I did a 23 lb-er this year. I fired up the WSM at 0430 with 2.5 chimneys of unlit lump and lit another chimney of lump. I brined the bird overnight in veg stock, candied ginger, alspice berries, and peppercorns, placed an apple, onion, cinnamon stick, a few sprigs of rosemary and a cpl stalks of sage in the cavity. The fire was burning clean by 0530 so on she went. She was done at 1000 so I removed the mid section with the bird and lid and placed it in a water heater pan to use as a warming oven. (If I wrapped and put in a faux cambro I would loose the beautiful crispy skin.) It worked like a charm. I carved at 1130 ish, we ate at 1200.
