I think I shall try a PBC whole turkey!

[Michael_in_TX]

I have only done a whole turkey once in my life (in the oven), twenty years ago, and I think it turned out very dry.

I've spent the evening reading about all of the PBC Turkey threads I could find. So I have come up with a tentative plan:

• 10-14 lb Turkey
• Fully thawed, patted dry
• Light coat of canola oil
• Overnight (12-16 hours) dry brine of PBC All Purpose Rub (I think it is in the fine print when you buy a PBC you must use this for your first turkey).
• Turkey hanger, turkey hung with breast down
• May do single rebar run diagonally or two-rebar traditional setup, unsure yet
• Aiming for 350 +/-25 degrees PBC temp
• As turkey gets along in the cook, try to find the coldest part of the breast.
• Pull when coldest part of the breast is at 158
• Rest for 20 minutes, loosely tented with foil
• Carve and Eat.

I have three things I'm still waffling over. First is the use of wood. I may elect to just skip wood for this, but if I do use wood it would at most two 4-6 oz chunks of pecan.

Second, is possibly putting some onion halves and some fresh herbs in the cavity of the turkey. (Malcom Reed did this in his most recent video.) I'm not really sure if it will add anything.

The last item is again something I picked up from Malcom Reed's most recent video. He bastes his turkey with melted butter every 45 minutes, in order to aid skin crisping. Dripping melted butter on hanging stuff in a PBC is a little challenging. Unsure if I'm going to do this basting thing.

So that is my plan.

[willxfmr]

Sounds like a good plan. I don't have one of them there flaming garbage cans myself, so I have no way of knowing if the plan will survive first contact with live fire or not. There are certainly enough of the initial chanters around, so I'm sure it wont be long before someone shows up to with something useful to say besides, Good luck!

[Red Man]

I would not baste with butter in the PBC. If you use one rebar, you won’t be able to use the turkey hanger as intended. You could use a hook to the turkey hanger with one rebar but that will put the turkey a few inches closer to the coals. I recommend using wood, I like wood smoke flavor on turkey. The rest of your plan sounds great to me!

[Michael_in_TX]

For some reason I thought the top hole through which the "hanger" part went would fit around the rebar. Not sure why I thought that. I think I'll be fine with two rebar, then, as I seem to be able to get my PBC easily to the 350 degree range.

[Red Man]

Now that you mention that, I believe you’re right.

[goosebr160]

You can place the rebar right through the hole on the hanger.

[EdF]

Instead of trying to baste in there, open the pouches between the skin on breast and thighs, and spread a bunch of soft butter in there as part of your prep - fingers and hands are the best tool. Smear some more butter on the outside of the skin. Then forget about it. It works well for me. Do not put anything with water content on the skin or inside the pouches.

[kill2grill]

Solid line up. No need to baste or oil the skin. Follow Meatheads wet rub/dry brine and you will be good.

[jecucolo]

You have a good plan. Instead of basting Turkey I would cook some Italian sausage along side the turkey. Get some uncooked sausage and poke a bunch of whole in it and hang it over the coals. The additional juices falling it the pit will increase the "fog" inside the PBC. This give additional moisture and flavor.

[cashelton]

Screenshot worthy tips!

[Michael_in_TX]

Kathryn,

When you do turkey or chicken and also use the sausages, do you use any wood at all?

[fzxdoc]

Michael_in_TX , I use one chunk of cherry wood.

K.

[Michael_in_TX]

I forgot a prerequisite. I need to make room in my freezer for said turkey!!

[Michael_in_TX]

Crisis averted. I forgot an entire freezer drawer was filled with frozen bottles of water in preparation for Hurricane Laura back in August.

[fzxdoc]

That was a close one.

[Michael_in_TX]

I'm getting there.

The turkey was dry brined for nearly 40 hours. S&G rub applied. I decided to impale two sausages on the "feet" of the PBC turkey hanger.

As this is the first time I've done a turkey on the PBC, I've already run into some oopsies, but nothing that I think is going to ruin the cook.

Placing the two sausages on the feet of the hanger may have not been the best idea. it caused the turkey to slide around and it took me a bit to get it back symmetrical, but I did get it. While doing this, I knocked the protective foil off of one of the wing tips and one of the drumsticks. No biggie there.

Also, sometimes it can be challenging to translate Meathead's advice into what works best for a PBC. I didn't tie or affix the wings or the drums to the bird so the the wings especially are flailing out a bit. Probably going to be overdone or even burnt, but we'll see.

As for smoke, I decided to be conservative and there is a single chunk of pecan amidst the unlit coals.

Thirty minutes in, breast is 62 degrees, upper barrel temp is 304 degrees and climbing slowly as the other coals light.

[Michael_in_TX]

2.5 hours in, nearly done. PBC temp is 350 now. I apparently did not have my probe in the deepest part of the breast. There are still some areas that are 145, so with the probe moved to that area, I will pull at 158. Drums are already at 185. I can see why Meathead prefers to do parts separately.

Turkey is a lovely color and the skin is clearly bite-through at this point.

Sausages have "fused" to the underside of the turkey, which is interesting.

[Jerod Broussard]

That's the great thing about probe placement, you won't overcook anything........

[Michael_in_TX]

I am also fighting a constant 15 mph (frequent 20 mph gusts) north wind that is hitting the side of the barrel, which may explain why my temps are not as high as I expected them to be. In the summer, this thing would be north of 400 by now.

[Michael_in_TX]

My friends, my worries were for naught.

This came out beautifully!

I did an oven turkey years ago that turned out dry and I've done some turkey breasts on the grill that turned out okay, but this is the juiciest, most flavorful turkey I have ever done.

Except for some meat close to the end of the drumsticks, the meat is not dry. The breasts are incredibly juicy. (I suppose Meathead does know what he is talking about with this dry brine thing!)

Bite-through skin, mostly.

And those wings I was so worried about? Those were great!

My temps, at least near the rebars were 290-310 for most of the cook, which took about 3.5 hours for this 14 lbs bird. I did crack the lid a bit for the last fifteen minutes of the cook, which is the first time I've ever done that.

Thou shalt not doubt the PBC.

[HawkerXP]

I saw those pictures! PBC, PBC, PBC!!!

[fzxdoc]

Nice job! The PBC makes the best turkey because the breast meat is always juicy. I like the dark meat of the legs and thighs to get at least to 180-185°. Dark meat has a weird texture (to me) at 160-165°. Congrats on your cook!

K.

[ByTor]

Thanks for posting. I'm getting ready to do this next week. The only turkey I could get while on sale is about 18 lbs, larger than I wanted. Should I do it whole? Cut in half? Pieces?

Also, I have never solved the falling temperature issue in mine. My temps will continually fall unless I open the lid and stir the coals and leaved cracked occasionally. It helps leaving one rebar out but still wouldn't get close to maintaining a 300 degree temp. Coals also burn more on one side than the other which will almost go out if I didn't stir or turn. (obv because of the opening) I am in Ohio and use the quarter opening as suggested. Kingsford original which is out and I'll try something else next time.

I have learned it takes a lot longer to get the starter basket and then the full basket "hot" or mostly ashed over than what others say, but helps keep the temp up a lot before dropping to around 240. This all works fine for 6lb chickens and such but not sure on a large bird.

[fzxdoc]

Spatchcock that turkey so it will cook more evenly. Put the rebar on the diagonal for more room, centering the bird, (you'll still have 2 holes open the whole time) hooking the spatchcocked bird through the armpits, and go from there. Poultry puts out a lot of juice and likes to try to extinguish the fire, which is another good reason to use a full basket of coals and get it well lit in the beginning. I like Kingsford Professional for poultry, as it burns a bit hotter.

Kathryn

[Red Man]

Try opening the intake a bit more, see if that keeps the temps from dropping.

[ByTor]

Thanks for the tips, I'll do this. I never thought of the juice dripping putting out the coals but I bet that could be the problem. I'll also try opening up the intake a bit more. I notice the stirring helps and one side always seem to be going out so it could be the drippings.
I actually bought some chicken quarters on sale recently and seen no difference from the halves. And everyone thinks fzcdocs chicken tips using the italian sausage makes the best chicken they've ever tasted!

[Scott Wat]

A little late but never the less I did my first turkey on the PBC this year and it was easily the best turkey I have ever cooked! Very juicy. Did a wet bring for 24 hours and used a little of Harry Soo's poultry rub, after an hour i had to crack the lid as a lot of liquid from the bird was putting out the coals. Ten minuts cracked and the rest of the 4 hour cook hung right around 290 degrees. Not a great picture because my wife had to get her wine bottles in it

https://i.imgur.com/fp8Zb2Yl.jpg

[Maxriptin]

I ran into the same issue with my first turkey in the PBC. Wet brined it and it was just raining on the coals. Thing took forever to cook. This year I still did a wet brine for 24 hours but took it out of the brine the night before the cook so it could "drain" and start drying overnight in the fridge. But however you get there, turkey in the PBC is really excellent!

[Scott Wat]

Try again