Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
From central Texas using MES 40, done a few trial runs with fair results. Just got done assembling my mailbox mod and seasoning it. Going to be giving that set up a test run over night for some hopefully delicious brisket for the 4th.
I have finally stopped trying to time a smoke to end at a pre-planned meal time. If I were you, I'd cook on the 3rd, refrigerate and warm the BBQ in ziplock freezer bags in a hot water bath.
Give yourself 24 hrs in MES at 225.if it's done early wrap in foil and put in cooler stuffed with towels. That'll stay warm 4-5 hrs. Only do smoke for a few hrs in beginning and at end. When it stalls cooking around 170 don't stress unless your a few hrs out from showtime. In an emergency wrap in foul and crank up smoker heat to 275. I four alarm emergency put in foul and throw in oven at 424 to get to 200 ish IT. However, if you think 24 hrs you'll be fine.
Good morning and welcome to the forum, from another hot day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about everything.