Turkey Throw down 2016

[Idahawk]

Was wondering about stuffing aswell any tricks?

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If your going to stuff the bird , you'll need to roast it over indirect heat and can't use the spit for obvious reasons or you can prepare your stuffing and cook it in advance and then stuff the roti bird after its done and comes off the roti


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[Cellar2ful]

So glad we're doing this!
After years I've finally got the okay from the in laws to do the turkey on the rotisserie!
Any tips about how to best do the turkey on the rotisserie would be appreciated, don't want to look the fool!
We like to stuff the bird, and I'm good with chickens, but never have done a turkey, so...any advice?

For the past 20 years, I always cooked my Weber turkeys on a roasting rack, in a roasting pan on the cooking grate.  A couple of weeks ago I did a trial run rotisserie turkey getting ready to spin a turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  Hands down was the most moist breast meat ever.  Make sure after you spear your bird on the shaft and tie it up, prior to dumping your coals and heating the kettle, put it on the kettle and run the motor for a few minutes  to make sure the legs stay tight.  I did not do that and had to pull the bird and shaft after about 10 minutes to retie the legs to keep them from flopping during rotation.  That was quite challenging as by then the bird and metal shaft was hot. 

Also, if you are adding any wood for smoke, go easy as the turkey skin will turn real dark with too much smoke.  This is how I like the color of my finished bird:



Not this ( went overboard on adding chunks of apple wood) It is all personal preference on the appearance as both birds were exceptionally moist and had the light sweet apple wood smoke flavor.



Save all the drippings.  Pour it into a separator to remove the fat and grease and then pour the good juice over the top of your stuffing and mix it in. MMMMMMMMMM goood

[RottiGuy]

Thanx    @ ldahawk ..will cook indirect as I don't have a roti as of yet..

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[JDann24]

Who's doing their bird on the WSM this year?

[kettlebb]

I'm not hosting so I'll just get some turkey breasts and smoke them. Any tips for doing just the breasts?


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[iCARRY]

I'm not hosting so I'll just get some turkey breasts and smoke them. Any tips for doing just the breasts?


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Wrap them in bacon. Lol.


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[kettlebb]

That's really not a bad idea!


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[LightningBoldtz]

I did my bird on the roto last year on the kettle and it was the best that I ever had.  I didn't add smoke, just some light smoke from lump charcoal.

It was amazing.  Additionally, I really like to purchase prebrined birds from traders joes, I have had a lot of success with that.

[Idahawk]

LB brings up a great topic . If you do opt to brine a bird , make sure you get an all natural turkey not one that has been enhanced or injected with a solution already or you'll have a very salty turkey


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[MacEggs]

Many methods and gadgets can be used ....

I have done a number of turkeys using the following method.  Works great!

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/my-first-kettle-cooked-turkey/

Since acquiring a roti, I have done a number of 7-10 lb yardbirds (no turkey, yet) with fantastic results.

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/this-rotisserie-chicken-turned-out-fantastic/


Whichever method ultimately is used, you will not be disappointed.

[iCARRY]

I can't cook on site this year and will be traveling with my cooked turkey. Should be about 2 hours of time between finishing the cook and eating. Cooler, foil, and towels is what I am planning on doing. I know the skin won't be crispy, but the bird should be good. Anyone got any other method or tips.


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[varekai]

Fresh or frozen.
Thoughts?
I've only done frozen myself. Generally whenever whatever brand hits 99 cents a pound I buy two 12 lb birds. I am considering a fresh kill this year.
Here's the other thing and I'm sure I'll get some flack, but I prefer deep fried bird over anything else, but this year we will be spinning it and using a basic brine and injection. Anyone got a good injection they would be willing to share?
Not buying the oil this year is why we are considering the fresh bird at the higher price.


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Hey Trav, I actually had a chance to get a fresh turkey, Like Fresh as in I watched it being slaughtered. I worked at a feed store once and we had a customer that would buy a couple dozen turkeys and raise them at her house. A couple days before thanksgiving she would have a "party", her friends and family had this great set up like a production line, they even had t-shirts made for the occasion each year.. Anyway, Best turkey I ever had!! not sure how a "fresh" turkey from the store would be.... Maybe this will be the year I do one. I have a frozen turkey defrosting in the fridge now to do a test run next weekend. Now that I have my WSM not sure whether to use it or my 26'r.  And have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!

[varekai]

@JDann24 , LOL, I was considering it but after scrolling up and reading @Cellar2ful  roti style I'm thinkin bout trying that.  Hey Jim, what were the particulars on your test run? bird size, coal set up, time to done?

[kettlebb]

Fresh or frozen.
Thoughts?
I've only done frozen myself. Generally whenever whatever brand hits 99 cents a pound I buy two 12 lb birds. I am considering a fresh kill this year.
Here's the other thing and I'm sure I'll get some flack, but I prefer deep fried bird over anything else, but this year we will be spinning it and using a basic brine and injection. Anyone got a good injection they would be willing to share?
Not buying the oil this year is why we are considering the fresh bird at the higher price.


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Hey Trav, I actually had a chance to get a fresh turkey, Like Fresh as in I watched it being slaughtered. I worked at a feed store once and we had a customer that would buy a couple dozen turkeys and raise them at her house. A couple days before thanksgiving she would have a "party", her friends and family had this great set up like a production line, they even had t-shirts made for the occasion each year.. Anyway, Best turkey I ever had!! not sure how a "fresh" turkey from the store would be.... Maybe this will be the year I do one. I have a frozen turkey defrosting in the fridge now to do a test run next weekend. Now that I have my WSM not sure whether to use it or my 26'r.  And have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!

There is a farm around our area that sells fresh birds. Like you said. Slaughtered that day. My mom buys these guys and does a brine and roasts them in the oven. It's literally the best turkey we've ever had. I'm too lazy to brine and rinse and go through all that. Well buy a Butterball and if I don't borrow my buddies roto then I'll just do it on the grate with some chunks of apple.  I read somewhere that for the store it's better to get frozen because they are flash frozen after they are slaughtered and injected. The fresh birds have more time on the shelf thawed and may not be as fresh as the thawed bird.


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[Cellar2ful]

@varekai - First thing, watch this tutorial video about trussing your bird and putting it on the spit.  Where you place the forks into the turkey is important.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you%20tube%20rotisserie%20turkey&&view=detail&mid=473C0A5B641E259AE78A473C0A5B641E259AE78A&rvsmid=473C0A5B641E259AE78A473C0A5B641E259AE78A&fsscr=0&FORM=VDFSRV

The first time I did a turkey on the rotisserie, I thought I had it tied up perfectly.  After about 20 minutes spinning, I noticed the rotisserie would shudder and shake when turning. Opened it up and found the legs had loosened and probably would have ended up like this had I not caught it. Try retying a turkey to a spit when they are both hot. Trust me, you don't want to have to do it. This is not a picture of a bird I cooked but this is what can happen if not properly trussed on the spit.



Once you have it on the spit, put it on the ring before or while your coals are heating.  Let it run for about 5 or 10 minutes to see if it is balanced or is going to loosen. Then just follow normal preheat of the kettle and put the bird back on and spin it.  I cook indirect with charcoal baskets on both sides of a drip pan.  I put about 1/2 cup of hot water in the pan at the start.  25 briquettes per basket and add 8 unlit briquettes per hour.  I also dump  1/2 cup of apple wood chips on the first load of briquettes.  I run all the vents wide open.

Prep for the bird- Take it out of the refrigerator 2 hours before you are going to cook. Remove it from the plastic wrap and remove all the packaged parts from inside. Pat dry both the inside and outside with paper towels. I rub the outside of the bird with melted organic butter, then put Dean & Deluca poultry rub under the skin on the breasts and all over the outside.  A couple sprigs of rosemary get shoved into the cavity. All the drippings in the drip pan can be poured into a separator and used to pour over your dressing or to make gravy.

Cook time - Figure about 11 minutes per pound. The 20 lb bird pictured in my earlier post took about 3 1/2 hours.  I usually pull the turkey when I get a reading (taken multiple locations) of about 157 degrees and let it rest 30 minutes uncovered, before carving.  This is a great read about carryover temps and resting from Thermoworks:

http://blog2.thermoworks.com/2016/11/5-carryover-cooking-turkeys/?utm_source=Nl-2016Nov12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=WhiteDarkMeatTurkeyPost&utm_content=inbox&utm_campaign=Nov2016-Turkey-Carryover-Cooking-cs&utm_source=ThermoWorks+Consumers+List&utm_campaign=ac9a89bcfc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_87f520d049-ac9a89bcfc-330762845