Ed, I didn't use a PID the first time I made this either. Here's an excerpt from my post:
"I started with 4 hours @ 140, then bumped it up to 175 for an hour, and just upped the temp to 200."
This worked very well, and gave it plenty of smoke and a good exterior finish.
I'm experimenting with a new recipe for the brine that doesn't use the onion and garlic powder, but does use celery powder. I bought some uncured CB at Sam's (Rose Center-Cut Uncured Canadian Bacon), which has a really good flavor. It says all-natural, hickory smoked, on the package, but doesn't have a good smoky taste. I'm going to try and duplicate this taste (except cured), and add some good smoke. More to follow...