fired the Brinkmann tonight and did some chicken breasts

OK so i decided to do something easy and simple tonight after cleaning up the brinkmann water smoker and had it fired up to season it a bit. I got to see were it is and what i need to do with it and so far i can say i got no problem getting the thing up 2 temp but the min i added the water pan the temp dropped to nothing and after 2 hours of no heat and playing with the water pan and off setting it every which way and not getting any heat out of it I took out the water pan and the fire cranked up to ideal and stayed there I put on the chicken breasts done simple with season salt and foiled 1/2 way with a citrus smoke simmer in the foil i got end pics from my new smoker the chicken tasted pretty good i think not as good as my char broil off set but than that pits been seasoned real good used hard wood lump and maple wood witch was given to me with the pit muhahaha any how hears my pics resalts from my 1st cook out of the brinkmann i just got

Looks good! Water pans are a waste if time. They eat up fuel and the added Benifit of extra smoke absorption from a steamy environment is a plus if your trying to go low and slow and get smoke all the way down to the bones. I like a light smoke on my food, definitely not the kind you belch. If I were you, I would cook a spatchcocked chicken over some lump coals that have ashed over and the fire has died down. Remove the water pan and let the flavor town begin. I got my arse kicked by a buy at 2 cook offs in a row a few years ago in chicken that cooked one one of those things without the water pan. He didn't even use a thermometer.