Thanksgiving '15

The 13 pound turkey brined in a water, salt and sugar solution. I added some peppercorns, fresh sage and rosemary. Before I lit the grill, I had to improvise because of the heavy drizzle. The fire started easily though at 5:00. Before putting the turkey on at 6:00, I rubbed it with butter and sprinkled it with thyme and sage. The heat ran around 250 until about 1:00 when the internal temperature was 170. I sprayed is frequently with apple juice until I covered it in foil at 11:00 so it would get too brown.

 

 

Thanksgiving '14

I lit the fire @ 5AM and put the 12.5 lb turkey on at 6AM. The turkey soaked all night in my usual brine and stuffed it with an onion, rosemary branches and sage sprigs. I used Mesquite wood which kept the fire above 250. Every time I feed the fire, I sprayed the turkey with apple juice. I added the mac and cheese about 11:30, and the turkey was up to temp abut an hour later.

Thanksgiving 2013

I got the fire going at 5AM and put the 12 lb turkey on at 5:45. It soaked in a brine overnight in a gallon of water, cup of sugar and cup of salt, some peppercorns and bay leaves. I covered the turkey with butter and sprinkled it with sage and thyme. It was also stuffed with an onion, rosemary branches and sage sprigs. This was the first time that I was using wood and did not realize that the  flames would enter the grilling area nor that it would effect the cooking process. At about 10:00, I wanted to check the bird to start spaying it with apple juice, I found that it was burning because of the flames. I quickly moved the turkey to the other end of the cooking chamber and covered it would foil. The internal temperature was where it needed to be around 170 and 180. At 12:30, I put the mac and cheese on for an hour and took both the turkey and mac off an hour later.