Well! Bought BBQed pork, 10 pounds from the local grocery/deli that commercially smokes chickens and pork. Added some homemade sauce will a little smoke flavor to cover up the lack of smoke with the store bought and served it instead of the AmeriQue pork butt. About four pounds of it was left and it was divided up into doggy bags for the company to take home for I knew what we would be eating tomorrow.
Two hours after dinner the pork butts were at 193 degrees and in removing them they fell apart into the carrying tray. After a couple hours in aluminum wrap and towels they were pulled and stored. The quality of the Cookshack product, which was moist and with a perfect smoke flavor was no contest with the deli product which had no smoke flavor and was tough - hope I never have to buy the deli BBQ again.
I used three pieces of pecan and one piece of hickory for a total of 5.3 ounces of wood weighed on the scales. Problems, yes, but the quality of the finished AmeriQue butts is a good reward for the troubles.
Don,
Will contact Cookshack Monday, they may have a cure for the temperamental probe. One thing learned - set the "TIME" regardless. That way if the thermometer probe shorts to "OFF" the "TIME" will pick up automatically instead of making the temperature setting default to "HOLD" which is 145 degrees in the box. With no time on the "time" setting it thinks the smoke/cook period is through and puts it on "hold." It thinks it is smarter than me, maybe so.
Smokemullet