I understand that you are trying to innovate. But, for me personally, I have not nor will I start widening and drilling extra holes in my smoker other than for an Auber wall probe some day. I love that my smoker is so air tight and does not have a lot of air flow going through it. I think that that is a big reason that my Boston Butts and Ribs turn out so well.
I have a propane smoker and a stick burner that let all kinds of air through and dry out most everything I try to smoke in them. I know that you can foil your meat and spritz and all the traditional smoker tricks, but I bought the Smokin-It so I wouldn't have to resort to all those traditional smoker tricks. It is lazy Q for me and I don't want to have to resort to all that extra work.
To your point about bark, I get awesome bark ALL the time. So, I have a feeling that there is something in your process that is preventing you from getting acceptable bark.
Should you want to troubleshoot your bark issues, I would encourage you to do a search as this has been discussed a few times. Or start a new thread and we will help you get your bark issue fixed.
My two cents.
P.S. Don't get me wrong. The Jerky Dryer has a place when smoking jerky, sausage, and sometimes cheese and chicken.
+1!! Thanks for saying this, Gregg! I'm willing to help Funk, who seems determined to make his smoker into something different than designed (hey, it's his money), but I totally agree with you! I, too, have never failed to have bark that rivals any Q out there, and the only "mods" I have ever done are the holes for the permanent probe, bypassing the stock controller, installing a sub-zero power cord, and a little paint!
These smokers perform great, as designed, and the only "upgrade" is adding the Auber, which doesn't modify how the smoker performs, it just makes the temps tighter.