Boston Marathon

Good title to your post -- says it all.

With a "new" smoker, have you verfied your temps and your poulder.

Turn on the empty smoker and once it comes up to temp, check it.

To check the Poulder, fill a glass with Ice and water for a couple of min. It should read close to 32. Some like to boil water to test.

Are you using an extension cord?

What temp did you have it set at?

Smokin'

I had my smoker set at 225 but increased it to 250 the last couple of hours.

Tried to test you mentioned. A glass of ice water registered at 33. Turned on the smoker and set it at 250. The probe was suspended just below the blow hole. It registered 291. That percentage held at other temps also. That is just the opposite of what I was expecting. Go figure. Could the probe have been in a "cold spot?" Is there such a possibility?

But the pulled pork was great. My wife said I need to make it when company comes over. That is the ultimate compliment at my house.

Remember, it's not Science...it's Art; BBQ that is.

Too many of us try to depend on the temp probes and then we wonder....hmmmm?

I think you might have had the probe in a cold spot, bone, fat, something to throw it off.

The tried and true method is to shake the bone and see if it's done. A 4 lb butt should definitely been done in the time you first mentioned, in fact 12 should have over done it, REALLY fall apart, and that's probably where your "well done" part came from.