Wait, but what if bagged chips actually give more reliable flavor? That old tree wood @avery_jackson got might have picked up strange notes from the soil or bugs... processed chips are dried to burn steady and strong. So the "milder" fresh wood could just be uneven or weak... I find the bagged kind gives a clearer apple taste that sticks to the meat. Honestly, sometimes natural wood just smokes weird and ruins the pork...

You know, it's not just about clean work. Have you felt how much less shock goes up your arm with a rubber mallet? Metal hammers can crack bricks if you hit them wrong, but rubber sort of cradles them into place. Isn't that a game changer for DIY folks who don't want to ruin materials? I learned that the hard way on a garden path last summer.

Altitude changes everything up there.