Turkey temp vs. minutes per pound: conflicting info

Prof Dan

I'm getting ready to do my first bird, and I've read many, many prior posts. Quite a range of temps and time:[p]1. Some said 250 for 25 min/lb, but some folks thought that it was a little rubbery at that temp.[p]2. Some said 300 for 20 min/lb, but not too many chose that setting.[p]3. Lots of folks said 350 for 15 min/lb. [My fear at that setting is that if you wait a few min too long, it'll be overdone, and you might even risk burning it, even with a drip pan and fire bricks.][p]Is there a consensus? What setting yields the "moistest" bird?[p]Here's why we are in this fix: most grillfolk have to use approximate temps. We don't, because we can control it so precisely. But then since we CAN control it, we have to think about the very best setting, rather than just hoping for the best. [What about 325 for 17.5 min/lb? 327? 330? Just tweak the daisy wheel, and it'll go right where you want it . . . .][p]I know it all depends on the meat thermometer toward the end of the cook, but we've all been in the situation [with other barbeques, of course] where the food is done an hour before dinner. It'd be nice to have a fairly accurate target.[p]Thanks!

char buddy

Prof Dan,[p]I'm sure other folks will jump in here pretty soon and give you a good sense of how to calibrate temps and times, but for my two cents I never go with minutes per pound. I use internal temp thermometers and cook to a target temp (180º in the thigh for me, but other folks use a different target.) [p]having said all that, I've forgotten what ballpark time I'd look for a 12 pound turkey cooked at 300º - 350º[p]cb

Caney

Prof Dan,[p]You know, folks make too much of times, temps, brines, salt, rubs, up, down, etc., you get my drift. Put the meat on, know what the end result is you want, grab what ever your drinking and hold on. I bet the end result will even surprise you.............

Puj

Prof Dan,[p]There are oodles of ways to prepare a turkey. God knows I've made them almost every which way - smoked at 250°F, butterflied and grilled at 425°F to 450°F, deep fried at 325°F (not in the Egg -- of course), and roasted at 350°F. Each way offers a unique and tasty eating experience.[p]For an unstuffed, roasted bird plan on 13 to 15 mins @ 340°F to 350°F indirect, then take the bird's temp to determine when to pull it off the Egg. Doneness for me is a breast temp of 160°F or just little higher.[p]Puj

Tim M

Prof Dan,[p]You get a range of times vs temps because there are many ways to do most everything in a ceramic cooker. The results will be fine unless you wonder off course by too much and your results will be surprisingly moist as long as you don't cook your bird to the "old" gov't standards of the 1950's - 1e: 170-175° in the breast. That will provide a dry bird. Use a thermometer to judge doneness and pull it out at 160°. I don't think in terms of time per pound so I can't help there. I go from experience and an 8 lb breast will take me around 2.7-3.2 hrs at 350° dome. I do mostly breasts since our family is not keen on dark meat. Doing a turkey at 250 will not yield a bird that I like - others might. [p]Good luck and enjoy[p]Tim[p]

Shelby

Prof Dan,
I look for the best result. I use the minutes per pound only as gauge for when to put the bird on for it to come off at a certain time. At 350* I use as a "guide" 10 minutes per pound for an unstuffed bird. Yes, that's far less than others but every time I've planned on a longer cook, I end up pulling the bird early. If I plan on lunch at noon and end up serving at 1pm, to me that's better than telling folks to show for noon and the bird being done an hour early. You can always give them another glass of wine/beer and watch more football![p]Will be doing the "practice" turkey next Wednesday evening. Will report more then.

The Naked Whiz

Prof Dan,
My personal philosophy is that the Egg is like an oven when you are going to roast a bird, so use for a starting point whatever you would have done in the oven. I think 325 degrees is the "standard" temp for roasting turkey, and you won't go wrong at that temp. If you have a polder, you can monitor the temperature during the entire cook, so if the bird is taking longer than you think or if it is getting done sooner than you planned, you at least will have some warning. You might also consider brining the bird so that you won't have to worry about drying out the white meat if you do cook it a little too long. However, if this is your first bird on the egg, I'd play it safe, and stick pretty close to what you would normally do.[p]TNW