Always close the lid of your cooker to ensure that there is no airflow trapping the heat inside and regulating the temperature too. If it is left opened or out of place, you would have temperature controls
When cooking is taking place, it is essential to relax and let the smoker do its job while occasionally checking it. If hooks are not secured in the right way, the meat can fall inside the charcoal chamber. If the meat is huge, consider using two hooks
In winter, you need to leave small gaps on the lip to build up more airflow. This, in turn, builds up more heat for cooking
If the temperature becomes too low, you can slide the lid off a bit or open the vents to build up more airflow
Hang the meat a few inches above the coal. If there are really long slabs of meat, consider cutting them in half
Replace the covers slightly to avoid fire shooting out of the machine