Thanksgiving turkey on the PBC

[Timkatt]

So this thanksgiving, I'll be cooking the turkey on the PBC. Well....... Technically I'll be cooking half the turkey on the PBC. My wife has stated that she thinks she can cook a better tasting bird in the oven (She is a really good cook). So in order for me not to lose face in front of my in-laws I need all best tips and trick everyone has for cooking a turkey on the PBC.

The spachcock thread has been very helpful, but anything else people have to offer will be greatly appreciated.

[Ernest]

Have you cooked a turkey before?

[Timkatt]

Not on a grill or smoker. But I have done a handful of chickens.

[charchamp]

last week I brined for 1 day and then Simon and Garfunkel rubed a spachcocked turkey cooked in the PBC keeping the temp between 228-245 for about 4.5 hours bringing the internal temp to 175 in the thick thigh of a 18 pound bird. I checked the temp in about 5 places and got one read of 184 but nothing lower then 175. I hung it from the rib cage which caused it to be more breast down. I found it to be super tender, the bird was a store brand. I to am test running for turkey day. My plan is two turkeys and one tri-tip roast. I tried to stay close to the thread you mentioned about that spachcocked bird, why reinvent the wheel. I thought it would be dryer with the higher internal temp but it was very moist.

[Ernest]

I'm not a turkey fan. My advice would be a test cook before the big day

[smarkley]

Tim... Oh... you can definitely cook a better bird! But I agree with Earnest... if you have not cooked a Turkey in the PBC before, I would do some chickens or a turkey or 2 before Turkey Day -- you have 2 weeks.

See my turkey post to Pat here >> Turkey post...

[marcel]

Definitely do a practice run with a real turkey! Make sure the bird is fully thawed or it will skew your test! I've mastered the oven turkey using Alton Brown's method, but my single practice run doing a PBC turkey was sub-par. I'm so glad I did that practice run because now I have a much better idea about how to do a great job on the big day.

[Timkatt]

Unfortunately, I won't be able to get a test run in with a turkey, or even a chicken. Too much going on over the next week and a half. I'm hoping though with the right rub and a close eye on the temps the turkey won't dry out. Everyone loves the taste of food off the grill so I should win out.

[Virginia Dave]

I've smoke a bunch of turkeys the last several years and tried many different things. Brining, injecting, different rubs... I have found the the best so far has been brining overnight, oil the skin and use MeatHead's Simon & Garfunckle Rub on and under the skin, 2 lemons quartered and and a few sprigs of rosemary placed in the cavity and smoked at 300f until 160f internal. I foil the very end of the leg bone and wingtips just so the presentation is nicer. Hope that helps!

[Timkatt]

I won't have a cavity, The turkey will be split, with one half on the PBC and the other in the oven.

[Timkatt]

So the turkey came out great, nice and juicy, way better than the oven cooked half. I dry brined for 24 hours, then put Simon & Garfunkle on and under the skin.

I was originally going to hang the half bird, but since it was split and not spatchcocked the leg was precociously dangling and I feared I might lose it so I put the grate in and cooked it on the grate.

I took out one of the rods, to raise the temp, I wanted to maintain 325º-350º to get a good crispy skin. Unforunatly the sub freezing temperatures yesterday made that difficult. I had to use a lot of extra charcoal to maintain that level of heat. THe skin wasn't quite a crispy as I would have liked, but it was crispy enough to eat(and darn tasty too!). The cold also made the cook run a little long. Almost three hours for about 10 pounds of bird.

The wife's turkey came out good too, thankfully she took my advice and used one of the old taylor leave in thermometers. so it was very juicy. It was just short on flavor compared to the PBC half.

Because the cook went long I didn't have time to snap any after picks before cutting up the bird. The masses were hungry.

I'll post the before pics a little later.

[fzxdoc]

Timkatt, I had a similar taste comparison--I made two turkeys, one in the oven the old fashioned way and one in the PBC. Both were tender, juicy, tasty, with crisp skin. However, my family and guests preferred the PBC one, hands down. Both turkeys were fresh, dry-brined, injected with melted butter. I used PBC All Purpose rub on the smoked turkey. It was the winner for sure.

Kathryn

[Timkatt]

I think if I were to do this again, I would insist on both turkeys being prepared the same way. My wife wanted to use her own recipe though.