Pulled pork cook times??

[kayes]

I always remove the skin and trim the fat down to about 1/8". An alternative would be to crosshatch the skin, cutting just to the meat, and making sure you get the rub into the crevices. If you crosshatch, the easiest way to do that is to use a utility knife, and set the blade at the proper depth. I have a stainless steel Stanley utility knife that I only use for this purpose.

Being that it is 12 pounds, I was thinking you could have a small whole shoulder. Did the label have the word "Picnic" on it?

I was thinking the same thing, but the label says "pork shoulder picnic". We seem to label our meat differently for some cuts where I live in Canada. Maybe it just means a shoulder with picnic attached.

[Habanero Smoker]

Even throughout the States; depending on which region you are in you can run into different labeling.

If it was the whole shoulder, it will have the long round bone on one end, and the blade bone on the wider end of the cut.

[kayes]

Does anyone use a small aluminum or metal tray to catch the fat and juices while smoking the butt? Is it safe?