Okay. Had to go for a few.
E.g.: If I am cooking, say, game hens or chicken, I cook at very high heat, indirect, so the skin ends up crispy. I fill the baskets high with all lit. i do this with pork tenderloins as well.
If I am cooking something I prefer to cook at more moderate temps I will do the same but simply fill the baskets, not pile them high. This would be for, say, duck breasts, whole duck, pork loins, many of the beef roasts, etc.
If I am cooking something at lower temps (chuck roasts, pork butt, jerk, etc.) then I fill with unlit and top with lit. It is only in this case where I will mess with the vents at all (normally I leave them all open), and will just adjust the lower vent, as needed, starting with it mostly closed and going from there.
I dislike permanently mounted therms in lids. I use a vent therm when I want to know the temp (which isn't often). One with a silicone plug that fits into a vent hole.
It is not often that I cook things in my kettle that will require more coals during the cook but for the time that this is necessary I will add a few unlit if I catch it soon enough; if I don't I add lit instead. Most of the time I start with enough to handle the entire cook (with the exception of large items, say, turkey or fresh ham).
I use a larger kettle so it is possible you would need to add coals for some cooks where I would not.
Kevin
