After weeks of studying the masters here on the board I did my first kettle bird. As if doing the first bird on thanksgiving wasn't nerve wracking enough it was snowing all morning. Just flurries but knowing I was going for hot and fast in 35 degree weather added to the challenge.
Bird was brined day before, cavity filled with onions and celery, legs tied, and skin rubbed in EVOO.
To combat the cold I lit a full Chimney of briquettes with a tad bit of lump at bottom of the chimney to get things moving quicker.
The full chimney overfilled two charcoal baskets. The full load kettle heated up and had the temp over 350 in ten minutes, way quicker than expected.
Bird went on in the pan with veggies and chicken stock breast down.
My Wife doesn't love heavy smoke so I kept smoke light: two small Apple chunks on the cooking grate above coals just for the first hour.
Temps were 350-375 for first hour. I watched the thermometer by kept the lid on the kettle.
One hour in:
Bird was flipped breast up, added more charcoal and put lid down. The combo of cold and weather and open kettle dropped the temps big time and it was sitting around 275 for 20 minutes so I added a second reload of charcoal ( that I was planning for the hour mark)
No more peaking until the two hour mark. Then I started checking temps at various spots in thigh and breast. Kettle temp held back in the 360 range and I reached target temps right at 3 hour mark.
Bird foiled to rest.
When it hit the table it was scarfed up fast. First tray 1/2 gone before I even got a photo.
Bird was a hit and may have allegedly been gobbled up faster then it's oven cooked counterpart.
Couldn't have done it without the advice of the WKC.
Topic: First kettle turkey (Read 1912 times)
