These smokers look amazing. I had a cheap offset smoker, and the temperature varied a lot. Instead of fixing it, I threw it away. I have always had a BBQ and smoker of some sort. Some of what I BBQ I bring, except for eggs, vegetables, and cheese; I brine. I used to go out of my way on the brines; today I have two recipes. one for salmon, one for everything else.
I acquired a broken stand-up freezer. 3ft X 2ft X 6ft, and one big door. Gutted it to just the outer sheet metal. Put brackets to hold the old wire shelves. With a hot plate and a small fry pan to burn wood chips. A whole raw turkey would smoke for 24 hr, come out tasting like ham. Cheese was easy as the temp was sub 90 near the sides. I live in the suburbs in a tract house, have for 50 years. After a smoke, my house, my neighbor's house smelled like someone had been smoking fish for a day. The smell would linger for a week. My darling wife's comments would linger for longer. I used to fish and SCUBA dive a lot. I smoked for others as I could put half a cow in it. I was once given 50 bonita, brine, and smoke. That was a chore. Smoked Bonita is very satisfying. One or two bites and most are done. I was given a choice: get rid of the big smoker or don't get lucky. Call me a wimp, no, call me " Luck Wimp".
I've tried all types of stuff...I've simmered them, cooked them in the oven with liquid smoke, boiled, broiler/oven, par-boiled, etc...but for me, so far I can get the best results from my WSM using the Stoker I have. I have an old model that doesn't have wifi, but in the past I set it up to operate over the wifi so I could monitor from anywhere in the house. The stoker is an embedded device, similar to a BBQ Guru, if you've heard of them? The Stoker used a special probe, so that's the part that nobody can get, the probe has a tag in it to operate. The probes are used on grill, or meat. The grill attaches to the grill so provides temps of meat at the grill. The meat proper provides you with the internal temp of the meat. This is very helpful to see the stall.
I use all Webers. I have a 14-1/2" Smokey Joe, a 22-1/2" Kettle (Performer), and an 18-1/2" Weber Smokey Mountain. The fact that the Webers seal properly, and allow you to maintain the temp is what makes them very flexible. I can use my same adapter for the Stoker fan on the Kettle. My landlord has a 14-1/2" Smokey Mountain, so the Smokey Joe gets a middle section, which adds a 2nd grill and water pan.
I think grilling smoke is more potent than the smoker. I usually try to keep my smoker at 275 degrees, as a balance between patience and finishing. Setting at 225 will take FOREVER! When I grilled steaks at my last house, I've had rats cover over the fence to the BBQ. When they realize there's a human, they do a sharp 90 degree...I always made sure I cleaned up good. That includes the probes.
There are a couple styles I haven't tried, and I would like to.
Santa Maria style with adjustable grill height. This is a different type of cooking where you adjust the height to change heat on the meat, but the meat moves. Brazilian/Argentinian style moves the meat like Santa Maria style.
Offset that uses green oak. I have never cooked with green, with a separate fire pit. I don't know if I will like this or not, but I currently am happy with the results I get from the WSM. If I never built a smoker, it probably won't change the fact that I like to cook with fire. To complicate it for me, I use separators in the Kettle so I can use direct/indirect appropriately. The WSM is only indirect, but I have been known to grill food direct, after smoking it. My wife and daughter get decent results in the broiler/oven, and I eat it...but they don't come close to the WSM, and they do baby backs, I only cook St. Louies in the WSM. I have done baby backs in the past, but they're not my favorites.
Another square style that Chud's BBQ makes. He build them himself.
I'll still use one of your recipes, I'm not too proud. 
Not too much bread, I'm not crazy about a lot of bread.
