Welcome from Gilbert, AZ, you landed in a great spot! You need some video help on how to manage heat control on your beautiful new offset. When adding a new split to the firebox you want to keep the firebox door open at least a couple of inches until the split catches fire good. If you just toss on some wood and close the door the wood will smolder before catching, that's where that white smoke comes from, and white smoke is what's making your meat not taste so good. I just about always have the firebox door on my SQ36 opened up at least just a crack, sometimes an inch or two, depending on how big my fire is, until I establish the desired temp then try to regulate heat with the side vents on the firebox door. A also like to leave the stack wide open, you never want to close the stack cover more than half way when cooking. Here's a couple of YouTube videos to check out, hard to go wrong learning from Aaron Franklin, good luck! RAY