No expert here...on our 'charcoal' smoker/grill, I used veggie oil all over the inside after first washing off any remnants from the manufacturing process. It helps fight off rust and sets a base for the smoke to adhere to{IMO
}. Just a simple wipe down with the oil is all that's needed, don't need to try & flood the surface{s}. Then a dry 'empty' run to 'set' the 'seasoning'.
Add another to the mesquite fav list. We're really enjoying the rotisserie aspect with our present day smoking. As to other types of wood, Cherry is a popular choice with a sweet mild flavor that goes well with just about everything we've tried. Apple and Hickory are the only others we've experimented with. Hickory is too strong of a flavor for my Mrs so we usually avoid it, Apple is great with pork, but does darken the skin on chicken quite a bit. Now thanks to Brent sharing his ABT's secrets, looks as though we're going to add to our repertoire, and those shredded beef sandwiches are going to get a spin or two also