Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

[Cookie]

So, I used to cook a Turkey every year on my POSK when we lived in the USA, I had it down to a science. When we moved to Singapore, the tiles had started falling of by then, so we packed it away in storage and it didn't make the trip.

Fast forward 4 years later here in Singapoe, and I've recently upgraded to the KK and have been using it every chance I've had for the last few weeks, trying to quickly learn its nuances in preparation for Turkey Day. I've figured out temperature contol and time to heat soak pretty quickly - and I'm not using a guru or stoker.

Yesterday, we had out Thanksgiving dinner (Thur/Fri not holidays here in Asia), and the target meal time was 9PM. We bought a USA (Norbest) 20lb turkey (only thing we could get here - to the tune of $125 USD). I was planning on a 4-4.5 hour cook for that size bird at 325F-350F. I preheated the K for about an hour and leveled it off at 350 before adding my smoke wood (foil packet method), heat deflector, drip pan with gravy fixins, and Turkey.

She was done in 2.5 hours (I pull the Turkey out when it hits an breast temp of 160, then foil and cover with heavy towels for 30 minutes to let the meat rest, and she ends up around 165). Great bird, very moist, and I'll post some pics in another post later.

My question for you guys & gals is.....why did she cook so fast? It didn't impact the quality at all, but I'm starting to wonder if my ambient temperature here in Singapore (it was about 85F last night during the cook), or perhaps even the fact that I'm at sea level has something to do with it?

Is there anyone else out there in a very hot/humid climate that finds their cook times much less than "normal?" Dennis, if you read this, how about you in Indo?

Like I said, it didn't matter, and the bird stayed nice and hot foiled and wrapped in towels until the 9PM dinner time, but I'd sure like to time it better next time.

Brian

[DennisLinkletter]

Factors? my bets on the bird being brined..

I don't have experience cooking on a Kamado type grill anywhere else than Indonesia so I have nothing to compare it to. But I'd place my bets on the bird being brined..

My common sense tells me added moisture would conduct heat more efficiently and speed up cooking times.

[Firemonkey]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

I am in Florida (got the hot and humid covered) and a +/-20lb turkey generally takes about 3.5 hours, at about 375*. Was your turkey out on the counter while the grill was coming up to temp? Maybe the warmer temps brought the initial temps up some?

I really cant say if ambient temps account for much in the cooking time, especially with a preheated grill. I have never used my grills anywhere besides FL. I used to have a POSK, and as far as cook time at a given temp, they were the same between the two grills. I think humidity might have an effect on the temps, especially as the fire begins at one temp, then an hour later slides higher as the lump dries out and burns faster/hotter on the same airflow. Did your temp creep up on you after you added the turkey?

BTW, I usually light the charcoal, then add the heat deflector and let it come up to temp along with the grill. I find it easier to set the temps like that because the airflow required for 375 with the HD is different than without. I also worry about cracking the deflector putting it on a hot fire when its cold. The smoke pouch or wood just gets dropped down around the edge, on whichever side looks the hottest.

[Syzygies]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

I've noticed that cooking times are somewhat shorter in a Komodo than in an oven, in general. There's something primal about cooking inside a hot rock, this doesn't surprise me.

I'd guess radiant heat in any climate, and a smaller effect due to humidity.

We did a practice bird before this Thanksgiving, worrying about cooking times. Both 12 lbs spatchcocked, both took 2 hours, could have been pulled sooner. The "special" bird for Thanksgiving wasn't quite as good as the generic natural bird for practice, and cooked faster/tougher. So breed also matters.

[bryan]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

Picture of breed...?

[jdbower]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

It may also be in how it was raised, American birds tend to be very breast-heavy with a high water content in the meat. Asian birds (at least chickens) often get a lot more exercise and they concentrate on the legs and thighs so the meat tends to be more dense (a bit tougher but more flavorful). Not needing to heat the large breast may cut down the cook time a lot if that's the case.

[Cookie]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

Thanks everyone for their thoughts and comments...you all have given me things to think about...maybe I left out one other key piece of info that I just thought of...

My drip pan was one of those huge oval-shaped aluminum pans you can buy for $2.00 at any supermarket. I'd estimate it is about 3 inches deep. I used a new gravy recipe this year, and prior to adding the gravy/pan to the KK, I had boiled the contents on the range in the kitchen. I then poured the boiling contents into the foil pan and placed directly under the Turkey on the rack that sits between the heat deflector and "main" cooking surface. It was 3 quarts of just boiled liquid. Perhaps that added heat just under the bird had something to do with it as well. I also have to be honest and say that since the KK had leveled off at 350 for about an hour, I just put everything in as mentioned in my original post and walked away for an hour. After the first hour, when I checked it for the first time, the temp was just slighly above 350, so I adjusted the vents and it came back down in the 330-350 range. Perhaps during the first hour it went up to 400 or so due to the gravy heat. No way to tell at this point.

Humidity...also a very interesting thought...its impact on charcoal, and moist air may have more of a "steam" effect, thus also cooking things a bit faster? All of my previous POSK Turkey cooks were done in a dry midwest fall climate...hmmmmm....If only I were back in school and needed an idea for a science project. I'm over it...a guru or stoker will be purchased in the near future.

Anway, Firemonkey, good tip on adding the heat deflector when you light the charcoal. I've thought about that, but thought it would be too difficult to try and get my foil packet with the wood down under the deflector. I'm going home to the US for Christmas and think I'll pick up a small dutch oven to act as a heat deflector / smoke box. Anyone have a particular make/model/size that they recommend for this purpose?

Don't you all just love Thanksgiving leftovers??? We're having smoked Turkey fajitas tonight...

[Firemonkey]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

I have a 2 qt Dutch oven that I drilled the bottom of, based on syzygies' recommendation. That size works great in the kk as a smoke pot, holding plenty of wood, and nestling nicely in the lump basket. However, it is by no means a heat deflector. Used as a smoke pot, it sits down in the basket, surrounded by lump.

[U2PLT]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

I have a grill surface SS thermometer that I like to use when not using my Guru. For this turkey day I cooked 3- 9# turkey breasts with ribs in them so I mounted all 3 on Chicken Ups. I like to have the temperature at the grill level as well as what the KK one shows. The humidity in the KK is going to be a function of the moisture coming off the birds more than anything else. I have seen up to 10 to 15 degree less on the grill than what is shown on the KK in the lid. There is no question that your birds were pre brined with 6% to 10% of body weight. All the USA birds have it since it is a cost increase at turkey cost per pound. Some birds even have a statement that the bird will cook at a faster rate than those that are not. The grill surface thermometer is made for www.mrbarbq.com & is good to 600* F.

[Cookie]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

The surface thermo can take temps to 600*F...can it also take the smoke?

[Loquitur]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

Cookie wrote:

My drip pan was one of those huge oval-shaped aluminum pans you can buy for $2.00 at any supermarket. I'd estimate it is about 3 inches deep. I used a new gravy recipe this year, and prior to adding the gravy/pan to the KK, I had boiled the contents on the range in the kitchen. I then poured the boiling contents into the foil pan and placed directly under the Turkey on the rack that sits between the heat deflector and "main" cooking surface. It was 3 quarts of just boiled liquid. Perhaps that added heat just under the bird had something to do with it as well.

Interesting you should mention liquid in the drip pan as a possible contributing factor to the fast cook. Shortly after I loaded my turkey in the KK I decided to pour some stock in the drip pan, which is not something I have done before on the KK. I would guess I added about a quart since my pan is quite large. As soon as I poured it in, it started to spit and steam like crazy which surprised me since I didn't think the pan was in there long enough to get that hot. My turkey was done an hour before I expected and the thigh was up there in temp at 188 deg while the breast was only at 158. I wondered if the steam from the stock contributed to this.

[U2PLT]

Re: Elevation and Ambient Temperature - Factors?

The surface thermometer will get some residue on its surface, but I have always been able to read the temp. After I am done I have cleaned it off easily.