mes

beretta92_fs2003

Fire Starter

Original poster

May 30, 2008

66

10

Northern Micigan

• Jul 2, 2009

• #1

can a mes handle a 15# turkey safley?

 

bassman

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Dec 15, 2007

4,330

58

• Jul 2, 2009

• #2

If I recall, the max temp on the MES is 275. You may not have the crispy skin but it should be able to handle it. I'm sure someone else who owns the MES and has done a turkey will be chiming in shortly. If you're worried about getting out of the danger temp zone quickly enough, you could spatchcock the bird which would lay it out flat resulting in a somewhat shorter cooking time.

 

sooner fan

Smoke Blower

Sep 9, 2008

87

11

Edmond (Deer Creek)

• Jul 2, 2009

• #3

While I don't have a MES, I have a cookshack, which is similar and only goes to 250 I have done full turkeys, turkey breasts, and boneless turkey breasts. It handled them all just fine. Like said above the skin won't be crispy but no on in my family likes the skin anyways. Just cook it like anything else to a proper internal temp and all will be good!

 

scubadoo97

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 28, 2008

900

14

Florida

• Jul 2, 2009

• #4

My 30" MES tends to burn hotter, so I get a good 300+ reading when set to 275.

I don't think it would be a problem to do a 15# turkey. I would preheat the MES well before adding the turkey.

 

reichl

Meat Mopper

Mar 26, 2009

219

11

Wisconsin / Iowa

• Jul 2, 2009

• #5

I have never done a large turkey before, but I have noticed poultry takes on a smoke flavor extremely easy. If I were you, I would smoke for an hour in the MES on the highest setting then put the bird in an oven at 300-350 to finish it. It will make the skin a lot better, wont take as long and will still have a smokey flavor. This is the way I do my chicken and it turns out great, where I had a problem using just the MES for the whole cooking process. Plus this would insure the turkey isnt in the danger zone for too long. Also, brine it! It's amaising to me how just a couple hours of brine can add so much to a bird.

 

fishawn

Smoking Fanatic

Jan 8, 2008

736

10

Olympia, WA

• Jul 2, 2009

• #6

All good advice & I would pre-heat it good as well, with a full water pan. It should fit just fine.

 

donnylove

Meat Mopper

SMF Premier Member

Feb 3, 2009

211

10

Billings, MT

• Jul 2, 2009

• #7

I smoked a 17.7-lb turkey in my MES this spring and did so by doing it "beer can-style". Worked very well. Here's the link to the thread . . .

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ght=turkey+can

Good luck!

 

mgwerks

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 9, 2008

480

12

Texas Hill Country

• Jul 3, 2009

• #8

After you've had the skin off a turkey right out of the deep fryer, nothing else comes close any way...

 

gnubee

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Sep 12, 2008

1,519

18

Penticton BC

• Jul 3, 2009

• #9

What Reichi said..... Also I have one of those wire Turkey stands that you shove up the turkeys butt. It keeps the bird spread open so that the interior gets plenty of heat in the center. This speeds up the cooking and keeps it moist. In my opinion this is the safest way to do a Turkey.

If they made a kitchen rotisserie large enough to do a 20 pound Turkey like the Showtime Rotisserie I use for Chickens, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.