Seeking sage wisdom on smoking.

I’ve been smoking Boston Butts for about 6 weeks and continue to add wrinkles.

Reading recently to smoke hotter at 250-275 for about 6-7 hours helps with breaking down the cartilage in the pork.

And I have added a water pan + I spray the meat every hour. And when I remove it from the Hasty Bake, it gets wrapped in foil, then placed into a cooler for an hour to rest, prior to cutting.

But aside from using an internal thermometer… am I missing something crucial.

My last shoulder, I added more seasoning into the cook. I think it was a wee bit too much on the salt.

Also, is it true that for every pound of meat it should smoke for 2 hours? I wonder if I am really cooking long enough. And is there a specific time to go heavy on the smoke for the best smoke ring?

Cheers and thanks in advance! #KeepCooking