You can easily slip the skin off after if has cooked for a few hours 6-8. Course you'll have to add some rub to the bare spot where it came off. I usually cook them around 250 for 16 hours. Wrap them and stick them in a cooler to rest for at lest an hour.
I've had the ET-73 since christmas. I probably wouldn't have bought one for myself. I think it's great. Perfect addition to the wsm along with the bbq guru eyelets. The alarms will allow you to cook briskett or butts while you sleep like a baby without a worry.
Something weird about the picnic you wound up with. I've never seen one that small. Should have been well over 6# and closer to 9#. Also don't think you cooked it anywhere near long enough. A 7.5lb butt usually takes about 10 hours to reach 195 internal. Thats cooking between 225-250 only...
5 hours is a little long. I've held them wrapped in foil in a cooler for 3 hours before. They turned out a little mushy after holding so long. Had to slice them pretty thick to keep it from falling apart. Since you are holding them in the oven right now you could probably just turn it off and be ok.
I second the high temp method. I'll refer you to another thread. I think Keri has a pretty solid method in it with a brine and wsm in wide open mode. You can experiment and tweek it to your liking. Definatly helped out my bird cooking.Turbo Chicken
Try not too worry about time so much as temp. It's done when it's done. Not sure about the other 2 books however Smoke & Spice has a little history of having cook times that are a little off. 18 hours seems like a worst case senario. Most seem to take me about 14-16 hours to get there. I've got...
I'm gonna refer you over to another thread to read. It's a pretty good place to start. BTW I'd remove the skin just leaving a band around the shank end.
other thread
I trim the skirt and smoke it along with the rest of the cuttings. Dog usually ends up with the bone and I eat the skirt. Neither one of us ever say a thing about it.
Interesting I just noticed that they did a review of it over on.Naked Wiz
Surely it can't be worse than the new kingsford.
Also if you can get it @ wal-mart that would probably help some folks out.
Been using Royal oak lump. I've also been keeping the chicken on a rack in the fridge for a couple hours. I'm real close but trying to tweek it for upcoming Kcbs events.