We didn’t like conventional charcoal briquettes so we use lump charcoal. I supplement the ash bin with Mesquite and Oak on brisket and Hickory for pork. I actually cold smoke briskets and pork (first 3 hours) and haven’t had any complaints regarding too much smoke. I think the flavor is far superior on the 1050 over Traeger. To me it is much more like the flavor I could get on a conventional offset when I grew up back home and Texas.