The water pan can also be filled with beer or wine for added flavor. You'll need a bag of charcoal briquettes, but never use the self-starting variety. We use a combination of standard briquettes, mixed with some hickory or mesquite hardwood charcoal, which is petroleum-free and burns longer. You'll also need the essential flavor-producing wood chunks, but only hardwood will do. Soft woods such as pine, cedar, or birch contain too much sap and will produce undesirable smoke and creosote.
Some good hardwoods are hickory, oak, mesquite, maple, apple, cherry, and grapevine.
Obviously, each wood creates its own flavor, so it's fun to experiment. If fresh wood is unavailable, soak dry wood chunks in water for about an hour before using. Place a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil under the smoker legs to catch any embers or drippings. Fill the charcoal pan with a mound of charcoal and saturate with lighter fluid. Fill the water pan with warm water, wine, or beer to one inch below the rim and place it inside the smoker.