LarryR Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Since I thought I knew it all and didn't ask any advice on last weekend's Pork butt that turned out poorly I figured I'd one, better do a dry run on the bird for Thanksgiving and two, ask if there are any differences that I should know about when doing a bird on a ceramic. I'll be doing a 19.5 lb bird this Saturday (10/27) I've traditionally done the bird on a bullet style smoker (WSM) "high" heat vs. low and slow. My plan is to do the same on the ceramic. So here's my plan: * Brine bird for 24 hours * Air dry bird for 12 hours in fridge (helps prevent rubbery skin) * Ice breast for 45 minutes prior to cooking to insure dark and white meat will finish at the same time * Cook at 325 until breast is 165 and thigh is 175 (I'm guessing this will be between 4:00 and 4:30) * Tent with foil for 30 minutes This is what I'm thinking my setup should be: * Heat deflector on main grill with pan to catch drippings on heat deflector * Turkey set directly on top rack extender * Three fist size chunks of cherry wood So here are the questions I've thought of so far: * Do I pre-heat the ceramic prior to putting my bird on (** when using my smoker I'd put her on when I dumped my lit)? * Will I need to foil the legs or bird towards the end of the cook to prevent over-browning of skin? * Should I use my clay saucer under my heat deflector or should the deflector be enough? Am I missing anything? I'm looking forward to the cook and to experiencing how moist the bird will be when cooked in a ceramic. Should be amazing! It's also going to be a great opportunity (excuse) time to tastes some wines and practice-up on my gravy in prepearation for the big day. Your feedback/input is greatly appreciated. ** I've been meaning to ask, on high heat cooks is it bad to light your fuel in a chimney and then dump it into your ceramic? Will this crack it? In my readings it seems that most people light a couple pieces of fuel in their ring (in the ceramic) and let it come up to temp this way. I dumped some in the other night and then thought maybe I shouldn't have done that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 I'm not sure the turkey will fit on the top grill. You may have to have heat deflector and drip pan on lower grill with turkey on the main grill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 It all looks good to me. Also, I don't see any issues lighting your fuel in a chimney starter first. I have been experimenting with turkey some lately. With a properly brined bird, my preference tends to be cooking on the low/slow side (250). It is not as moist as the higher temps, but the taste/texture wins out for me verses just having a bunch of moisture dripping out. Besides, I like gravy on my turkey....hahahaha. Usually doing only the breast works out better on low and slow too. Always fun to experiment as the results are still almost always tasty. Did a rotis one a couple weeks ago that turned out great. Though the spatchcocked ones cook faster and have more moisture (in my opinion). -=Jasen=- BTW, I will still be doing my traditional fried turkey for Thanksgiving! Only do it a couple times a year, but man is it good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 I have dumped lit coals from a chimney in my ceramics, and it is fine. In the one like yours, I usually lit the full basket from underneath with the gas burner. Of course, mine does have cracks all over it, but I doubt that is due to the way I lit the fuel I have done a few turkeys, spatch-cocked and regular roasting. Brined and whole roasted Spatchcocked Your procedure looks good to me. I often get lazy and skip a step or two, like drying the skin, or icing the breasts. Anymore, I just cook them like an over-sized chicken, with good results. The few times I have followed in depth recipes (like mad max) I couldn't recognize enough benefit for the additional labor involved. I do preheat the grill, and I drop in the wood chunks about 5-10 minutes before you plan to add the bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I'm not sure the turkey will fit on the top grill. You may have to have heat deflector and drip pan on lower grill with turkey on the main grill. You know Trish, I think you might be right. Looks like she'll fit alone, but I think once I put my probes in they won't clear the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 I didn't think it would clear the stem of the temp gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Bird's going on at 1:00 p.m. Pacific and I have a last minute question. On previous "high heat" cooks I've used a 14" clay saucer and then a 16" pizza pan on the lower bracket for my deflector and then cooked on them main or upper grate. Is the clay saucer necessary? I know it works as a heat sink as well which maybe limits the radiant heat from the pizza pan sitting directly below my meat. Also, I was planning to put my roasting pan on top of the pizza pan for drippings for my gravy. I'm a little concerned that my drippings will burn and be un-usable any thoughts here? I suppose this may be where the clay saucer may come in handy as a heat sink. I really wish I could have used the top grate and just put the drip pan on the main grate, would make things a little easier but the bird's to big (see above picture). I feel like I have way too many moving parts on this cook, first ceramic turkey, first time using ECC and first time using my Stoker on the ceramic. This cook went from being a dry run for Thanksgiving to "Thanksgiving in October" for family that cannot make it in November, just a little pressure. I'm actually going hold of my drinking until I've got the bird off (this is a first). Lastly, I'm thinking of "pre-heating" the ceramic for an hour prior to putting the bird on for a couple of reasons. One, it will give me time to make sure I've got my Stoker dialed in. Two, I've found I think (could be in my head) that I have better results when I have a pre-heated cooker. I know it's last pretty last minute but if anyone has any last minute advice on the questions I've listed it would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Larry, When I used to do turkeys on my #5, I had to put the bird on the main grate, and the drip pan on the lower bracket. Your concern about the drippings burning is a valid one. My simple fix was to set a few nuts or spacers on the flat heat deflector so that it wasn't making direct contact. As long as the drip pan doesnt make too much direct contact, you are fine. Since you are using a saucer, the ring around the outside and a support in the middle might be enough support. Since getting a KK and having grill real estate to spare, I have occaionally set a rack directly on top of a roasting pan, and putting the whole rig on the main grill. That gives me the best of both worlds, easy access to the drip pan if I see it starting to burn, and it keeps the meat up out of the roaster for more even cooking. You might consider this approach - use a sturdy roasting pan as a drip pan, put it on the main grill. Set your upper grill (not the legs, just the grate) right on top of the roasting pan. Now you have the desired airflow under your pan. I also advise preheating the grill, just like you do your oven when you cook a turkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 FM, thanks for your quick reply. I have a #7 (KK is in my future however) and will be using that lower "X" bracket. So do you think I should use the clay saucer or is it overkill? Plan was to set the clay saucer directly on the "X" bracket, then the 16" pizza pan on the clay saucer and then the roasting pan on the pizza pan. Wish it would fit on the top rack then all this would be mute. With the above setup think I'll still need spacers? I don't have any on hand and don't really feel like going out. Did my JD and Maple Syrup brine, smelled divine when I removed her from the brine last night. EDIT: I'll probably start the drip pan with some white wine in it so the early drippings don't burn. EDIT II: Well just when you think you have things figured out life throws you a curve; with the clay saucer in the mix there's not enough room for the drip pan. So here's what I'm thinking, I have a a 14" pizza stone I can wrap in foil and use in place of the clay saucer. I'm a little worried about placing it directly over the fire but I suppose if I pre-heat it in the oven to say 400 and then place over the coals I should be OK. Or, I put the bird in the roasting pan on the top grate, which I really don't want to do. Any ideas? Turkey goes on in 3 hours, cooker starts in about 2 hours. Damn, wish she'd fit on that top grate with probes . . . could go prob- less I suppose, but on this cook I'd really rather not . . . EDIT III: OK, here we go, with the pizza stone, pizza pan (deflector) and the roasting pan on the "X" bracket the main grate rests (by about 1/4") on the roasting pan. If I remove the pizza stone theres a little clearance between the roasting pan and the grate. However, then I have to put spacers in (which I found on hand) and that raises the roasting pan about 1/8 of an inch. Advice? Note to self, next time buy a smaller bird and do it on the top grate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Um... Let's see if I remember how I did it last year. Other than a modified Mad Max and maybe a Jiarby brine. I forget. Oh - mine was a k5. Bird on the rack, aluminum foil pan on the lower, on top of deflector, on top of x thingy. I can't remember if there were gravy drippings or not. Maybe not.... but that's why we make turkey broth out of the "what's that inside the bird" package. No probes. Just jabbed with instant read now and then. It tasted nice, was very moist. Skin was extremely roasty and brown. Probably wouldn't bother brining again - way too much like work, since the brine bucket didn't fit in the frigerator, and I had to use a cooler with ice and a bagged bird in brine overnight on the back steps. Found pics! YAY!! I'm not as lame as I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 She's on, Stoker's taken over and so far so good. Went with the bird in a roasting pan (w/rack) on main grate with clay saucer and 16" pizza pan on "X" bracket. She's sitting at 325 grate with no problem. Pictures soon . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted October 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 PICTURES First off thanks to everyone for their advice and input. Turkey turned out great one of the best I've done. Very moist, got lot's of "this is the moistest turkey I've ever had" comments. The more I cook on a ceramic the more I like it, great results. Unfortunately the wine started flowing pretty freely and I forgot to take pictures other than right when I was taking her off the cooker. It was excellent though. Thanks again for the help, can't wait for Thanksgiving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted October 26, 2008 Report Share Posted October 26, 2008 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted October 27, 2008 Report Share Posted October 27, 2008 Larry - no need to apologize for pics when you take that many and they are so good! Glad to hear that you've got your setup down for Turkey Day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
