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Question on Turkey Cheat Sheet? 4 hrs on 18 lbs? Also, extreme cold outside/affect the egg temp?

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Coach Egghead
Coach Egghead Posts: 34
in EggHead Forum
Why does the 17.5 lb bird go for 5 hours, 20 min's and the 18 lber goes for 4 hours on the Turkey Cheat ? Link is here: http://www.biggreenegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Turkey-Cheat-Sheet-Final.pdf

Also, cooking this bird in 10 degree weather (thanks Boston) any concerns on temp maintain? 
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,384
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    I would say "the protein drives the cook" but that is reserved for the cow. 
    No worries about BGE internal cook temp.  Once you are there (dome thermo calibrated?)  then the rig just runs along.  The key is finish temp or feel (protein dependent). 
    Welcome aboard. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,487
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    I have no advice for the bird, but I do for the cold weather.  I cook all winter long and live in the mountains; I would suggest bringing the lump bag indoors the night before (I've had a few failed lights with very cold lump), and give the Egg some extra time to come to temp (you could even light some lump to bring the Egg to temp before the cook, then reloading with the required amount and cooking).  Good luck!  
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Probably a typo on the cheat sheet.

    As for winter cooking, throw on a jacket. I'm in CT and I've never done anything different. Light the lump, put all your furniture in and set your vents. Come back when you reach temp and it's burning clean. Might take a little longer to get to temp, but that's about it. In my 9 years of egging, I've never heard anyone suggest storing lump indoors because it's cold.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
    edited November 2018
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    Those cheat-sheet times seem way off to me. From my experience it should NOT take 4 hrs and 20min  to cook a 13lb turkey at 350* dome temp.
    More like 3 to 3.5 hrs. I just cooked a 13.75lb turkey the internal temp hit 165* in a little over 3 hrs. My dome temp was 350ish
    I wouldn't go by those estimated times. 
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,487
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    Carolina Q said:
    In my 9 years of egging, I've never heard anyone suggest storing lump indoors because it's cold.
    @Carolina Q:  How do you light your lump?  I've had failures both with the paraffin squares (lit near the top of the pile) and oiled paper towels (at the bottom), my now-preferred (but still not foolproof) method.  
    _____________

    "Pro-Life" would be twenty students graduating from Sandy Hook next month  


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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    The cheat sheet is way off. As the others said, each bird is different. Hopefully you have some sort of internal temp thermo. That’s the key. You can always stick it in the oven on warm until the fixins are ready. And no, the external temp isn’t a big factor, you may burn a little more lump, but that’s about it. Just watch the dome temp, adjust the dampers accordingly, and keep tabs on the internal
    temp. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    Definitely looks like a typo...they are calculating based on 20 minutes per lb. 18 lb should be 6 hours.

    However I agree those times are a bit long.  At 350 my experience has been 15 minutds per lb for an unstuffed thawed bird.

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 7,658
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    I’m cooking a 29lb home grow at 350 in the oven, planning for 5.5
    hrs that sound right? No stuffing 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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  • bucky925
    bucky925 Posts: 2,029
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    I've never done a full bird on the egg until this year.  I've read thread after thread.  Screw it, I'm putting it on at whatever temp the egg decides it wants to cook at tomorrow, and open the wine.  Well the wine is for family, mine will be bourbon of some sort.  But the wine will keep the natives at bay if indeed I need to go longer on my cook.   =)  Ms. bucky will keep them from starving with her ABTS  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

    Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.

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  • Justacookin
    Justacookin Posts: 291
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    outside temp does not have much to do with it get the egg to temp and do what you want from Minnesota cook all year with no problems,
    XL & waiting for my Mini Max Bloomington MN.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Botch said:
    Carolina Q said:
    In my 9 years of egging, I've never heard anyone suggest storing lump indoors because it's cold.
    @Carolina Q:  How do you light your lump?  I've had failures both with the paraffin squares (lit near the top of the pile) and oiled paper towels (at the bottom), my now-preferred (but still not foolproof) method.  
    Almost always with a torch.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • milesvdustin
    milesvdustin Posts: 2,882
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    Those little white Weber cubes are legit for starting. Two in there and you can't go wrong. 

    2 LBGE, Blackstone 36, Jumbo Joe

    Egging in Southern Illinois (Marion)

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  • andersa
    andersa Posts: 42
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    Here's my "log" from the last couple of years. I could never remember how long it took or what I did the year before or the year before that. I hated that 21# sucker though, spatching it was a beeach.... Doing a 16# this year, in the fridge chilling now..

    11/24/16:

    15lbs

    Air dry in fridge over night, salt, thyme, black pepper

    Rub:

    ½ stick butter

    Olive oil

    Orange (zest plus juice from ½ orange)

    Herbs (thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, tarragon)

    Salt, garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder

    On grill raised direct @ 11:45

    400F start, 350F

    Off at @ 2:20PM (168 in breast, 190F in thigh

     

     

    11/23/17:

    21.2lbs

    Air dry in fridge overnight, salt and black pepper

    Rub:

    ½ stick butter

    Olive oil

    Orange (zest plus juice from ½ orange)

    Herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary,)

    Salt, garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder

    On grill raised in-direct @ 11:15

    350F

    Off at 2:35PM  (160F in breast, 180F in thigh

     


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  • Coach Egghead
    Coach Egghead Posts: 34
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    Bird came out great. 315 for 3.5 hours on an 18 lber. Wrapped in foil, threw it in a cooler for 3 hours, came out steaming and juicy .  Cold wasn't a factor. I do think the cheat sheet is way off with times . 
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