For Easter I smoked a turkey in my WSM. The virtual Weber bullet recipe
said to smoke it at 325 to 350 degrees but the highest lid temp I could
get was 310. I used Kingsford briquettes, overfilled the ring, waited
untill all the coals were white before assembling the cooker, and had
all vents open 100%. The water pan was filled with sand and outside
temp was about 75 degrees and breezy. It didn't seem to matter because
the 12lb bird was done in three hours anyway. How do you get the temp
up to 350, would using lump make a difference? -RP

Randy wrote:

> For Easter I smoked a turkey in my WSM. The virtual Weber bullet recipe
> said to smoke it at 325 to 350 degrees but the highest lid temp I could
> get was 310. I used Kingsford briquettes, overfilled the ring, waited
> untill all the coals were white before assembling the cooker, and had
> all vents open 100%. The water pan was filled with sand and outside
> temp was about 75 degrees and breezy. It didn't seem to matter because
> the 12lb bird was done in three hours anyway. How do you get the temp
> up to 350, would using lump make a difference? -RP

Lump does tend to burn hotter. You also might have tried not putting
anything in the water pan. How'd the skin turn out?

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

The skin was beautiful to look at and crunchy enough for eating on the
top 2/3 of the bird. I cooked it the entire time breast side up so the
back side skin was pretty moist and chewy, not good. I think next time
I will start it out breast down and flip it halfway though the cooking.
The meat was not overly smokey and was as moist as any I have ever
had. I had a foil pan catching the drippings to which I added about
four cups of chichen broth and thickened with corn starch. It made a
gravy with a tangy smokey flavor, very good. -RP

Nathan Lau wrote:

> Randy wrote:
>
>> For Easter I smoked a turkey in my WSM. The virtual Weber bullet
>> recipe said to smoke it at 325 to 350 degrees but the highest lid temp
>> I could get was 310. I used Kingsford briquettes, overfilled the
>> ring, waited untill all the coals were white before assembling the
>> cooker, and had all vents open 100%. The water pan was filled with
>> sand and outside temp was about 75 degrees and breezy. It didn't seem
>> to matter because the 12lb bird was done in three hours anyway. How
>> do you get the temp up to 350, would using lump make a difference? -RP
>
>
> Lump does tend to burn hotter. You also might have tried not putting
> anything in the water pan. How'd the skin turn out?
>

I had a foil pan catching the drippings to which I
> added about four cups of chichen broth and thickened with corn
> starch. It made a gravy with a tangy smokey flavor, very good. -RP


That's a good idea, saving the drippings......I have just started
experimenting with cooking without the water pan. I use lump, and have been
using sand in the pan. Did some Barbeque chicken on the top rack with no pan
this weekend.....the WSM got up to 385 pretty fast....outside temp was 56.
got it down to 325, did a great job cooking the chickens....I would think
that the drippings pan would be just enough of a deflector, without adding
any heat sink properties........
My grill maintained 325 temp for hours with one vent closed, and the
other two open about 20 percent. I'm just wondering if I can get the temp
down to 225-250 for low and slow during the summer months.

Oncler wrote:
> I had a foil pan catching the drippings to which I
>
>>added about four cups of chichen broth and thickened with corn
>>starch. It made a gravy with a tangy smokey flavor, very good. -RP
>
> That's a good idea, saving the drippings......I have just started
> experimenting with cooking without the water pan. I use lump, and have been
> using sand in the pan. Did some Barbeque chicken on the top rack with no pan
> this weekend.....the WSM got up to 385 pretty fast....outside temp was 56.
> got it down to 325, did a great job cooking the chickens....I would think
> that the drippings pan would be just enough of a deflector, without adding
> any heat sink properties........

If you use an empty water pan to catch drippings, make sure there's some
empty space between the foil and the bottom of the pan. That way the
juices won't burn.

--
Aloha,

Nathan Lau
San Jose, CA

#include <std.disclaimer>

Randy > wrote in
:

> For Easter I smoked a turkey in my WSM. The virtual Weber bullet
> recipe said to smoke it at 325 to 350 degrees but the highest lid temp
> I could get was 310. I used Kingsford briquettes, overfilled the
> ring, waited untill all the coals were white before assembling the
> cooker, and had all vents open 100%. The water pan was filled with
> sand and outside temp was about 75 degrees and breezy. It didn't seem
> to matter because the 12lb bird was done in three hours anyway. How
> do you get the temp up to 350, would using lump make a difference?
> -RP
>

Randy,

I did a turkey for Easter on the WSM as well. About 11 pounds, it spent
a day and a half in Kevin's brine from the Kamado Cook-off competition.
Ran the WSM with no water pan, a cheapy foil turkey roaster on the
bottom rack to catch drippings. Filled the charcoal ring half to 2/3
full with lump, dumped a chimney of charcoal on top and assembled.
Burned another chimeny while the smoker came up to heat. Tossed the
second chimney through the access door and got up to about 425 at the
top grill with all vents at 100%. Ran at 425 for about a half hour or
so, then setlled at 350. Temp jumped to 375 for the last hour. Spent a
total of about 3.5 hours on the grill, which was a touch long. Wing
tips were crunchy, but the brine prevented anything else from drying
out. Apple wood for smoke.

Drippings made a kickass gravy when combined with giblet broth and a
roux made with the collected grease from the drippings.

Jason