Well now that it?s all over, I wanted to give an update on the results of my first ever whole turkey smoke. I brined it overnight for a total of 11 hours. Took it out of the brine, rinsed it and patted dry before applying seasoning - Hard Core Carnivore Fried Turkey Seasoning. The Grill Guys, (name of the store where I bought it), calls it turkey in a bottle. Cranked the little guy as high as it goes - 250 degrees with 3 ounces of apple wood, and put it on just before 6 a.m. I set it on top of the middle rack and felt there was enough clearance for the top of the bird. Basted it with butter after the first couple of hours, and then hourly after that. The temp climbed steadily, and I really thought it would be finished earlier than the projected 6-7 hours. At the 6 1/2 hour mark, everything else was ready to eat, so I pulled it and put into the oven at 350 in order to get it to the recommended safe temp of 165. As you can see from the photos, it was overcooked, even though the internal temp was where it needed to be. I ended up removing the skin as it was rubbery and chewy. Can?t really give an impression of the seasoning, as it was on the exterior only. The meat itself was still moist and due to the brining had a good flavor. I don?t think I?ll be doing another turkey anytime soon. As was mentioned, a higher temperature is necessary in order to achieve a crispy skin, and I do like my skin crispy.