Hi everyone! I'm new here, and I'll be smoking my first turkey tomorrow on a WSM. I'm going to be trying to keep the temp around 300 degrees. Any idea how long it will take to cook a 17.5 pound turkey at that temperature?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Joel

Welcome to the forum Joel, sorry I can not answer your question since a whole turkey is about the only thing I haven't cooked on the WSM...
But I will wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy every minute of cookin on your WeberSM!

I would allow yourself 4-4½ hours cook time. A lot will depend on what hit the cooker temp takes when you put the bird on, and how cold it is-- you might want to set the bird out off refrigeration for an hour to take the chill off. Two full Weber chimneys of lit charcoal minimum to start. Remember, it's temp, not time. Take it to 160° in the breast, 170 in the thigh. Resting 15-20 minutes before carving will give you a bump from residual heat that will put your final internal temp right where it needs to be.

What Doug said. I cooked a 13lb. brined turkey today for a guy I work with. It took 4 hrs. 15 min at a steady 300º lid temp. I took it sraight out of the brine, rinsed and on to the WSM it went. The temp outside was a balmy 30º today.

Thanks for the advice and welcome everybody! Merry Christmas to all of you and your families.

Joel