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Late Turkey Question

Doing a family meal for Thanksgiving today and I'm in the process of cooking a 14lb turkey on the Egg.  Things seemed to be going fine - after about an hour the egg started pouring smoke out.  Temp is fine but I'm concerned about the amount of smoke the turkey is getting hit with.

Anybody seen this happen and what should I do?

Comments

  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
    Is it possible your lump or hot plate setter just got hit with a cup of turkey juice?

    Put mine on an hour ago - in a roasting rack over some apple cider vinegar - stuffed with an apple, celery, onion, an orange and some cloves. 

    Holding 325f pretty steady... looked in the chimney - the breast is almost close enough to touch.

    Indirect.

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



  • Here is what it is looking like about 1 hour and 10 minutes in.  The temp is rising too. :(
  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
    Temp looks like 300 - the bird looks fine so far... I'd be worried that a hole in that aluminum pan is dripping on the plate setter and intermittently giving you a smoke signal. 

    Here's mine from an hour ago, I dare not open the egg for another couple hours.
    image

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



  • Yours is looking good.  I'm opening it about every 15 minutes or so to baste it. 

    You must be right about a hole I can't see hitting the plate setter.  Pan still seems to have a decent bit of juices in it though.
  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
    I don't recommend basting - it just cools the thing off, warms it up, cools it off, etc.... tends to defeat the purpose of basting and dries it out.

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
    Looking close at your picture - very front of the roasting pan, closest to the camera I see a burned spot, dry... that might be your leak. 

    Get a paper sized piece of foil under that spot - see if any juice runs out on the foil after an hour. 

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



  • I noticed that just before I saw your post and was outside throwing more foil under the pan and curling the edges to make sure it wasn't touching.  The smoke seems to have tailed off and my temp is back to about 325ish down from about 400.

    This has been a stressful hour!  I'm off to pour myself a drink.
  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
    did you start with a full load of fresh lump? or did you mix new lump in with your previously used lump?
    I find I have that problem when I re-use lump that I've cooked direct with.
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

  • TigerTony said:
    did you start with a full load of fresh lump? or did you mix new lump in with your previously used lump? I find I have that problem when I re-use lump that I've cooked direct with.
    Fresh and just cleaned the Egg out so that I could avoid problem.  I think we are good now though.  Temp has been stable and we are actually getting close to 165.

    Do you guys think the "Keep Warm" setting on the oven will dry it out?  

    Can you tell it is the first time I've cooked a turkey? :)
  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
    @StellarEvo‌ -- cover with foil, warm setting. I would think you'll be just fine.
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

  • DieselkW
    DieselkW Posts: 894
    I was working on 20 minutes / lb at 350. - on at 10:15am - I was expecting a 6 hour cook.

    I just checked temp - 175 breast, 160 thigh after 4 hours.

    I'm ready to pull, and it's two hours early.

    Cranked the vent down to razor thin - I'll let her "rest" at 225 for an hour, foil the breast, then I have got to get that out of the damn egg.
    image

    Indianapolis, IN

    BBQ is a celebration of culture in America. It is the closest thing we have to the wines and cheeses of Europe. 

    Drive a few hundred miles in any direction, and the experience changes dramatically. 



  • @DieselkW Looking good!  I just pulled my and threw in the oven to keep it warm.  My looks a bit my "crisp" than yours. hehe.


    image