Hi Andy, and welcome to the club!! When you have a minute, head over to the "Introductions" section and tell us a little about yourself (BBQ background, etc.).
What is your intent for the picnic shoulder? That will make a difference on prep/smoking. If you intend to slice it, smoke it until 175 internal temp, then wrap in 2 layers of HD foil, and rest in a cooler (covered with towels) for an hour. If you are planning pulled pork, take it to 195 internal temp, and then rest the same.
Let me add this - if you are smoking pulled pork, you may be "less than pleased" with the picnic cut. Not that it's bad, it's just that it doesn't yield the same results for pulled pork as the bone-in Boston butt pork shoulder. The picnic is the lower part of the leg, is more like a ham shank, and is tougher meat. The Boston butt is the upper part of the front leg, and works very well for pulled pork. Hope this helps!
Whichever way you go, stay away from foiling until the meat is done. Put the prepared meat in, with a water pan in the bottom of the smoker, set the temp to 225, and keep that door closed until you hit target temp. No need for all the extra work!
