Ideally you want a light blue smoke for adding great flavor. But in an electric smoker that isn't possible since the wood chips are smoldering instead of burning so C2 is dead on in that you don't wan too much wood at any time - just a few chips at a time and then wait 30 - 45 minutes before adding anymore. As you can see, I didn't do that which caused the outside to turn really dark. But due to my short cooking time, I had to add a bit more chips and more often - just something I was willing to accept.

If you are doing a whole bird, cook it in a disposable pan so you can cover it with foil when the outside gets to the color you are looking for. But put a cooling rack in the bottom of the pan so the bird isn't sitting down in the grease.

Another thing, I don't soak my wood chips when using the electric smoker - that makes them smolder longer. Smoldering wood creates creosote which is what causes the numbing sensation on your lips when you eat the smoked meat.