Do you need to utilize the briquettes throughout the whole time the meat is in the smoker? Just curious about over smoking the meat.
No, people like me that grew up not knowing what real BBQ or smoked meats were usually start out with 1-1/2 of smoke or 5 pucks of hickory and work their way up to there liking. Some people even go 4 hours of smoke on there pork butts. I will usually go 5 or 6 pucks for beef jerky. The thicker the meat the more smoke you will want to penetrate it.
Good question and no, you do not. Most folks don't go beyond 4 hours of smoke in the Bradley because the smoke is so pure and concentrated although you can go longer if you prefer.
Different meats call for different amounts of smoke.
The below link is a guide you can use as a baseline:
Applying Smoke (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?488-Answers-To-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=782#post782)