Need advice on cooking whole turkey

Cactus_Jack

Will be cooking a 23 lb. bird tomorrow. I wanted to spatchcock but I think it's too big to fit my large egg so my plan now is to cook the whole bird, unstuffed,  indirect. Will use either John Henry's pecan rub or Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom (haven't decided which). Need advice on best time and temp.
Thanks

pantsypants

I have followed the mad max method many times to 100 % success . It a bit labor intensive but worth every moment .

its on the Naked Whiz website .
also instead of using butter on the last one I cooked I used duck fat and i would only use this from here on in .
The Mad Max gravy is amazing !!!!

pantsypants

This is the last turkey I did with the duck fat

pantsypants

Sorry this site is giving me issues

pantsypants

Cactus_Jack

Wow, looks great!! I'll look at the naked whiz site

westernbbq

USE AN INTERNAL PROBE  MEAT THERMOMETER. Go by the BGE recommended breast meat temp of 160 F, thigh temp of 170 F.  Get the egg to 350 F and cook for 12-15 mins per lb.  -in my experience 15 mins per lb has been a bit on the high side.  Also, make sure that the bird is completely thawed.  Everyone says brine, I never do and my birds turn out perfect using time and temp guide for indirect cooking.  Stuff the cavity with grapefruits, lemons, lettuce or oranges- cut them up.  Put a little butter between the skin and the meat wherever you can and make sure the bird is dry when you  put on the grill and put a little olive oil on it once you have it on the grill.  Have a drip pan with a little water, an onion, celery, one garlic clove minced up and a shallot chopped up and a little white wine for gravy if you want.  Ridiculously good!

Check with a  probe thermometer after about four hours of cooking.  that's a BIG bird!

 

if you can, use a digital meat probe thermometer that you leave in the thigh so that you don't have to keep lifting the lid up- you just go outside and glance at the temp display.

 

lastly, if you do use a handheld meat temp unit that doesn't get left in be sure to WASH it with HOT soapy water after EVERY time you use it.  when it touches undercooked meat and gets left out, bad things happen.  I know of someone who didn't follow this advice when he made chicken and let's just say that the consequences weren't pretty.

 

Cactus_Jack

Thanks, I don't have anything big enough to brine the bird except the kitchen sink so I was not going to brine. Thanks for the help.

yellowdogbbq

I usually do 14 lb birds spatchcock, dry rub, indirect @ 350-400 until 165 in the breast.  With that said I just brined one and cooked it at the eggfest a couple weeks ago, it was awsome!  I think I will brine all of mine in the future.  Swamp venom is the best, my favorite DP rub.  Good luck!