Major assistance needed for Thanksgiving


 
T

Tim Murphy

TVWBB Fan
Dear Board,

On the strength of my successful Labor Day turkey cook SWMBO has given me the go ahead to do the Thanksgiving Turkey on the grill. She has gone as far as to brag to all the guests about how well I did on Labor Day.

I have a 24 pound turkey to do and a 22" OTG to do it on. I'm going to give it a Hell of a run at success but I'd like to hear from more experienced folks before I slap the bird on the grill.

I have real concerns over whether it will actually fit on the OTG?

Please tell me if it is a suicide mission?

Regards,

Tim Murphy :D
 
How big was the Labor Day bird? I've done a 23# bird but I did it on the 22" WSM which has more headspace due to the domed lid. Though the grill is set lower into the kettle on the OTG than on the WSM, I am concerned your OTG lid will not allow the required head space. You might need to give it a test fit. You could spatchcock it or even cook it in halves if you find out you need the space.
 
Take the grill grate out and leave it out. Use the charcoal grate with 1 weber charcoal holder. Cook till done and enjoy the bird.
 
Dear Dwain,

The Labor Day Bird was 14 pounds, a relative pigeon compared to this monster.

I'll test fit it tomorrow and iff'n it don't fit I'll beat the breast down with a mallet to make it fit.

Somehow it will all work out, or not! ;)

Regards,

Tim Murphy :D
 
That's going to be a very tight fit. Hope all goes well, make sure you do a test fit first. The oven may be your best bet.
 
a 24lber many not fit on the cooking grate as the lid may not close. You MAY be able to do a "basement bird" like this:
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/grilling-bbqing/favorites-part-two-turkey/msg81474/#msg81474
JuicysampTurkey11-11-2013057.jpg


I would do some test fits with the pan to see what fits.
 
Dear Board,

Thanks for suggesting a test fit. The bird will fit on the grate and the lid can be closed without touching the turkey based on my test fit with the turkey still 80% frozen and still in the bag.

I should be good!

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
It's good that you won't have an issue, but as an aside a clapped-out bowl can be pressed into service as a lid.
 
Dear Board,

I'll fiddle with things before I actually start a fire but now I am thinking that I might just cook the turkey on a roasting pan on the charcoal grate? That way I will have plenty of space for everything.

I thought I might be in trouble a day ago but now I'm certain that I have options, and that is a good thing!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
For future reference, this is why many folks recommend 12-14 pound turkeys for the grill or smoker. They fit on the grill or smoker better and they cook faster and more evenly. Cook's Illustrated magazine says about turkey size, "We find that the larger the bird, the higher the likelihood that it will be overcooked. With its delicate breast meat and tougher legs, a turkey is already hard to cook. But if the bird weighs 22 pounds, it's very difficult to get the meat close to the bone cooked through without causing the outer layers to dry out." Cook's recommendation: instead of cooking one large turkey, cook two turkeys weighing 12-15 pounds each.

You can do one turkey the day before, carve the meat, refrigerate overnight, and reheat the next day. Cook the second turkey on Thanksgiving Day, present it at the table, then take it back into the kitchen to carve and serve along side the first bird.

More and more people are making their turkey in advance, slicing, refrigerating, then reheating on Thanksgiving Day. We've been doing it this way for a couple of years now and it greatly reduces the stress of getting everything ready. :) If you take the breast to 160*F and reheat with a little chicken broth you'll have moist meat.
 
Chris Allingham said:
For future reference, this is why many folks recommend 12-14 pound turkeys for the grill or smoker. They fit on the grill or smoker better and they cook faster and more evenly. If you need more meat than a 12-14 pound turkey provides, just cook two turkeys. Do one the day before, carve the meat, refrigerate overnight, and reheat the next day. Cook the second turkey on Thanksgiving Day, present it at the table, then take it back into the kitchen to carve and serve along side the first bird.

More and more people are making their turkey in advance, slicing, refrigerating, then reheating on Thanksgiving Day. We've been doing it this way for a couple of years now and it greatly reduces the stress of getting everything ready. :) If you take the breast to 160*F and reheat with a little chicken broth you'll have moist meat.
Click to expand...

That's news to me. I enjoy "fresh" off the smoker. With the "next day" option, does it keep the flavors and freshness?
 
That sounds like a plan. You can bank the coals to either side and rest the roasting pan in the middle. Just make sure to use aluminum foil as needed to deflect direct heat from the sides of the bird. Good luck!
 
Everything worked perfectly!

Dear Board,

Just so you have the information for future reference. I did a 24# bird in a HD aluminum foil disposable roasting pan sitting on a cookie sheet for 5 1/2 hours. The first hour with the breast side down in the pan was done at about 325F. The rest of the cooking was done right around 300F. I used the Weber Grills Apple Brined Turkey recipe and the turkey was sitting in a quart of chicken broth along with the giblets and cut up carrots and celery. I strained the liquid and made gravy with it and it turned out great too. Wondra Flour is the key to perfect gravy.

I don't think I'll ever do another turkey this large again, but I can assure you that it can be done on a 22" OTG on the regular grill rack with enough room to seal the lid and keep the bird's skin from burning.

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was great. I passed my big test so mine was awesome! ;)

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
George Santos said:
That's news to me. I enjoy "fresh" off the smoker. With the "next day" option, does it keep the flavors and freshness?
Click to expand...
It's about trade-offs. Flavor is fine the next day, maybe freshness is compromised a bit, but convenience is maximized. We have a large, complex menu for Thanksgiving, with lots of items that need to hit the table hot at the same time, so being able to just pop a platter of sliced turkey in the oven to reheat is great.
 
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