Need some quick help/advice cooking a hog tonight

[Ruben]

I got a 97 lb hog and I cooking tonight for a party tomorrow at 4pm for my birthday. I thought he would fit on my pit but the problem is the closest I can shorten him up length wise is going to be about 65 inches long. My pit door is only 51 inches wide, so I am going to cut off the head and he will fit ok. Problem is I was figuring 1.5 hours of cook time per 10 lbs of the hog which was around 14 1/2 hours. If I cut the head off I am guessing the head is at least 15 lbs so is that going to cut my cook time down to 12 hours? I was going to put him on around 11 pm tonight and cook him til he is done. If he ends up done around noon tomorrow I was going to drop the cook chamber temp to 150 and give him a mop every now and then until 4pm. Will this work ok?

[Buckeye]

I got a 97 lb hog and I cooking tonight for a party tomorrow at 4pm for my birthday. I thought he would fit on my pit but the problem is the closest I can shorten him up length wise is going to be about 65 inches long. My pit door is only 51 inches wide, so I am going to cut off the head and he will fit ok. Problem is I was figuring 1.5 hours of cook time per 10 lbs of the hog which was around 14 1/2 hours. If I cut the head off I am guessing the head is at least 15 lbs so is that going to cut my cook time down to 12 hours? I was going to put him on around 11 pm tonight and cook him til he is done. If he ends up done around noon tomorrow I was going to drop the cook chamber temp to 150 and give him a mop every now and then until 4pm. Will this work ok?

Too late for any input now...but tha one thing I wooda suggested iz ta cook at a higher temp than yer normal. Time don't alwaze git yer meat to tha doneness you anticipate.:( Bump'n up tha temp will git ya there kwicker, of corse....an if if gits dun before it's time...just back down off tha heat. Better ta be dun sooner than ta try an play ketchup.:wink: Hope things are goin well so far an that ya reep a lotta pats on tha back for a job well dun. Good luck!