OK, two 14 pounders with clay saucer and water pan wrapped in foil

High tomorrow is projected to be 35 degrees up here at 8400 feet.

So I'm thinking two lit chimneys plus 2 more below for Minion method

Any high altitude smokers, what are your thoughts??

Thanks to all and happy Thanksgiving!!

Tom

Kind of confused me, what do you mean by 2 lit chimneys plus 2 more for down below? I am looking at 1 lit chimney and 1 non lit added on top to get my turkey going down here in Denver.

Fill the ring almost full and dump a very full chimney of lit ontop of the unlit. No need to measure out your unlit in chimneys. Fill it up just enough for the full lit chimney. Also, make sure to stagger the birds on the grates. As in have them 180º to each other for proper air flow. Don't line up so they are in the same position. Make a cross with em. Say bottom grate bird legs at 12 o clock and top grate bird legs at 3 o clock. Savy?

It worked like you guys said it would.
Filled the charcoal ring, dumped a full chimney on top.

It was in the mid 20 degrees here wth a slight breeze. Opened the door every hour and a half to get the temps up; otherwise it would run steady at about 230-240 degrees. Added a shovel of coals twice while door was open for about 15 minutes.

Both birds came out great, done in about six and hours. Earlier high temps brwoned the outside nicely