Pork Butt Timing

[fsa317]

Im smoking a 9 lb pork butt to serve around 4pm Saturday. I'm trying to figure out my best option for timing it.

I'd prefer not to have to stay up/wake up to 2am to get it started. I'm available to smoke all day Friday. Some options I see:

Smoke it friday, leave it whole, then rewarm it saturday and pull fresh.
Smoke it friday, pull it, then rewarm it saturday.
Cut it into smaller pieces and try to smoke it Saturday from lets say 8am to 4pm.

What's your opinion?

 

[moloch16]

I'd smoke it on Friday, pull it, and then reheat on Saturday. It will still be excellent with that method. I would put it in ziploc bags, remove all the air, and store it in the fridge. Then to reheat it you could put it in the oven, stirring the meat often so it reheats evenly. Another way to reheat is put it in a hot water bath, but that method could be hard with that much meat, and the ziploc might leak a little.

 

[Geebs]

If you have a deadline, I would smoke the day before, pull it and then rewarm it. I usually throw mine in the crockpot to warm it up.

 

[metsfan2152]

I did this a couple of weeks ago. I smoked it on Friday and pulled it Friday. Finished at about 8-9 PM Friday. Pulled it at like 10-11. Put them in aluminium tins and covered them with foil. Put them in the fridge. Next day party was at 4. Added some Au jus, a little apple juice and some rub. Covered it in the tin foil pan and put it in the oven at 350 for 30-45 min. Comes out great.

 

[Rings Я Us]

I have done a few for people at work. I do it till it has a nice bark and stick it in a pan.. pour a bit of Apple juice in the pan .. finish it from 170 to 200 in the pan covered in foil in the oven or on the smoker or grill.
Let it rest at 200 in the pan still covered for an hour. Lift the foil to cool down and then its refrigerated till I take it to work the next day. Stick it in the fridge at work for them to take home and heat in their crock pot or oven.. grill.. they can pull it and sauce it how they want. To reheat it need only go to like 160.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

If you can keep the smoke going etc, start it at midnight tonight, then you get up and just refeed your smoker etc <I got a MES, so I just have to add chips or refill my pellet tray> It'll be done friday then, you can properly rest, pull, then I'd lightly sauce and bag it, reheat saturday with more sauce/liquid. I've got about 15 pounds of pulled pork from multiple cooks doing this method now. In fact, I think S. Carolina Mustard bbq sauce tastes even better as it's reheated in the microwave... mustard mellows out and penetrates into the pork more.

 

[hardcookin]

I can usually smoke 9lb pork Butts in 7 hrs @ 280-300.
Pan at 170 with some apple juice and pull off smoker when ever there is good bone wiggle. " 195-205"
Let rest and pull. Refrige over night or serve the day of your choice.