Author Topic: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?  (Read 2489 times)

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Offline Martin G

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Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #-1 on: July 05, 2017, 10:22:13 AM »
Hi Folks!

First off, I received my Pit Barrel as an early Father's Day gift.  I've been cooking on it quite a bit.  My initial cooks were pretty good but not fantastic (except for the meatloaf).  This past weekend I did a rack of St. Louis ribs on Saturday (first time, came out ok) and a full brisket on Sunday (second time, Very Good).  So my wife and her two sisters decided we all needed to get together at the eldest sister's house for the 4th of July.  I've been talking to her husband David about smokers in general and the PBC specifically.  I offered to bring it over for the two of us to do a cook.  We did a rack of St Louis ribs and two racks of beef short ribs.  Sorry about not having pictures - they're on someone else's phone.  The beef ribs were ok but the St Louis ribs were the best I've ever had anywhere!  Far better than the rack I did at home on Saturday.  We did some corn and potatoes too that came out very nice.  To make a long story short(er), David and I have been tasked with doing a turkey on Thanksgiving.  I said I didn't want Thanksgiving to be the first time we did it so it was decided that we'd do a smaller bird (for a smaller crowd) next month.  I did some quick research last night and this morning and I have a few questions for folks who have done this on their BPCs. 

I've read that brining is ok and that it is not ok, that the brine will come out and put out your coals.  Any experienced cooks?

What about injections?  Would you have the same problem as brines or ?

I've seen folks do the turkey on the special hanger, on standard hooks, and on the grill grate.  I'm leaning toward the special hanger but I'd like to hear what you all have done.

What about rubs?  What do people like?

I'll probably think of some other questions but that's it for now.
Thanks in Advance,
Martin G
Austin, Texas

Offline teesquare

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« on: July 05, 2017, 11:13:09 AM »
I've read that brining is ok and that it is not ok, that the brine will come out and put out your coals.  Any experienced cooks?
Most birds you buy nowadays will already be brined. Read the fine print on the label to be sure. If not - the bird will benefit from brining. But, some of the moisture may drip on your coals. If you are going to use your PBC - try spatchcocking the bird ( I am sure that is legal now in Austin ;) ;D 8)...) And cooking it rib side down on the provided grate. You can put a pan under the bird for the first part of the cook - to collect most of the moisture that would drip on your coals.
What about injections?  Would you have the same problem as brines or ?
All added moisture can have the added benefit to the meat - and the potential of dripping out on coals
I've seen folks do the turkey on the special hanger, on standard hooks, and on the grill grate.  I'm leaning toward the special hanger but I'd like to hear what you all have done.
One of the challenges most folks have is dealing with the thicker cuts of meat - and getting them done to the desired degree. This is also true of turkeys. That is why I favor the spatchcock method, especially until you are very familiar with your PBC. It makes cooking more even, and faster because it helps even out the "thickness" of the bird, and places it in a position to capture more heat  - as it is now lain flat above the fire, catching the heat more like a parachute.

What about rubs?  What do people like?
The traditional seasonings ( ala Simon and Garfunkel... ;D) of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ....+salt and Pepper are always popular. But - this is an area of personal choice and the fun of experimenting. Just avoid rubs with a lot of sugar as their can carbonize at relatively low temps. And - the delicate flavors of poultry are already a little sweet....One thing you may want to try is to gently loosen the skin over the breast using a spoon and your fingers and add some flavor enhancements...jalapenos?  Garlic? a little butter with herbs? Just have fun!
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Offline Hub

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2017, 02:16:24 PM »
Tee gave a pretty good rundown so my two cents is just icing on the cake.

I've cooked several turkeys using the turkey hanger accessory.  Works like a charm.  To get them properly cooked I let them go for about 3.5 hours then start taking the temp in the big part of the thigh.  When it gets to 160 I pull the bird and tent with foil letting it rest before carving.  Sometimes this can take five or six hours, sometimes a lot less depending on the mass of the bird.  Noah's video is excellent and simple to follow. 

Unless you can find a fresh, unfrozen bird it'll likely already be brined.  I've always bought Butterball or other name brand and never brined or injected it. 

I use a low-sugar, lower salt, herb-dense rub ala the "Savor" line.  The bird will darken, but not turn black as with a sugary rub.   

I've never had a problem with too much fat falling in the fire.  I trim the bird pretty well, cutting off/out the huge chunks of fat but leaving plenty of skin for flavor.

PBC turkeys and chickens are fabulous!  Don't overthink it and don't over-tweak it.  The PBC was designed to be a low maintenance, no diddling required cooker and does best when you let it do all the work and don't mess with it.  Diddlers are never happy and should have bought a Weber bullet instead  ::)

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Offline Martin G

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2017, 02:39:00 PM »
Thanks for the quick responses!  I've ordered the hanger but I want to try spatchcocking too.  I may run a couple of experiments with whole chickens before I do the first turkey test next month.
I'll report my findings (hopefully with pictures this time).  :)

Offline zak99b5

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2017, 10:59:21 PM »
I did a test turkey before the big day as well last year.

I got the turkey hangers. They work great.

Used the all-purpose pit rub, which tasted great.

Skin was browned, meat moist and delicious.

Cook time was consistent with what Noah has in his video.

For Thanksgiving, I had to do two birds.  Both were around 13 lbs.  They barely fit in the PBC, but they did. One was all-purpose; the other I used Lawry's.

The cook time was similar to the practice run.  And they came out great.
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Offline PapaBob

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2017, 07:48:54 PM »
Did the 12 pounder on 7-3-2016.  Brined it for a day, dried it off and coated it with coarse salt and fridges it for another day.  Took it out, got it close to room temp, gave it an olive oil massage and a little more salt and pepper.  Used a hanger from a turkey fryer.  Full load of charcoal, hung it and closed the lid.  Never worried about the drum temp just watched the probes in the bird.  4 hours and it was the juiciest turkey ever and done all the way to the bone. Just perfect. 

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Offline tomcrete1

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Re: Turkey on the Pit Barrel?
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2017, 08:02:17 PM »
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