods.
http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_tech...t_smokers.html
-So for heat...I created a baffle at the opening between the fire box and the smoker.
-Used a water pan.
-Used the modified Minion method for charcoal placement and added Oak and apple for my smoke.
-I created the heat "spreader", for lack of a better word, under the grates where the meat sits so the baffle sends the heat under the cookie sheets and further down the smoker box before escaping
-Extended my chimney to the grate
-Put in two thermometers...one closer to the heatbox and one closer to the chimney end, both at grate level.
-I stick a remote thermometer through a potato (Potato just holds it up) and set it in the middle of my meat to get a true reading of air temp.
But my biggest suggestion is to read the heck out of this forum. Every question is answered here several times over. Everone here is really nice and willing to help, but do some homework first and take the class...it's free!
KC