KAG - not sure how big that picnic shoulder was, but 16 hours is way too long, imo. What did it weigh? If you have any doubts, or reservations, call Steve on Monday. Your results are not typical.
I will say this - small cuts (under 4 pounds) do take extraordinarily long (as much as 3 hours per pound), but to only be 179 after 16 hours is not right. And no, you do not need an Auber to make this a great smoker; lots of folks out there, turning out great Q, with the stock setup.