The mini is hands down one of the easiest smokers to control temps on. With practice you will be able to get to sit just about anywhere you want.
For chicken I honestly would have kept the temps up above 325°, I like crisper skin and for us we get enough smoke flavor. With that said. If you want lower temps it is easy to control with the mini, at least using the silver with a set up like I have. The best method that I have found, hands down for lighting the mini is with a torch through the side vent. If you do not have a side vent you can remove the pot and torch one side until you have 3-4 lit coals. I always start with a full basket, and two to four (depends on length of smoke) chunks of 2"-3" wood for smoke on top. My full basket usually consists of partially spent fuel from the smoke before and whatever new it takes to refill the basket. If I am planning a long smoke then I start with all fresh and I overfill the basket. For hotter cooks I only use the steamer insert that came with the pot for a diffuser. For lower temp smokes, anything under 285° I use either a 10" terracotta planter tray (wrapped in foil) or I have a 8" x 10" x 1" thick chunk of granite wrapped in foil. When I start I have all of my vents wide open. Torch goes in one side and I torch the coals for 3-5 minutes. The temp gauge is going to go off the hook when doing this. When I hit 400° I pull the torch and let things settle. Typically it will drop back to 180°-200°. If I am doing a low temp cook I let it go at that point. If I am doing a high temp cook I will torch through the opposite side vent. Once again until I hit 400°, then pull the torch. Typically things will then settle to just below 300°. I will then let that go until I get to my target temp. If I'm in a big hurry I will torch again.
One thing to mention is its way easier with the mini to increase temps. That being said if I am cooking a large hunk of meat like a butt, a picnic, bottom round roast, anything that has a large thermal mass I will shoot about 15-20 degrees above my targeted pit temp.
So once I get the mini lit to control temp I start by closing down the lower vent. Then I move on to the side vents. If I only lit one side I will start closing that side first and then I alternate sides closing a little at a time until I hit a stable temp. Honestly If I am with in 5 degrees +/- and the thing wants to run there that's where I set it. Depending on weather I know that 265° is a sweet spot that one of my mini's likes to run at. Note that I leave the top vent open all of the time. The only time it gets closed is when I snuff the fire.
Snuffing the fire once the smoke is done I close all of the vents, remove the pot and put the lid on the base. At the next cook I shake the ash from the basket ans re-fill, or if doing a mega long cook I grab my spare basket and start with all fresh.
I smoke year round in all kinds of weather and I can say that the mini as I have it set up is one of the easiest smokers to use in inclement weather. Wind is probably the one factor that will kill you on temp control. But having a good shield or even an insulating shield like reflectix insulation will solve that problem.
Early on I spent a bunch of time testing the mini with various setups. The setup and the methods that I use today is the result of those tests. Its still a test in progress as every smoke is a chance to try something new and improve on the smokes prior.