First turkey

Richtermedic

Did my first turkey today. 14 pounder took 4 hours at 275-300. Great smell coming out the whole time. Reached internal temps and then some. Used a plate setter but did not put a drip pan underneath. Plate setter is covered in drippings... Is this a problem? Or will it burn off?

Mickey

It will burn off.

Mickey

I am lazy. I do it direct and cooks about an hour 15. No clean-up

lousubcap

Plate steer accumulated "stuff" will burn off but best you scrape it off after it cools so you don't have "unplanned flavors".  Any grill scraper will work-for reference, you can line the PS with foil but if a cook with lots of liquid rendered-put a drip pan on the platesetter and give it some air space-elevate the pan with the BGE feet, foil balls, plumbing fittings, stacked pennies or another option to keep the liquid from burning.

Richtermedic

Thanks. No worries then about it being "dirty" or grease covered..... Kinda like oven bottom.

lake_guy

new XL egg owner here.  I had a terrible experience with my first turkey.  18lb bird, cooked it indirect with a PS.  kept the temp per the egg thermometer pretty steady at 350.  the breast was at 165 when I took it out but the rest of the bird was not done.  I've cooked maybe a dozen or so turkeys on my Weber over the years and never had this issue with the bird not getting cooked evenly.  I've read elsewhere on this forum that the breast can be a problem drying out before the rest of the turkey gets cooked.  Is there something about the characteristics of the egg that make turkeys more of a challenge than they should be?  With my Weber the coals were on the side of the bird and no kind of place setter.  Maybe not using a place setter works better to get heat directly at the bottom of the bird, something more similar to how a Weber cooks with indirect?

Little Steven

The back of the egg is a natural hot spot. I do my turkeys with the legs toward the back.