Rotisserie turkey - pushing the limit?

[Joe D - BBQ Joe]

So I've cooked many turkeys in the WSM, some low and slow, some not, but all good. However, I have not done any in several years because there is just no going back from a turkey cooked over charcoal (Wicked Good lump this year) on a 22" kettle rotisserie. Cooks really quickly, and the moisture is unfailingly on point.

Anyway, I read when I first got the rotisserie rig that 15 pounds would be about the upper limit on a turkey. Since then, I have usually been able to buy a turkey right around that size, but this year I guess the smaller turkeys were hard to find. So on Thanksgiving I cooked a 20 pounder and then today we went back in (Thanksgiving turkey sale) for a 22 pounder. Although the wings were a little charred from hanging over the charcoal on the sides, it cooked perfectly, done in a little under two hours.

I'm wondering if anyone using a charcoal rotisserie has gone any higher than 22 pounds on a bird on a 22" kettle. I think I may have finally found the upper limit?

 

[Richard in NS]

You are probably getting close if it is a Weber. The wattage of the motor makes a difference, but the key to pushing whatever motor you have is getting it balanced as close to perfect as possible. My Weber is 9 watts rated at 20 lbs and my OneGrill is 13 watts rated at 40 lbs. My friend has a 3 watt Napoleon and it would not spin a 12 lb one. Keep us posted if you try a bigger one.

 

[Joe V]

The largest bird I’ve spun on my Weber rotisserie was a 21.5 lb Turkey this past Thanksgiving day. I followed it up with a 19 lb Turkey on Christmas day.

 

[Garret Komjathy]

I recently saw someone with two turkeys on a rotisserie-close to 30lbs in total which is nearly +10lbs over the limit.