I like the concept and the blower system should make it much easier to fire up. There are several good sources of wood chunks and small sticks online.
Basically, you can do the same thing with a Weber kettle or other good charcoaler. I've done mesquite wood grilled steaks on mine many times by starting with a small bed of charcoal (I use about ten briquettes) then placing the wood chunks on top and opening the bottom vents all the way, using the top vent to modulate temperature. The briquettes "jump start" the wood then fade away. You can get a good, glowing bed of mesquite this way in about thirty to forty-five minutes. The trick is to know when to add more chunks or sticks to sustain and you develop a feel for that after a couple of cooks.
Wood-fired steak cooking produces a different flavor than just adding smoke chips or chunks to another fire type. It is more subtle. Using mesquite pellets I get pretty much the same flavor on my Memphis. Red oak makes a great fire, too.
Hub
