Thanksgiving in August!

[gregbooras]

You will be pleased with turkey in the SI.   At Thanksgiving, I do a turkey in the SI and one in the oven, and the SI turkey is the first to go...no leftovers!   I use cherry for turkey, usually about 3oz or so.   Enjoy!

Hey Steve,

I am looking forward to it, I notice on my last chicken smoke I did 3 oz. of cherry so I will do the same with the big bird!

Greg

[BedouinBob]

Greg, turkeys turn out great. I used to do them on my gasser but since the SI I've never looked back. I usually do one baked (for my traditionalist daughter) and one smoked.

[DivotMaker]

Greg,

Stuff your bird with chopped celery, carrots and onion - I know you'll be glad you did!  And if you must use a drip pan (I never do), don't put the turkey in it...leave it below.  Let the heat and smoke get to the bird 360!

[gregbooras]

Greg,

Stuff your bird with chopped celery, carrots and onion - I know you'll be glad you did!  And if you must use a drip pan (I never do), don't put the turkey in it...leave it below.  Let the heat and smoke get to the bird 360!

Tony,

I will plan to stuff the turkey with veggies and normally add an apple. When I have done turkeys in my egg, I always put it in the pan and collected the dripping and made gravy. It looks like some do and some don't here, I think for my first pass I will plan to put it in a pan.

Greg

[DivotMaker]

I will plan to stuff the turkey with veggies and normally add an apple. When I have done turkeys in my egg, I always put it in the pan and collected the dripping and made gravy. It looks like some do and some don't here, I think for my first pass I will plan to put it in a pan.

Greg

I make gravy from the giblets and neck, simmered in a pan.  No need to collect the juice from the bird, imo.  I won't sacrifice the quality of the whole bird just to collect drippings.  The bottom of your turkey will not be smoky, and will not be cooked the same way as the rest, but that's just my 2¢. 

I sometimes add apple or lemon, if I have them on hand.  Any aromatic veggies/fruits are great!

[gregbooras]

I will plan to stuff the turkey with veggies and normally add an apple. When I have done turkeys in my egg, I always put it in the pan and collected the dripping and made gravy. It looks like some do and some don't here, I think for my first pass I will plan to put it in a pan.

Greg

I make gravy from the giblets and neck, simmered in a pan.  No need to collect the juice from the bird, imo.  I won't sacrifice the quality of the whole bird just to collect drippings.  The bottom of your turkey will not be smoky, and will not be cooked the same way as the rest, but that's just my 2¢. 

I sometimes add apple or lemon, if I have them on hand.  Any aromatic veggies/fruits are great!

Hey Tony,

I always appreciate the input.

For me I am not really all that concerned about the lost of smoke flavor on the bottom of the bird. I may consider a drip pan underneath, I just hate to waste the juices. Also in my egg, it also prevented the turkey from drying out, which is most likely not a problem here.

Greg

[DivotMaker]

I know what you're talking about, Greg, in the traditional smokers.  You won't have problems with drying in the SI.  I've smoked a bunch of turkeys in the SIs, with no pan, and they're always moist.  One reason I don't use a pan is that the dark meat takes longer to cook than the white.  So, by blocking the heat from below, you end up inhibiting the dark meat from being done at the same time as the white meat, and risk over-drying the breast meat by the time the dark meat is done.

[gregbooras]

I know what you're talking about, Greg, in the traditional smokers.  You won't have problems with drying in the SI.  I've smoked a bunch of turkeys in the SIs, with no pan, and they're always moist.  One reason I don't use a pan is that the dark meat takes longer to cook than the white.  So, by blocking the heat from below, you end up inhibiting the dark meat from being done at the same time as the white meat, and risk over-drying the breast meat by the time the dark meat is done.

Tony,

OK, I see your reasoning, but here, but are you saying that because the dark meat will be sitting in liquid it will take longer to temp?

Tony, I am willing to try the turkey without the pan, but have you tried with a pan and without?

Greg

[SconnieQ]

If you want to use a pan, try putting the turkey breast side down in the pan. It's actually a common practice for traditional oven roast turkey, to roast for the first 1/2 of cooking breast side down, to keep the breast meat from over-cooking. The fat from the dark meat helps keep the white meat moist. And the pan will shield the breast meat from the heat. I've never used a pan in the smoker for turkey. Seems like you'd still get smoke flavor on the breast, just more subtle than the dark meat. Which might be enough smoke for the white meat.

[gregbooras]

If you want to use a pan, try putting the turkey breast side down in the pan. It's actually a common practice for traditional oven roast turkey, to roast for the first 1/2 of cooking breast side down, to keep the breast meat from over-cooking. The fat from the dark meat helps keep the white meat moist. And the pan will shield the breast meat from the heat. I've never used a pan in the smoker for turkey. Seems like you'd still get smoke flavor on the breast, just more subtle than the dark meat. Which might be enough smoke for the white meat.

Hey Kari,

After thinking about it, I am going to takes Tony's advice and do the turkey without being in a pan. Since I am not done a turkey in this smoker, I will go with the wisdom of the group here. Now my second turkey, I may break out and be wild (use a pan). But heck if it turns out as good as everyone says, I may not

Thanks everyone for the great input as always.

Greg

[BedouinBob]

Hey Greg, if you want to collect the drippings, you might try putting a small rack inside the pan which will allow the smoke and heat to circulate completely around the bird. I don't think that there will be much shielding of heat on the bird by the pan once the unit is up to speed on the heat. Tin radiates heat pretty easily so I would think the difference is minimal. I agree with DM in that I have not used a pan in my birds and just cook the giblets to get gravy. Smoked bird carcass makes great congee, for a subsequent meal however.

[DivotMaker]

Hey Greg - sorry for the late reply to your question about me ever doing a turkey in a pan!  No, I haven't, and no, I won't.  It's totally counter-intuitive to my way of thinking in these smokers, plus, I couldn't imagine better results than I get doing the bird naked, on the shelf!  The dark meat is smoky and moist, as is the breast meat.  It's smoked turkey 360!

[gregbooras]

Hey Greg - sorry for the late reply to your question about me ever doing a turkey in a pan!  No, I haven't, and no, I won't.  It's totally counter-intuitive to my way of thinking in these smokers, plus, I couldn't imagine better results than I get doing the bird naked, on the shelf!  The dark meat is smoky and moist, as is the breast meat.  It's smoked turkey 360!

Hey Tony,

No worries!

Next Saturday I will smoke the bird without the pan.......

Thanks Greg