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	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.

12-28-2012, 02:25 PM	#2
Bluesman Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-01-10 Location: Planet Krypton Name/Nickname : Jon	Personally if it fits I'd go for it It will make some the Year's best PRON __________________ 2010 22.5 WSM Weber Q200 1983 WGA 2010 Brick Red Touch n' Go Performer Kitchen stove

12-28-2012, 05:07 PM	#3
WineMaster Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-16-07 Location: Southern MN	I would cook it as 1 huge breast and 2 leg quarters. Thats a biggun. __________________ Dan MJH From Backyard Bomber BBQ -- Junior YS 640 Comp 22.5 Weber Kettle Blue Thermopen Comp Team Wine & Swine

12-28-2012, 06:10 PM	#4
Foxfire Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 08-28-12 Location: San Jose, CA	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]Scott[/I] ~ [COLOR="Blue"]Blue [/COLOR]Weber Performer + Craycort CI • [COLOR="red"]Brick Red[/COLOR] Weber One-Touch Platinum • Weber 26.75 Kettle • Akorn Kamado • ET 732 • Record-crushing [COLOR="Orange"][B]ORANGE[/B][/COLOR] Thermapen • UDS In Progress

12-28-2012, 06:44 PM	#5
frognot somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 03-22-04 Location: Allen, Texas Name/Nickname : Charles	Frankenturkey there! I'd quarter something that size. __________________ The Texas BBQ Brethren 2024 Spring Bash Planning Thread (link) Large Big Green Egg "If you really care about this place, you'll show some respect for it." deguerre "Bludawg looks just like I thought he would. Frognot looks like Tuffy Stone's dad!" aawa " . . . which includes frognot, who is a SoCal Pharker by now" gtr

12-28-2012, 07:27 PM	#6
Mdboatbum Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 02-07-12 Location: Washington, DC	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 somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 04-21-10 Location: Biloxi, MS	farkin crazy sized bird. __________________ Out. Again.

12-28-2012, 07:35 PM	#8
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA	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/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/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	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! __________________ 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	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! __________________ [COLOR="Blue"][B]"Oh, I don’t reject Christ. I love Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike Christ." -Mahatma Gandhi[/B][/COLOR]

12-28-2012, 08:23 PM	#11
Vision is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-11-11 Location: Baltimore, Maryland	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... __________________ Mak 1 Star, Blackstone 36, WSM 18, Weber OTG

12-30-2012, 02:50 PM	#14
Meat & Heat Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 05-17-12 Location: Grand Junction CO	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.