Howdy Pete, I use the rustoleum highheat and sprayit out of a gun. If it is warm there then you can spray without thinning, if it is cool then yu will want to thin according..... no paint on the inside anywhere, firebox or cook chamber, if you can have it blasted first, that is best then season. If not, scrub it out real good then rinse it out,,,,,,, I spray the whole inside with Pam or equivalent, then I bring it up to 275 300. Put cheap bacon orpork fat on the grates and bring your temp down to 250 or so. Let it cook the pork fat or bacon, whatever meat you have a good fat count is best... at this time you can play with the intake and stack keeping note of hwere yu have set and find the temps you are looking for. Hope this helps. Cant wait to see how the centerfeed works.....have fun
DO NOT SEASON WITH PINE, while you will get a residue that might be protective you will also taste that pine in everything you cook! Give the PAM a try and like they said give it a long slow cook with maybe some heavy smoke. The trick for me is that I never clean the walls so to speak. After the cook crank open the intakes and let the cooker get as hot as it wants as it burns up the last of the wood in the fire box. Now you open her up give everything a quick spray with clean water and close it up tight while it steams. The steam will knock off any chunks on the racks but will not take the "cure" off your cooker walls. Before it cools, brush the racks and drain her dry and the beast will be seasoned and ready for the next cook. Within 3 runs like this your cooker walls will be perfectly protected from rust.
2 cents worth, not a penny less
If it can't be smoked .... try frying it. It that don't work, it's probably best just left alone