My wife doesn't like a lot of smoke, You can try straight charcoal and then some Kingsford with the hickory or apple wood already in it, seem that they have a pretty good balance of smoke, my wife never complains about the smoke from my pellet smoker other than the strong smell sometimes, I can take it about any amount except when it burns your tongue and every time I have tasted it too strong it wasn't done yet and it evened out when done , that was the days before instant read and remote therms, hard to do without them these days