Timing of Cooking a Turkey and Butt


 
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Karl K.

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I've only got one smoke under my belt so I'm still learning quite a bit here. But thanks to the helpful advice, I've come a lot further than if I had only the mere advice of the Weber manual. That said, I need some help on a smoking schedule.

I need to smoke 13lbs of Boston Butt (7lbs and 6 lbs respectively) as well as a 10-12 lb turkey. I know turkey should be cooked at a higher temp like around 300-350 but with the butt in there as well, what'd be the best way to approach? I'll need to refrigerate the turkey anyway, so I'm not necessarily in a rush, just that I don't have time to do two separate ones. I figures I'd do a midnight cook for the butts starting this Thursday around 8:30 pm using the sand method and throw the turkeys at the end. I'm just not sure whether this would work best or perhaps I should hold off on the turkey and do it when it can be cooked at a higher temp. Any suggestions?
 
You could add the turkey at the end but it will take longer to cook so I would brine the turkey.
Figure on six hours from the end of the butt cook, say when the butts hit the butt hits the 155 to 160 internal mark would be when you would put the turkey on. Put the turkey on the bottom grate.
jim
 
Me, personally I don't think I would ever cook poultry and do *BBQ*, low and slow at the same time. Maybe chicken, but once again, the master Mr. Minion has come through.
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Big Al
 
Jim,

Thanks for your response. Do you think that a cook top temp of 225F would suffice for both or should it be higher?

Also, any experience on using the BRITU rub for both the turkey and boston butt?
 
Keep the beginning of the cook at 225 range but turn it up once the turkey goes on. Just keep the pit below 275 until the butts come off so sugars in the rub don't burn. You won't need to foil the butt,if you planned to, till later in the cook. Or foil and get the butt off sooner so you can get the pit temp up for turkey sooner.
Jim
 
Jim,

Would you suggest cooking the butt (6 and 7 lbs apiece) for 10 hours or so, then adding the turkey, cooking at a higher temp (around 260F) for 6 hours or until done? Do you foil the butt once it's reached 180-190F? Or should I foil before that temp and cook it with the turkey at a higher temp?
 
I personel would choose go for the ten hours then add the turkey move the pit temp up, you could foil the butts at that point and remove them once they hit 190 internal. When the butts are off pump the pit temps up to the 300 range and finish the turkey. I would also move the turkey up to the top grate.
As you can see there are a few different choices on how to handle this cook. getting the pit temps up to finish the turkey is key to getting the best bird.
Jim
 
Jim --

Many thanks for your input -- the two butts came out terrific with a wonderful smoke ring to 'em (15 hour cook). Did the turkey afterwards and it too came out okay, but I think I let the temp get away from me (180F in the turkey breast).
 
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