My husband is planning to smoke a large turkey to serve at our annual open-house. But he's never used a smoker. Your best bet is to follow the instructions that come with your smoker. But beyond that, yes, we do have some tips. To begin, purchase high quality charcoal and wood chips to ensure the fire is maintained throughout the long cooking time.
Dry chips produce a fast smoke.
Then add wet chips for slow, sustained cooking toward the end of the smoking process. A full pan of water must be in the smoker at all times for proper humidity. For safety, it's most important to use two thermometers. One should be a meat thermometer to determine the doneness of the meat. The other should be used to test the temperature of the smoker itself.