Christmas Turkey - should I risk it?

My wife thinks it would be a great idea if I cooked the Christmas turkey on our Weber Spirit E310 gas BBQ (it has three burners). It will be a large bird as it will need feed 9 people. Christmas is our most important holiday. Although I am a keen BBQ person, this is not my average burger; I have not attempted anything like this before. The responsibility is daunting - it could ruin everybody's day (especially mine!).

I have looked at many of the notes on this forum and frankly am not that much the wiser; it seems to me that you guys rather than being the other side of the Atlantic are more like on another planet. You all seem, to be using smoking BBQs, brines and all sorts of other sophistications. I am almost too embarrassed to ask ....

Could you go back to basics? I have so many questions, Direct / Indirect heat, temperature, cooking time, how to ensure it is cooked evenly, recipe, whether it should go straight onto the grill or placed in a tray of some sort, turn it or leave alone? The list is endless!

Any suggestions that could encourage me in my misery would be most welcome. Thanks in anticipation!!!!

First off, welcome to the site. Hang around long enough and you will learn plenty from just reading about everyones weekend cooks, or daily cooks for some members

Some questions I would consider are:

Your area you live in. Winter grilling will change things up from what you are used to if you are in a cold region.

Do you ever use your grill as an oven (indirect cooking) or just a quick 10 min steak grill.

Do you know your temps that your gas grill cooks are.

I know nothing about the gasser you have and you will get the same tasting bird in my opinion as the oven, unless you were to add wood smoke packs and I'm not sure if that is what you want or not.

If you have specific questions about something in particular, ask away. Lot's of helping people around here.

Welcome David!

Nothing really sophisticated about cooking a turkey. Brining? You're just soaking it in salt water. (granted I glossed over a few key points).

For starters, if you haven't already, please browse this section of the website; it has a lot of good information. After going through it, do a simple trial run. Don't invest in a turkey; just cook a whole chicken. You don't have to brine, you don't have to separate the skin and rub a compound butter underneath it; a simple bird cooked with salt and pepper can be very satisfying. You'll be cooking indirectly (roasting) as this will allow all parts of the bird to cook properly. Temperature is pretty much up to you; some like a low and slow (250-275) approach while others prefer a higher temp (350-400). The higher temp will yield a crispy skin and cook the bird faster. I'd put it in a roasting pan (foil or permanent to catch juices for gravy and prevent a mess in your grill). After that chicken, you might be ready to take a step up and try something more sophisticated; a nice rub, fruit or veggies in the cavity for additional flavor, perhaps a brine for moisture...

You've got plenty of time before Christmas; try an experiment or 2. This is not intended to be daunting; it's meant to be enjoyed !

Paul

Jeff and Paul

Thanks for your replies.

Jeff, to answer some of your questions; I am in the UK so it is our coldest time, there could well be snow. The BBQ is a kettle type so all is cooked with the lid down. I have managed some small joints before and they turned out ok. On the outside, it does display the temperature inside and that can be quite well controlled, but I do not know the temperature of the meat inside. I do tend to check things too often and consequently keep loosing the heat.

Paul, thanks for pointing that link out, I had not seen it, I agree there is plenty of information there. Thanks also for the advice. I will definitely take up the chicken suggestion. Perhaps this weekend. Not sure if I am on the right part of the forum as you all seem to be using Smokey Mountains, which I had never heard of and have not yet seen here. However I will assume it will not make much difference.

You never know, it could turn out ok ...........

David,

Many people smoke with the 310 and some grill with the WSM. I've never used the E310, but looking at it online, I'd say turn off the middle burner and center your bird on the grates using heat from the front and back burners only (no part of the pan directly over a lit burner). If you don't have one, invest in a meat thermometer. I have several types, but one like this will make things easier. With the probe in the leg or breast of the bird, you can leave the lid down and keep temps constant. There's dozens of brands and styles out there and you'll find a lengthy discussion on the topic in this forum. Just do a little digging using the "Find" option and you'll end up with more info than you wanted!

Paul

David,

I have done many turkeys on my gasser (Weber Genesis Silver).

A few comments without going into a lot of details.
1. I use a cast iron smoke box to get the smoke flavor.
2. I grill indirect at between 375 and 400 degrees.
3. I always brine - keep it simple and I do not recommend sweeteners in the brine.
4. I also use a nice rub on the outside of the bird along with peanut oil.

Go for it - you will really enjoy. And if you are still uncomfortable at all, grill a large hen or capon first to get the feel.

Ray