For me personally I have been cooking for over 40 years and have yet to experience old smoke or stale smoke. I run my offsets with the stack pinched back and the intake too as I need to depending on the conditions and cook. Maybe it has to do with the wood and condition of the wood, I start it with a chimney or 2 then it is wood all the way for me. But I also oversize all my fireboxes a few % too, so I am never starving for fuel or intake and exhaust. I guess everyone has there on way of doing things and if it works I say leave it be. I know BBQ Willy will throw several sticks in his offset he bought from me choke it down and sleep for 3 hrs and still be at 225 degrees.