I've reproduced below an email I rec'd in '98 which may tell you what 
to expect. 
Magoo

Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 
From: Nathan Vaughn <navaughn@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re:  Going Whole Hog Wild (LONG--VERY LONG)
Reply-To: bbq@listserv.azstarnet.com

Greetings and Salivations!

Some of you wanted the story on the Whole Hog Roast I did this weekend.
I was responsible for cooking the beast and my brother-in-law sponsered the
event by purchasing what was needed for the roast.  We started out Thursday
attempting to dig the pit.  Originally the pit was to be circular 4 feet
across and 3 feet deep.  In Georgia the rain has been scarce this summer so
after an hour and a half with a roto tiller and only 6 inches progress, we
started to think a wennie roast may be a better idea.  After some thought
we invited a local contractor to the roast.  He gladly accepted and we then
told him we needed a backhoe to dig the pit!  20 mins later a two man crew
pulled up with backhoe in tow and commenced to digging the porker grave!
Our pit then turned out to be about 5 feet square and 6 feet deep.  We
unloaded 3 pickup truck loads of firewood (oak) and one load of kindling
near the pit.  

At approx. 7:00 PM on Friday night we started the fire in the pit. 
We got the fire rageing in the pit and had most the wood in the fire by
approx. 10:00 PM.  At about the same time we started a side fire with about
one half of a load of the wood.  Now we just sat back and let her burn.  By
Midnight both fires were at the stage of redish/white coals with almost no
flames.  There were probably 2.5 feet of hot coals in the pit.  We tossed
in some mesquite wood chips on the top followed by lava rocks.

Now began the preperation of Freddy.  We had ordered Freddy at the first
of the week from a local meat processing plant.  When all was said and done
we had a 110 pound, dressed and skinned hog.  We got a body bag from the
vet, put him in there and iced him down top and bottom while the fire
burned.  When we unwrapped him we rubbed him throughly with "ye olde" basic
rub of salt, pepper and seasoning salt.  We rubbed him inside and out.
This is not a task for those with queasy stomachs because in his skinned
state he was pretty nasty and ugly looking!  His face looked like Freddy
Kruger (thus the name)!  Once rubbed we then wrapped him in about 4 layers
of heavy duty aluminum foil.  This took several sets of hands to accomodate
lifting Freddy up while the roll went round and round.  Approx. two layers
of WET burlap followed the foil.  We placed Freddy on a section of chicken
wire with some makeshift handles on all four corners and prepared the pit.

To prepare the pit we placed pea gravel on top of the coals in the middle
of the pit, only the area where Freddy would be laying.  Next we covered
the remaining coals around the edges with a shallow layer of dirt taken
from the pit.  With a person on each corner of the makeshift, chicken wire
gurney we gently lowered the "package" into the hole.  A layer of sand was
then placed on top of Freddy.  Now the coals from the side fire were placed
on top of the sand.  Once all this was completed we covered these coals
with another layer of dirt taken from the pit.  It was now 01:00 AM all
that was left was to wait.  We sat back with the keg and some Krystal
burgers and admired our work.

At approx 5:00 PM on Saturday afternoon we gently swept the dirt off of
one of the ham areas.  A meat thermometer was inserted through the wrap
into Freddy's thigh.  It read 190 degrees, thus the exumation began!  We
gathered the guest around the grave to view the process.  With shovels and
brooms we gently removed as much dirt as possible from the pig and the
chicken wire.  Again, with a strong person at each corner, we lifted the
body from the grave.  We sat it down on the edge and removed more dirt,
gravel and sand.  Next we hoisted it onto a flatbed trailer which would
serve as the serving tray!  Using a knife and scissors we began cutting
through the layers of the wrapper.  We folded away each individual layer to
keep any remaining dirt and debris from getting to the hog.  At this point
the aroma was absolutly wonderful!  Once completely uncovered it was chow
time!  

The meat was EXTREMELY tender.  All that was needed to serve with was a
large tine serving fork.  No kinves were necessary!  Nearly all the fat had
melted away leaving juicy, tender white meat falling completely off of the
bones.  Once the cook and host had reached in and pulled and eaten a
handful the other participants moved in for their share!  

We served bbq sauce on the side with other typical bbq fixins'.  It was
truely grand, I think nearly everyone went back for seconds or thirds!
When it was all said and done we put what was left of the carcas back in
the pit and gave
it a proper hog burial!

Personally I feel fortunate that it went as well as it did.  This was a
first for all in attendence.  I'd never even tried anything close to this
before.  Thanks to lots of preplanning and research it went off without a
hitch!  Looking forward to the next one! 


