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DigiQII

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belle's dad
belle's dad Posts: 146
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Got one for Christmas - except a few weeks early. I have a few questions. One: When do I want to know the grid temperature rather than dome? Did turkey using MAD MAX's guidance. Set temp setting at 325 dome and internal at 160 (breast) (20.60 Lb Turk) Expected a 5 to 6 hour cook. Done in a little over 3 hours. Alarm went off, juices clear. Skin not browned enough. Looked enemic. Took it off, tented and put in oven to hold for a few hours. Turkey was good, but, what did I do wrong?

Gordon
Vero Beach, FL
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Not really all that important to use/know the grid temp over the dome the dome over the grid.

    Keep in mind the grid is about 15° to 20° below the dome temp. Personally I mostly monitor grid temp. I like to know the heat at the food level.

    I have done quite large turkeys now. For some reason my cook time is less than what Max shows. Mine are done quicker also. I have to watch that the skin doesn't brown too much - once in a while I have to tent with foil to prevent over browning.

    When doing a large turkey I do make sure the egg is stable before putting the bird on. I pull at 165° brest (thermopen) the time is only a guide.

    Picture below is a 23.5 lb, I didn't have to tent this one but it too cooked fast.

    I cooked a 13# turkey and it took longer to cook than the bigger turkeys. Not sure why possibly more area was taken up in the egg on the larger birds.

    turkey.jpg

    GG
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Same short cooking time on this 23 pounder, no foil needed on this cook.

    turkey0812.jpg

    GG
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    if you clip your grate clip to your dome thermometer you will end the guessing game... i always clip mine to the thermometer because most recepies tell you what dome temp to use

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • belle's dad
    belle's dad Posts: 146
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    Thanks for the response. Bente--I have mine clipped to the Thermometer. I was just wondering if I should have it on the grid.
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    well since most recepies i see call for dome temp.. so that would be more math for me to do!! and i am not good at math :pinch: :blush:


    just do whatever works the best for you ;)

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • Chef in the Making
    Chef in the Making Posts: 902
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    I also cooked a 20 pound turkey. It took 4 1/2 hours to cook at 325 with the DIGQII pit probe attached to the therometer in the dome. I did not use the food probe but instead relied on the thermometer that came with the turkey and my thermopen. I pulled at 160.

    Not sure of the Mad Max method but I did mine indirect with legs up and a drip pan under the grate. The turkey sat on a rack that came with one of my roasting pans.
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Scroll 25% down the page and you will see what the BBQ Guru folks say...

    http://www.thebbqguru.com/bbqGuruU.cfm

    Looks like they have expanded the page. Some interesting stuff there.

    Turkeys are pretty big so I don't think there is much difference if the probe is on the dome thermometer or on the grate.

    Just remember there is a bout a 20° difference between the two places.

    For me most of the time I want to know the temp that is hitting the food so I use grate level.

    GG
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  • belle's dad
    belle's dad Posts: 146
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    Thank you all for your response. That old turkey just cooked quicker than I thought it would. cooked indirect with pizza stone on the spider and drip pan with water in it sitting on that. Turkey turned out well, but, I had to juggle it a bit because of the time factor.
    Thanks again

    Gordon
    Vero Beach, FL
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    John- I'm confused. You say you relied on the thermometer that came with the turkey (as well as thermopen). You mean the pop up kind inplanted in the breast?
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    If I recall, I think the 'pop up' buttons release at 180°.

    GG
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  • Chef in the Making
    Chef in the Making Posts: 902
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    I had heard that also but when i compared it with the Thermopen they both read 160
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