Smoked Turkey On A 22" WSM

[Brian/S]

I want to smoke a turkey this year for Thanksgiving. I normally do one inside the oven and one outside, deep fried. This year I want to smoke one on the Weber Smokey Mtn. Any suggestions, or will Meathead's standard recipe of smoking a turkey on a charcoal grill suffice? Thanks in advance for your advice.

[xaugievike]

Meathead's recipe will more than suffice, and I think you may find it's the best bird you've ever made (I certainly did last year)

[lostclusters]

Get a good turkey, brine or not depending on the sodium level of the bird you get (200 mg - brine >200mg use as is). Many will tell you to let the skin dry out in the fridge (unwrapped) for about 48 hrs to get crispy skin or roast it separately in an oven, or just discard it all together (what I normally do after smoking). Lite coals using a minion method. Use about three to four fist sized piece of wood on top of the coals spread out a bit. Cook at about 325 degrees F per bird's instructions.

[Black99vette]

The last several years I have spachcocked my birds. I have cooked them on a 22" kettle. Just an idea.

[klflowers]

I cook turkeys on a 18" wsm several times a year. I usually use meatheads recipe and light the coals using the minion method. I like fruit woods, i usually use apple for turkeys. 325 to 160 internal. I dont worry about crisping the skin. Never had any complaints.

EdF has a good looking recipe here:

​https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...€‹â€‹

[Harpeth2018]

I've done it a few times on a WSM and will do it again this year. Totally agree on fruit woods--usually do apple or cherry, but this year gonna try peach.

I brine and air-dry like lostclusters describes above. The brine recipe I use comes from the Virtual Weber Bullet site:

http://virtualweberbullet.com/turkey6.html

I cut the bay leaves from that recipe but otherwise go just like it says. Here's a shot of one I did with that recipe, and it got good reviews from the Turkey Day guests. As you can see, I left an orange from the brine in it during the cook.

[EdF]

Beautiful!

[klflowers]

That's a good looking bird!

[Beefchop]

I've cooked them spatchcocked on the 18" WSM that I have, and use 3/4 to a full chimney with no water in the bowl at 325-350 deg. F. with Kingsford Blue briquettes and golf ball sized chunks of wood. I do put the pan of thin gravy Meathead recommends under the bird to catch the drippings (and act as a heat sink). Works great.

[Bumby]

I have a WSM 22" and smoked my turkey on it last year. Turned out great although I was fighting to keep the smoker's temperature at the recommended 350 degrees. I would suggest either not adding water to the water pan or only adding a little water to it.

[FireMan]

Use Meatheads way. I cook em like Black99vette on my kettle or in my pit barrel. You can’t miss. You will never do it in an oven again.

[Brian/S]

Thanks for the input folks. I look forward to giving it a shot this year.

[PaulstheRibList]

Smoked turkey is so great!

[Driverdan]

I used Meathead’s recipe and spatchcocked birds for WSM and a UDS—-fantastic!1