Temperature Differential if Cooking Without Water in Pan

[Dave Lewis]

The temperature differential discussed on this website between lid and cooking grate are with water (or sand) in the pan. However, there are several recipes now that call for no water in the pan, i.e. turkey or chicken. Is there still a temperature differential between top grate and lid with no water in the pan? Which is hotter?

I'm curious because I'm going to cook a turkey again this weekend. When I cook a turkey in the oven, I usually cook it breast down (the theory being that it results in a juicier breast). But the temp is even throughout an oven. In WSM there is a temp differential, and we cook the breast to 160-165 and the thighs to 170-180. So which part should be up in the WSM; breast or thighs so both are done at the same time? I have cooked a turkey in my WSM with the breast up and it came out just fine. I just wonder if I can get a juicier breast (will be brining also) if its facing down, but I don't want to screw it up.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Dave,

I've not measured the temperature differential between the lid and top grate with an empty water pan, so I can't say anything definitive about that, but I imagine there's still a differential--I just don't know how much.

If you run the WSM at 325-350*F with an empty water pan, it'll be pretty the same as your oven and you can cook breast side up or down, following whatever approach you would in the oven. I usually cook breast side up.

You'll have moist breast meat if you brine, so don't worry about that.

Regards,
Chris