I was you once, but I started much younger in my 20's. The biggest things to remember: Keep your lid shut and don't fuss over it. Every time you open it you dump all your heat and smoke. The upper damper stays all the way open, all the time, unless it gets so windy, you cant keep the heat up. Always have back up propane and chips if you go that route. 190 is the magic temp for meat to fall apart. That's the key. The smoking temp should be between 220 and 230ish, but don't stress if it fluctuates. just keep it at or around 225. Sometimes, after 4 hours, it's just better to pull it, wrap in foil, and stick it in the oven to finish. No point in wasting chips and fuel past that point.
