Hi Larry , IMO it also depends on what temps you want to cook at? (and the amount of charcoal you have lit).
If you just need it to be at 225 (for example) I connect everything and close the lid (open the top 1/4) and close the bottom vents completely for about 10 minutes and turn on the Stoker and let it do it's thing (I do the same using my guru but for longer cooks I only use the Stoker because I like to keep the results).