Whole Turkey - Sand, Water or Empty Pan?


 
Charles Howse

Charles Howse

TVWBB Wizard
Hey,
My brand-new WSM is here in Jackson as we speak.
I should have it within a few hours!!!

I'm unthawing a 16# injected whole turkey to smoke next week. Planning on NOT brining, rubbing w/ Blues Hog, and smoking vertically on my new Beer Can Turkey stand.

I noticed that Chris uses an empty water pan on his Turkey cooks, and also that Jim Minion uses sand in the water pan for poultry.

I've also noted that someone posted that a sand-filled water pan burned the bottom of their brisket, and also that Chris had to foil the turkey legs to keep them from over cooking with the empty water pan.

So the question is: What do we think is the safest way for a newbie to smoke his first turkey? Sand, water or an empty water pan?
 
For turkey I use an empty pan. I can hit the target cook temp faster, imo, and can control it easily without having to factor in heat from the sand.
Passed through Jackson yesterday evening. I'm pretty sure I could smell your anticipation.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by K Kruger:
Passed through Jackson yesterday evening. I'm pretty sure I could smell your anticipation.
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<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Could be, could not be...depends on which way the wind was blowing at the time. See, there's a hog farm bout a mile north of me...
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I cooked a brined 14 pounder last Thanksgiving with the water pan empty and foiled and about 3 fist sized chunks of hickory. I thought about smoking it vertically, but I just put it on the top rack. It was the best turkey we've had--so moist and just lightly smoked emough to not overpower (but greatly enhance) the delicate taste of the turkey. I also roasted a larger turkey in the oven and the smoked stayed moist much longer as leftovers.
 
I have done 14 and 20 lb turkeys, but I used the Guru on both. Both were cooked with some sand in the pan, about 1".

I started the 14 lb at 250 F for 2 1/2 hours and then ran the temp up, finishing about 320 F. The 20 lb turkey was set to run at about 325 F, but with the Guru puffing away, it still took over 1 1/2 hours to get up to 325 F (NO MM; using lump). Both turkeys were the sole meat, located in the traditional position, on the back, on the top grill and both were tied up so the wings and legs did not flop.

With a recommended cook temp of 300F to 350F for poultry, you will probably have trouble holding 300F or more with water in the pan. You should start all the charcoal before putting the turkey on. Using only the top grate, you should not have any radiant heat issues from sand or nothing in the pan.

I do recommend brining, both turkeys were brined and rated as the best that the crowd had had.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vernon N:
Using only the top grate, you should not have any radiant heat issues from sand or nothing in the pan. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the reply, Vernon, but I am planning on sticking a beer can up this bird's nether regions, I doubt if it will fit on the top rack, but I'll see.

BTW, how can you be in two places at the same time?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vernon N:
Work in Beaufort during week; Home most weekends w/ family in Charlotte. Typical of construction. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Or Engineering!
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Charles, please post yopur turkey results. Since you're using an injected turkey, brining would not be appropriate. Consider a non-injected turkey for the next turkey smoke, brine it and compare the results. I used Chris's brine recipe in the Poultry recipe section and I can't say enough how good it was.
 
Mark,
Correct, as I said in my original post, I am not brining this bird because it is injected.
I've brined a turkey breast before, and it came out good, (even though we roasted it in the oven, shhhhh...)

I'm looking at Keri C's honey brine.
She seems to be the Turkey Queen here.
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I've done three turkeys in the last three months, one vertical, two laying breast down. All with empty pan. I will stick to laying down and empty pan.

Also, I got the idea from somewhere to put a large foil pie plate in the empty water pan to catch drippings and added some of it to gravy.
 
I think I just saw a post of where someone did a vertical bird ... a *huge* one ... by taking out the top rack and placing in on the bottom rack.

Was it this forum?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scott Greenia:
I think I just saw a post of where someone did a vertical bird ... a *huge* one ... by taking out the top rack and placing in on the bottom rack.

Was it this forum? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> perhaps this is the one you are speaking of Scott
 
I also have done three turkeys in the last three months. All were laying down with the breast up and a foiled empty pan and the results were excellent.

Griff
 
Smoked turkey is good, but nothing IMO matches a fried turkey. Course, am not that big on turkey in the first place. Eat it at Thanksgiving and maybe during college baseball tailgates.
 
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