27# turkey -- are you crazy?

Freddy j · 12-28-2012, 02:21 PM

My company gave me this huge turkey for thanksgiving and it's been in the patoidaddio brine since noon.

What's the best way for a 325 degree cook on my wsm 22? Should I cut it in half? Remove the legs?

What say my experienced brethren?

Thank you in advance for your helping a brother out.

Bluesman · 12-28-2012, 02:25 PM

Personally if it fits I'd go for it

It will make some the Year's best PRON

WineMaster · 12-28-2012, 05:07 PM

I would cook it as 1 huge breast and 2 leg quarters. Thats a biggun.

Foxfire · 12-28-2012, 06:10 PM

I'll be curious to see what you do, I have a 23# bird in the freezer I picked up day after Thanksgiving. Pix pls!

frognot · 12-28-2012, 06:44 PM

Frankenturkey there! I'd quarter something that size.

Mdboatbum · 12-28-2012, 07:27 PM

If you're running at 325˚ I say go for it whole!! We're gonna need pics of that thing. It'll make your 22" WSM look like a mini!

deepsouth · 12-28-2012, 07:29 PM

farkin crazy sized bird.

swamprb · 12-28-2012, 07:35 PM

I'd do a deconstructed Turkey.
Saw this on an episode of ATK and had been dying to try it and was really pleased with the results and if I had a bird that big, would not hesitate to do it.

Took a 15lb. brined bird, cut the breasts from the bone, seasoned with Bigmista's Chicken Scratch and wrapped them back in the skin and tied them into a roast. Kept the legs and thighs whole, cooked them in a pan in the BWS Gater at 325-350*

Not much to look at, but slicing the breast was a dream, nice and moist and the dark meat was where its at!

Boshizzle · 12-28-2012, 07:37 PM

Wow, that's some kind of prehistoric monster you got there!

I'd cut it into sections and cook each section until it was perfectly done. Keeping it all in one piece poses a big risk of drying parts of it out while other parts cook, IMO.

Good luck, and post some pics!

Wampus · 12-28-2012, 08:17 PM

Can't imagine how you even grow a turkey that large! That's farkin HUGE!

I think I would at LEAST spatch it.
I'd DEFINITELY brine it, so good on ya for that!
If it's still too big to fit on your smoker spatchcocked, then just continue to deconstruct and quarter it is probably the route I'd go.

Although, it sure WOULD be some awesome farkin prOn if it was left whole and roasted.

Good luck to you!

Vision · 12-28-2012, 08:23 PM

I would spatchcock or cut in half and put one on each grate.

Smaller turkeys are best for smoking. If you smoke it whole you'll probably have some dryness as it will take a long time to cook through.

Let us know...

Freddy j · 12-30-2012, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineMaster

I would cook it as 1 huge breast and 2 leg quarters. Thats a biggun.

I'm considering going this route so that the breast doesn't dry out. I've done birds as large as 23# with great success and don't know why I feel like I should change my cooking methods on this one. Gonna start the cook tomm am so we'll see how she goes I guess.

Freddy j · 12-30-2012, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vision

I would spatchcock or cut in half and put one on each grate.

Smaller turkeys are best for smoking. If you smoke it whole you'll probably have some dryness as it will take a long time to cook through.

Let us know...

Thanks vision, this is what concerns me & dryness was the reason for me making the thread. Ill take some pics when I smoke tomm.

Man, I'm really looking forward to trying patiodaddios brine recipe!

Meat & Heat · 12-30-2012, 02:50 PM

Cut it up!
I did a 30# beast a couple years ago that my father in law raised.

It was good but it took 14 hrs in the cooker, alot of basting, and a chit ton of tending to.
Will not even consider one that big again.

Freddy j · 12-30-2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxfire

I'll be curious to see what you do, I have a 23# bird in the freezer I picked up day after Thanksgiving. Pix pls!

I did a 21# about 2 weeks ago and it came out unbelievable. I used emeril lagasse's recipe for brine and let it soak for 2 days (pulled the skin away from all of the meat first). Then I rinsed and dried and put ice packs on the breast while I got the bbq pit fired up (an hour or so).

Then I rubbed oil all over and under the skin and rubbed with spice, throttled up the wsm 22 to 325 and threw it the top rack. Didn't open the lid until the thermometer hit 175 in the thigh.

Results? Moistest, juiciest, tastiest bird that I've ever tasted. Flavor was unreal, skin was crispy, smoke ring in the breast meat was killer. Prob could've used some foil at the end for aesthetics but it was devoured in record time. Zero leftovers from a 21# bird!

Also, I used some apple chunks to flavor up.

12-28-2012, 02:21 PM	#1
Freddy j is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 11-22-12 Location: Boston Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	27# turkey -- are you crazy? My company gave me this huge turkey for thanksgiving and it's been in the patoidaddio brine since noon. What's the best way for a 325 degree cook on my wsm 22? Should I cut it in half? Remove the legs? What say my experienced brethren? Thank you in advance for your helping a brother out. __________________ Big Joe Kamado WSM 22.5" wsm mini

12-28-2012, 02:25 PM	#2
Bluesman is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 01-01-10 Location: Fond du Lac, WI Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Personally if it fits I'd go for it It will make some the Year's best PRON __________________ "98" Green Weber Performer "95" Black Weber Platinum - Dumpster find workin' on it "00" Weber Simpsons OTG 22.5 WSM Smokin' Bucky UDS Weber Q100 Weber Q200 Faster than the Speed of Light Red Thermapen, Certified MOINK Ball Maker Proud Member of the Zero's Club with Voodoo Soup..

12-28-2012, 05:07 PM	#3
WineMaster Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-16-07 Location: Southern MN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I would cook it as 1 huge breast and 2 leg quarters. Thats a biggun. __________________ Dan MJH From Backyard Bomber BBQ ---- X 2 Junior & Stretch 22.5 Weber Kettle Blue Thermopen Comp Team Wine & Swine This is funner than chuckin rocks at a sign. John Godwin (Duck Dynasty)

12-28-2012, 06:10 PM	#4
Foxfire Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-28-12 Location: San Jose, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'll be curious to see what you do, I have a 23# bird in the freezer I picked up day after Thanksgiving. Pix pls! __________________ ~ Scott ~ Blue Weber Performer + Craycort CI • Brick Red Weber One-Touch Platinum • Weber 26.75 Kettle • Akorn Kamado • ET 732 • Record-crushing ORANGE Thermapen • UDS In Progress

12-28-2012, 06:44 PM	#5
frognot Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-22-04 Location: Allen, Texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Frankenturkey there! I'd quarter something that size. __________________ Large Big Green Egg WSM Weber One Touch Gold Weber Summit Gold Super Fast, Super Accurate Orange Therma-Pen Retired: NB Bandera (2003-2009) that introduced me to y'all crazy farkers "If you really care about this place, you'll show some respect for it." deguerre Thanks to N8man & NorthwestBBQ for the custom avatars! (\__/) (='.'=) (")_(") "Hang in there Dan Chambers!"

12-28-2012, 07:27 PM	#6
Mdboatbum Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-07-12 Location: Washington, DC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	If you're running at 325˚ I say go for it whole!! We're gonna need pics of that thing. It'll make your 22" WSM look like a mini!

12-28-2012, 07:29 PM	#7
deepsouth Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 04-21-10 Location: Biloxi, MS Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	farkin crazy sized bird. __________________ Large BGE, Small BGE, Mini BGE, Weber 22.5 OTG, yellow thermapen

12-28-2012, 07:35 PM	#8
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I'd do a deconstructed Turkey. Saw this on an episode of ATK and had been dying to try it and was really pleased with the results and if I had a bird that big, would not hesitate to do it. Took a 15lb. brined bird, cut the breasts from the bone, seasoned with Bigmista's Chicken Scratch and wrapped them back in the skin and tied them into a roast. Kept the legs and thighs whole, cooked them in a pan in the BWS Gater at 325-350* Not much to look at, but slicing the breast was a dream, nice and moist and the dark meat was where its at! __________________ Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com

12-28-2012, 07:37 PM	#9
Boshizzle somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 01-26-10 Location: Virginia Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Wow, that's some kind of prehistoric monster you got there! I'd cut it into sections and cook each section until it was perfectly done. Keeping it all in one piece poses a big risk of drying parts of it out while other parts cook, IMO. Good luck, and post some pics! __________________ Jambo Pit - UDS - Lang 60 (Sold) 18.5" & 22.5" Weber Kettles - Smokey Joe and Mini-WSM - Bubba Keg - #2 La Caja China Chargriller Outlaw Impeccably Accurate BLACK & RED Thermapens KCBS CBJ Operation BBQ Relief Founding Member I am Obsessive Compulsive about BBQ. Google it.

12-28-2012, 08:17 PM	#10
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Can't imagine how you even grow a turkey that large! That's farkin HUGE! I think I would at LEAST spatch it. I'd DEFINITELY brine it, so good on ya for that! If it's still too big to fit on your smoker spatchcocked, then just continue to deconstruct and quarter it is probably the route I'd go. Although, it sure WOULD be some awesome farkin prOn if it was left whole and roasted. Good luck to you! __________________ Big JT's Smokin' BBQ Competition Team “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.” - Mahatma Gandhi

12-28-2012, 08:23 PM	#11
Vision is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-11-11 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I would spatchcock or cut in half and put one on each grate. Smaller turkeys are best for smoking. If you smoke it whole you'll probably have some dryness as it will take a long time to cook through. Let us know... __________________ "It's all about the Hill Country brisket."

12-30-2012, 02:50 PM	#14
Meat & Heat Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 05-17-12 Location: Grand Junction CO Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Cut it up! I did a 30# beast a couple years ago that my father in law raised. It was good but it took 14 hrs in the cooker, alot of basting, and a chit ton of tending to. Will not even consider one that big again.