My wife, wanting to keep everyone well-fed, came home with a nearly 24 pound bird. I just put the still-packaged carcass on the top rack to see how it fits, and it clears the sides of the 18.5" WSM smoker by about 1", and the top of the dome lid by at least 3".

Am I good to go? Or, will the heat coming around the edges of the drip pan make it dry out at the edges?

Should I put in a stand, and cook it vertically on the lower grate?

And should I still aim for 325-350 cooking temp, or adjust that due to the bird being a phatass?

Thanks,

FC

u are a go !....move out at a high rate of speed !

Im doing a 24lber to, just took out of brine and it "rests" in fridge as I type ....I have to please a few different taste buds and my bird will go in the wsm when it is HOT!! (beer can chicken like)I then add my flavor woods ...lots of it/them >kinda like the alton brown of high heat ONLY I move mine to the oven to finish / a heavy smoke that hangs to the bird 20/30 mins than in the gas oven ..perfect color my house & "stinks up real nice " .........

I do take the top wsm rack *all I use* and rest it on the ends of the bolts and NOT.... on the water pan "holders" hope fully u have the large water pan and u bent the tabs to get it up off the coals ...that u add more coals at the start!

I was gonna go with 2.5 chimney-fulls, goin' full roar prior to assembling with the bird. Do you s'pose that'll be adequate fuel?

Thanks,

FC

Good group here. http://tvwbb.com/forum.php

not sure if it will fit by i do mine on the egg like a beercan chicken except i use a larger can (usually a family size corn can) inject the bird, get some butter up under the skin and season the way you like. indirect heat at 300-325 till done. some wet wood chips mixed with your charcoal (lump) will give you steady, light smoke throughout the cook.

you are GTG. buy some tony chachere injection goop and smoke it at 250-275 with kingsford and some chunks of wood. i also like to make a rub out of brown sugar, garlic powder, cayenne and S&P & put it under the skin and inside the cavity. big bird like that will take some time. maybe 6-7 hours but you'll want to keep an eye on it. leave that popper thingie in it and pull it when it pops. worse case, smoke it for several hours and finish in the oven at 350.

CHEATER !!!!!! (BTDT)

Success!

Since he was Amish-raised, we christened him, "Graber".











I brined him for 10 or so hours, and threw him on at 7 am with lots of roaring coals. The thermometer pegged quickly at 350, but soon settled at 295. I was entertaining adding more coals, but the probe said the meat temp was coming up nicely, so I let it ride.

Somehow, I defied all known laws of thermodynamics, because he was done in 3:15. I couldn't believe the probe got to 160 so quickly, but I confirmed with an instant-read pen thermometer, and pulled the beast to rest for 20 min. I had been planning for a 5+ hour smoke, so we had to rush like heck to get the rest of the meal turned-out.

The virtual bullet web board claimed they needed 350 degrees and 3 hours to do a 12 lb . bird, so I have no idea how I did one more than twice as heavy, in the same time, at a lower temp.

Rather than ponder this quandary, we just ate the hell out of him. Even the vegetarians admitted 'twas the best smelling turkey they've ever been around. Call me a convert - I'll never do an oven bird again if I'm not forced to.

Thanks for the tips, all.

FC

I think you pissed off most of the BGE guys !!!!

I mean whoever would think of cooking Thanksgiving turkey in a flower pot.