OK, seems that I am on the wrong category forum but for now I will keep it here and hopefully there will be no confusion.
I have a SM025 wood chunk smoker. I will answer all questions from above.
-There is not a hot spot on the wood box, however the element slopes from back to front, so high in back and lower in front.
-The foil drip pan is on the ground under smoker, so it is as low as it can go. The drip hole is always clear and never covered.
-Wood is all from cookshack and I did remove bark on last smoke.
-At the end of smokes the wood has always been ash, never charcoal.
-I always weigh wood.
Thanks for jumping in with your input.