Turkey Questions??

Bagger722

So, I'm going to be cooking our Thanksgiving Turkey on the Egg this year and I'm thinking about doing two slightly smaller birds versus a single large one.  My question is this, if I choose to go with two 15 pound birds, do I determine cooking time off the weight of one bird or the combined weight of them both?  I believe I know the answer to this question but I just would like some reassurance.

Thanks again for the help, and hope everyone has been well.

wassmann

I don't know an exact anwer, however if you maintain the same temperature with 1 bird versus 2, then the time should be about the same.  However, you have 30 pound of meat and bone vs. 15 pounds, so you have double the mass as a heat sink in pretty close proximity to each other. (I would make sure to make a really good bed of coals, then choke down the draft to get the right temp)  If you have plenty of space between the birds, like an infinite grill space, the cook time will be the same as for one bird.

Personnally, if I was doing 2 rather than 1, I would plan on it taking 20% longer.  That is a gut feeling without personal experience of doing it.  I also would have a temperature probe in one bird in outside edge and one on the inside edge, and rotate horizontally 180 degrees, 1/2 way through the cook. 

Wish I could have been more help, but I would just tell your company to be patient, and you can rush good cooking.    I am eager to hear how it turns out.

If I do two birds next year,  they will be 11-12 pound which should help to minimize differential cooking because of doing two birds, and they should fit nicely in the XL Egg.

Bagger722

Thank you for your responses. Ended up with one 20 pounder. She's on the XL now cooking away. I tried the recipe from the Big Green Egg cookbook, eager to find out the end result. Will let you all know and will post some pics as well. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

-Big Al

Cookinupnorth

Hey Big Al how did it turn out?