Proposed Turkey Set-up

Kelly Keefe · November 2003

Due the pending arrival of our son, the wife and I will not be attending the traditional family Thanksgiving dinner. (Hey, hopefully Gabriel James will be here in time to start our own tradition this year!)[p]I haven't Egged a Turkey in a couple of years. What I'm thinking of doing is getting a six-seven pound breast. I'm thinking of using the plate setter (legs up), the grill and then the pizza stone for the maximum mass between the turkey and the fire. I'll then put the breast in an aluminium pan on top of a mirepoix and roast it around, say, 325°.[p]Anybody got any comments on this? Am I using too much mass? Would I be better off cooking at a lower temperature?[p]Appreciate any comments.[p]Kelly Keefe
Jefferson City, MO

Jo · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,[p]Best wishes for your arriving son![p]I too have the same questions about set up...I have my first smoke in the egg right now. A 4lb chicken on the vertical spanek to practice for turkey day.[p]When I put in the platesetter, there was not enough clearance to close the lid. I really want to use the spanek I just paid $18 for![p]Should I leave out the grid, and just put the drip pan with spanek directly on the platesetter?[p]Maybe this is why I keep reading posts referring to firebricks.[p]captjo@peoplpc.com
Florida

YB · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,
I cook mine on a raised grid in a v rack and drip pan at 350°...Comes out perfect everytime.
Larry
[ul][li]Last Thanksgiving[/ul]

The Naked Whiz · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,
I'd stick with the 325 degree temp. When roasting turkeys, I view the egg as an oven, so go with the oven method. Keep an eye on the skin and tent with foil if it starts to brown too much. Obviously, there are all sorts of ways to do turkey, but if you want to stay simple and roast it, pretend it's an oven.[p]TNW

tstick · November 2003

Jo,I just use the grid, and alum disposable pann, and a chicken or turkey sitter. No ceramic mass on chickens and turkeys. Did a 13 lb turkey yesterday. Went 20 min per lb @ 325. Hope this helps. I brined it overnight as well.
tstick

Kelly Keefe · November 2003

Jo,
Thanks! So, you can't get the lid down? You didn't put the plate setter feet down did you? If it's feet up (with drip pan in between) than you should be able to close the dome. |__| is feet up, the opposite is feet down. Also, be careful that the bird is NOT touching the dome thermometer or you'll get a false reading.[p]Kelly

Kelly Keefe · November 2003

YB,
Looks good, Larry. I've done the V rack route. Want to try the "raft of veggies" route to impart a little more flavor to the drippings.[p]Appreciate the input![p]Kelly

Kelly Keefe · November 2003

The Naked Whiz,
That's kind of what I was thinking: Think oven, not grill. You don't think the pizza stone is overkill though, do you? I was thinking it'd keep the flames away and the hot air factor higher...[p]Kelly

Citizen Q · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,
I've done a bunch of turkeys a bunch of different ways on the Egg with very different results.
Results so far:
Whole Stuffed in roasting rack over drip pan & firebricks @325-350 for 5 hours - turkey OK but stuffing awful.

Whole Unstuffed on vertical rack over beer can, drip pan and firebricks @250 for 6 hours - meat tasty, skin rubbery and foul tasting (no pun intended).[p]Whole Unstuffed, vertical, beer can, drip pan and firebricks @325-350 for about 2 hours - perfect skin & meat with mild smoke flavor.[p]Hotel Breast Unstuffed, vertical, beer can, drip pan and firebricks @200 for 12 hours - UNBELIEVABLE!!! Meat juicy with tons of smoke flavor, skin crisp and smokey, best damn turkey I've ever tasted and I HATE white meat![p]All cooking times approximate, proper internal temp of 175 attianed in each instance for whole birds 20-24#, hotel breast 12#.[p]Don't be surprised if young Gabriel sprouts a full set of teeth and pulls a chair up to the big boys table for a bite or two if you decide to go with the low and slow.[p]Cheers,
C~Q[p]

Shelby · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,
I'm a big believer in doing things the simple, easy way.
Here's my two cents worth...[p]When I do turkey/turkey breast, I go with: plate setter, feet up; drip pan, the cooking grid. I place the bird or breast directly over the drip pan. If you want to throw some veggies, etc in the pan, that's fine; a friend does and loves it this way, I don't.[p]The problem, as I see it, with using a vertical roaster with the plate setter is if you put the grid in place over the plate setter, the cooking surface has been elevated to high to accomodate a vertical cook.[p]Doing an indirect cook means placing some barrier between the fire and the meat. You could put a pizza stone directly on the grid(no plate setter) then put a drip pan with a vertical roaster or you could even leave out the stone and just put set the roaster in a drip pan directly on the grid.

Kelly Keefe · November 2003

Shelby,
"The problem, as I see it, with using a vertical roaster..." Wasn't planning on using a vertical roaster, but you're right. My proposed set up would be too high if I used the vertical roaster. I have one that is large enough to accomodate a turkey, but I was planning on laying the breast on the veggies. Doing it that way was the wife's idea. (Hey, she's the one who's pregnant -- grin!)[p]In the past I've just gone with the plate setter, drip pan, grill and V rack. Since she wants the miropoix, I figured a little extra mass (ie the pizza stone) might keep things from burning....[p]But thanks for the input![p]Kelly

tn slagamater · November 2003

Citizen Q,what is "hotel" breast? That is a new one for me...[p]

Car Wash Mike · November 2003

<p />Kelly Keefe,
Hope that little rascal gets here in time for Thanksgiving, if not you have plenty of time for Christmas.
I just keep it simple like most eggers that posted.
I have the legs up on placesetter, inverted v-rack and breast. I do like to stuff with apple, orange and onion. Good luck and let me know about everything.
GD rolled over a bunch more and now thinks it is funny.[p]CWM

Citizen Q · November 2003

tn slagamater,
It's pretty much just a turkey with the legs and wings cut off. I don't know if there's any other real distinction about a hotel breast, but I made sure to add that info because thats whats on the label when I buy one. Could be the same as the difference between a rib-eye and a delmonico steak, there is none, but I still only buy rib-eyes.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

Jo · November 2003

Kelly Keefe,[p]Thanks for the response. Yes, I did put the platesetter in feet up, but either way you put it, the cooking grid still ends up at the same height. The cooking grid sits on top of the feet in the feet up position. I'm thinking of not using the cooking grid at all on turkey day. I think I might do platesetter, with drip pan on it, vertical roaster on drip pan. [p]The chicken was great yesterday...I will surely use the advise from someone (sorry, I forget who it was) of ziplock of ice on the breast 20 min before cook. I did not get the indirect heat sorted out, so it wound up smoking with direct heat, at 300*, for two hours.[p]Hope your wife is feeling well.[p]Jo

Proposed Turkey Set-up

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