Help needed on smoked turkeys


 
R

R Rochester

New member
Am smoking two 13lb turkeys tomorrow. Could not get a larger bird (fresh). I have the WSM 22" smoker. Thought was to try and smoke both on top grill, if they fit, with lower grill holding a pan to catch drippings for gravy. Also, think (not sure) that temp will be similar by having both birds on same grate......Any thoughts?

Also, I have read that at approx 325, no water in water pan.....approx time is 15 min per LB......would I double it and say 15 minutes for 26 lbs because I have two birds? HELP.....

Finally, if the two turkeys do not fit on top and I go with one on top, one on lower grate.....should I switch them at approx half way point b/c temp may be different at different heights?

Or am I overthinking this????

Any help is greatly appreciated. :cool::cool:
 
If you can get both birds on the top grate without crowding them, that would be fine. If you can't keep at least 2" of clearance between them you'd be better off with one on top and one below. Swapping position at some point would be a good idea, though it may be easier to just put the smaller one on the bottom and let it cook longer if needed. Trying to swap position with two large birds like that can be rather awkward.

Time per pound is a gross approximation. I discovered the hard way doing the Christmas roast this year that it's far more a function of the size (diameter) and density of the meat than the total weight. In the case of a beef roast, the 10 lb. roast I cooked was just longer than the 5 lb. roast mentioned in the recipe. The circumference of the roast is roughly the same and that's what really matters. Heat energy is applied to the outer surface of the meat and starts to work its way toward the center. How long it takes to bring that center up to the target temp is going to depend on original meat temp, air temp in the oven, thermal density of the meat, and distance the heat energy has to travel. In other words, as long as you keep the smoker temp at 325, and the birds have enough distance between them so they aren't acting as a single thermal mass, then two should cook at the same rate as one.

Hey, I'm not too far from you. What time is dinner?
 
Timing is based on the weight of individual pieces of meat. 20 minutes X 13 lb should give an approximation. Enjoy your cook.
 
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