Firstly, you'll need to keep a close eye on the smoker's temperature. Use light charcoal to start up your fire. Open both the exhaust damper and intake damper. Adjust the exhaust damper and intake damper where necessary. If the temperature is too high, close the vents a bit. Open them a bit more when it's too low. Set up a two-zone grill to create a low cooking temperature. Always monitor the fuel and refuel when it's too low. Observe the smoke. You want to make sure your grill is producing blue smoke, The moment it turns translucent, it means that your wood isn't burning properly resulting in a temperature decrease.