Turkey In The WSM.............

mr500

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Dec 30, 2009

281

12

Auburn Al

• Apr 9, 2012

• #1

Had my WSM a year or so now and i want to smoke up some turkey meat since there on sale for .69 pd. 

For all the WSM users, whats the largest bird you have done in yours? I wanna get out of the 40-140 Range..

Split (Butter fly)  and Non split??

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2012

raptor700

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

May 20, 2010

4,065

56

Crestview, Florida

• Apr 10, 2012

• #2

You could do a 10 - 12 lber with no problem.

I like to do them whole, they seem to retain more moisture that way.

                 

 

jakerz66

Smoke Blower

Feb 7, 2011

146

11

Pequea PA

• Apr 10, 2012

• #3

I've done a twelve pounder, brined over night it came out very good.

 

chef jimmyj

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

★ Lifetime Premier ★

May 12, 2011

22,172

7,150

• Apr 10, 2012

• #4

I don't have a WSM but I can tell you 12-14Lb is optimum anything 16+ needs to be Spatchcocked or Halved...JJ

 

bama bbq

Master of the Pit

Sep 24, 2011

2,352

72

Rocket City (Huntsville) AL

• Apr 10, 2012

• #5

What size WSM (18" or 22.5")?  I did a 22# T-bird whole on the 22.5 kettle this past yr.  It was moist and tender!  I've not done one on the WSM yet. The WSM manual says you can do from 8 - 18 # birds.  The virtual Weber Bullet says "You can cook most any size turkey you like in the WSM as long as you use a vertical roasting stand on the bottom cooking grate. It's common for people to cook 22 pound turkeys this way. The biggest turkey I've ever seen in the 18-1/2" WSM was a 28.5 pound bird cooked vertically on a large pineapple juice can."  Here's a link to a photo of a 23#bird: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/199/img0703md.jpg/

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2012

mr500

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Dec 30, 2009

281

12

Auburn Al

• Apr 10, 2012

• #6

Its the big boy 22 1/2.  Only turks they had at that price was like 23+. Im not even gonna try that large of a bird. I opted for a 12.5 breast bone in thawing as I speak, Then brine her up and smoker that stuff.

Thanks  Guys

 

bama bbq

Master of the Pit

Sep 24, 2011

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Rocket City (Huntsville) AL

• Apr 11, 2012

• #7

Sounds good, take some pix to document your process and product.  BTW: Desert Storm vet here as well.

 

mr500

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Thread starter

Dec 30, 2009

281

12

Auburn Al

• Apr 12, 2012

• #8

Yeah ill snap some photos for the scrapbook for sure lol..

Yeah Ive seen way too much sand lol. So what did I do after the service? moved to florida hahaah. Took a job at lockheed. More sand!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

austinl

Smoking Fanatic

May 31, 2011

339

13

Central Oklahoma

• Apr 15, 2012

• #9

I frequently do whole birds in the 16+ pound range at lower temps (under 240) and I've never had one take longer than 3.5 hours to get over 140.

 

jirodriguez

Master of the Pit

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Jun 5, 2009

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143

Portland, OR

• Aug 20, 2012

• #10

I have do 20 to 23 lb. birds on my WSM most every Thanksgiving, I start with my temps up high between 325 and 350, then after the first 4 hrs. I damp it down to 250 for the rest of the smoke.

 

cybergoon

Fire Starter

Mar 23, 2012

65

10

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

• Aug 21, 2012

• #11

Last year for Thanksgiving, I did a 26# turkey in my WSM 22.5". I brined it overnight and started the meat cooking on the smoker at 7am thinking it would take 5 hours. At 930am, the bird was completely done! I reduced the temp of the smoker to about 160 and left it on for another 1.5 hours. I guess brining really reduces the cook time. It was the best turkey I have ever had. We have been frying our turkey for years because of how juicy it turns out, but the smoked one was even juicier!

Here's a pic of the bird next to the fried one we did. Smoked on left, fried on right.

0-1.jpeg

• cybergoon
• Aug 21, 2012

 

Last edited: Aug 21, 2012