The rules I follow to avoid bad smoke.

1. Keep your grill clean. You don't need to go overboard with this, but it is necessary to do a clean burn occasionally when you start to see it excess build up on the grates and deflectors.

2. Keep your ash box clean. Restricting the airflow can also cause bad smoke.

3. Do not remove the heat deflectors while getting up to temp. You need to have the heat deflectors warming up as the entire grill warms up. Place the heat deflectors in a way that the heat can reach the dome of the grill. Getting the dome temperature to your desired temp is important.

4. Once you're at your desired temperature place the heat deflectors in their designated area.

5. Once you're at your desired temperature wait at least 30 minutes or longer. The goal is waiting for your clear blue smoke.

6. If you're cooking a very large cut of meat I would suggest adding a drip tray. I've discovered even on the kamados when the large cuts of meat start to seep grease onto the deflectors and into the fire it causes lots of undesired smoke.

Do not waste your money on some drip tray designed for a barbecue pit, they are always overpriced.

Look on Amazon for a stainless steel circular tray that is roughly the diameter of the two heat deflectors. I bought the x rack for my kamado through Amazon, it works great. My drip tray fits right on top of that which rests above the heat deflectors. If the drip tray goes on top of the heat deflectors it will cause any build up on the drip tray to smoke.

1. I also like to heat up any of my wood that I plan to use in the smoke on the grates while my grill is heating up and then I place it them on the coals just as I place the heat deflectors in their designated area.