Third cook... New Years day Spatchcock turkey FTW!

tisoypops

Got a few questions after my third cook... Took about 45 minutes to get temp stabilized. I was going for about 375. When it got to 325 I closed the bottom vent at least halfway and when I did, the temp dropped to below 300 before slowly rebounding, and I recall he same type thing happening with my first two cooks. My reaction was to open vent back up some and and then ended up going back and forth a couple times up and down before it stabilized at 380. Is it normal for the temp to drop so dramatically when you first start to close the vents? I was thinking it would just slowly stop climbing rather than drop. Anyway I threw the bIrd on there after I'd injected it with tony chachere jalapeño butter marinade and rubbed it with a bunch of spices on and under the skin. About 30 or 40 minutes into the cook the temp started to rise and got up to 425 before I got it stabilized again and stayed there for the rest of the cook. Does that happen often? Didn't expect that, but the result wasn't bad. I'd seen lots of people say they cook their birds that hot so I went with it. Thighs hit 180 at about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and breasts went till just under two hours before they hit 160. One of the best turkeys I've ever had. Same for the fam. We stuffed our faces and it wasn't two hours later when my mother in law said she just HAD TO make a turkey sandwich, because it was so good...

SeahawksEGGHead

My turkey yesterday was cooking closer to 450 girll temp than 400, and it made no difference in the outcome, if you ask me.  I'd say check your air flow, make sure your holes aren't plugged.  That's a good looking bird there.

Foghorn

To answer your question about the temp drop when you close down the vent, the answer is:  it depends. 

If the thermometer is reading 325 because rising heat from the fire is making it read that temp, then closing the vents down and choking down the fire will make the temp drop fairly quickly.  If the egg has been stable for a long time and the thermometer is reading 325 because of mostly radiated heat from the hot mass of ceramic and there is only a little fire burning that is slowly adding heat to the system - then closing down the vent will not result in an immediate temperature change. 

As the ceramic warms up, you will go through a transition where it is intermediate between the two states described above. 

tisoypops

Thanks y'all. @Foghorn‌, and anyone else out there, what is recommended then? To open the vent back up like I did? Wait longer to close it down even though I'm close to what I'm shooting for? Or to just ignore the immediate drop in temp and wait for it to go back up, though it may be gradual? Or secret option 4 that I don't know about? Thanks for the help.

theyolksonyou

If I'm steady where I want to be, I leave it and let it come back. If it's truly settled in, it'll come back there....eventually.

Legume

Agree with what @Foghorn‌ wrote. Answer to this is also...depends. If you're in a hurry, then you have to babysit and adjust more, if you have time, then you can let it warm up more slowly. If you're doing a long cook, then you have plenty of time to adjust even after the meat is in there. I'd say I probably average an hour after initially lighting until I put meat on unless I'm doing a hot and fast grilling.

I would say don't worry minute to minute about the temp when bringing it up - once you know there is lump lit, close the vents down to your best guess for your target temp and walk away for 15-20. Have a beverage. Come back and make smaller adjustments. Have another beverage.

tisoypops

Thanks y'all. @Legume I posted some questions after my first cook and mentioned that I let it stabilize about an hour, one of the responses was that you don't need to do that, but can actually be stable within 20-30. Trying to figure out how if the temp is gonna plummet when I close down the vents initially. Sounds like I really just need to be more patient probably...

UCFFAN

The Answer is Digique! Set it and forget it..... I've had great success with the DQ.... stabilizes quickly and burns far less fuel because you have no significant over shoots. I cook EVERYTHING WITH THE DQ.... including pies and pizza.