Need Help With Turkey in a Stick Burner

Charcoal basket would be your friend.

Get a GOOD bed of coals down while getting the pit nice n hot.
Put the turkeys on the bottom right shelf and try to go with a seasoned stick every 45 mins. Should be to temp in 3ish hrs? Shouldn't be overly smokey that way. :wink:



YMMV

Also go to kickass BBq for additional info. Rumor has it he likes stickburners.

Apple is on the mild side, you should be ok. Place the bird in a pan.That may defer some of the smoke and it saves the drippings. I read somewhere, wraping in cheesecloth and buttering helps too, but I've never tried it.

I've done a turkey breast on my Lang with just oak and hickory but never had to much smoke flavor. just rubbed it and put it on at 275 till it was done turned out great

Turkey in a Lang. Need I say more?

kickassbbq said:

Turkey in a Lang. Need I say more?

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OK quit braggin and start splainin! Man need some advice.:biggrin:

You burn a hot, clean fire in that Lang and you will not oversmoke your turkey.
Especially if you're cooking with a mild wood like apple.
Especially if you're cooking with hot temperatures as you suggest.

I've done several on a stuckburner, the result tastes great.

If you're worried about smoky drippings, just hack of the wings before cooking and roast them in the oven, use them to make a stock for gravy or whatever.

Bbq Bubba said:

Charcoal basket would be your friend.

Get a GOOD bed of coals down while getting the pit nice n hot.
Put the turkeys on the bottom right shelf and try to go with a seasoned stick every 45 mins. Should be to temp in 3ish hrs? Shouldn't be overly smokey that way. :wink:
YMMV

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I use a mix of lump and shag-bark hickory... If you don't have a basket, put a larger log on each side of the fire grate to keep the lump for falling off.

Captain Dave said:

Apple is on the mild side, you should be ok. Place the bird in a pan.That may defer some of the smoke and it saves the drippings. I read somewhere, wraping in cheesecloth and buttering helps too, but I've never tried it.

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That's one of the keys!!! Another trick is to line the bottom with whole carrots and celery (leave some space between each for the juice). This acts both as a rack to keep the bird out of the juices but also adds GREAT flavor to any gravy you make! Keep an eye on the level of juice you find in the bottom of the pan. I find that I need to remove some of it from time to time. This juice goes into the same pot I'm cooking down my giblets... It's far better than adding water... As Emeral said so well, "I don't know where you get your water, but mine don't come seasoned!"

I don't like to wrap my bird with cheese cloth.. Just me but I've never had a reason to do it.

bbq ron said:

I've done a turkey breast on my Lang with just oak and hickory but never had to much smoke flavor. just rubbed it and put it on at 275 till it was done turned out great

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I like to rub the turkeys with a mixture of fresh Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Salt, Pepper, mixed with Olive Oil. Once you've rinsed off and out the bird, rub the inside of the cavity with this mix and then most importantly, rub UNDER the skin with the mix. This puts the seasonings on the meat and not just on the skin. You can rub some on the skin too, it doesn't hurt anything, in fact I do it, just make sure you get it under the skin.

I also stuff the inside of the cavity with quartered Onions, Granny Smith Apples, and a stick or two of Cinnamon. I cook this mix in the microwave for about 10 minutes and then stuff the bird with this hot mixture. It seem to add more flavor and moisture to the bird. The fact that the inside has some hot stuff in it also seems to get the bird to cook more evenly. I should note that this is the only stuffing that sees the inside of my bird. I DO NOT cook turkeys with bread stuffing in it (Thank you AB).

kickassbbq said:

Turkey in a Lang. Need I say more?

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Gotta love the Lang!!! The 'Mistress' has plans to do 4 of them and it looks like 'Ramona' may be getting one of her own this year!

Langsterjohn said:

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Kick Ass's bird looks awesome. I hope mine comes out even close. I had planned on cooking in a pan, and I usually ice the breast, then cover with butter/garlic/etc soaked cheesecloth; apples, oranges, shallots or onions, ginseng inside. I do love my Lang!

John

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SOunds like you got it down. Best wishes and if you use a pan sit it up on a grate or rack. YMMV

I think you have the right idea, apple and pecan are very mild, cook a little higher than normal... won't be too much smoke flavor... I've done 4 on my stick burner and only messed up one.... I tried to do beer butt turkey using big a$$ can of Foster's without cutting it with some water... it was NASTY!

Langsterjohn...........................;}-

I've done lots of Turkeys and choose the 250*F mark to cook at,as long as you have it to heat and are dillegent in you temp. control, you will be O.K.
Try splitting down your splits to a smaller size,like 8"X2'X2'; watch the temps of the chamber(grill level) and add a piece each time the temp. drops 10*F or so...it will catch almost immediately and the Bird will be ok.
You might have to decrease your drink intake while doing this, but it's for the "Family"!
Remember, a small hot fire is more controllable. And remember...

bbqfans said:

You might have to decrease your drink intake while doing this, but it's for the "Family"!.

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Thats crazy talk. :icon_cool

bbqfans said:

I've done lots of Turkeys and choose the 250*F mark to cook at,as long as you have it to heat and are dillegent in you temp. control, you will be O.K.
Try splitting down your splits to a smaller size,like 8"X2'X2'; watch the temps of the chamber(grill level) and add a piece each time the temp. drops 10*F or so...it will catch almost immediately and the Bird will be ok.
You might have to decrease your drink intake while doing this, but it's for the "Family"!
Remember, a small hot fire is more controllable. And remember...

Click to expand...

NeoTrout said:

Thats crazy talk. :icon_cool

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What you talkin bout Willis!

I cooked many a turkety in both the bandera and the backyard chef.

I use oak mostly, and some apple or cherry.

Shoot for 325, burn hot and clean. Kepp logs on top of the firebox to preheat them so when u need to add, add a hot log and it will ignite immediatly eliminating the white smoke you get with a new log.

The higher temp will roast.. not smoke.. you will have a wood roasted bird, not smoked with the wood roasted flavor, but very little smokiness.. (my family loves it that way) Also, when the bird achioves the color you want, cover it with cheesecloth moistened in hot apple juice and butter. This will stop it form browning too much. You can also cook form the beginning with cheesecloth, and then remove it in the last 45 miutes to brown the skin.