The key for me was airflow. I used lump and chunks of wood for flavor. Make sure there is airflow under the grate in the fire box. Too little airflow or too much ash will snuff out the fire and make it harder to keep constant temps. Then with practice you will figure out how far to open the inflow door and the lid on the stack. By keeping the fire constant(adding fuel every 1 to 2 hours) also helps. I got pretty good at keeping mine right at 225. See if that helps.