I have two 11-12 pound turkeys for Thanksgiving. I want to cook them at 300° plus. I'm wondering if it is possible to get both in the WSM and how to raise the temp and keep it at 300° or so.

I've done a lot of smoking with the WSM at lower temps but not much high temp stuff. But I want to do the birds faster this year.

Any ideas? tips? Tricks?

Cooking one over the other shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't use water because it tries to hold the pit closer to 212º but I wouldn't recommend using sand with a turkey on the lower grate either. I use a Guru so it's a non issue with me. Others should have some better suggestions..

Bill

Hi DW, I'd start with a clean pan, crumple 7 or so foil balls loosely and place in the pan, I use reg width stuff for this about 18" per. Then use your wide HD foil and go across the top, but push it down so it's about an inch below the top. This will make some room for drippings. Cover with another layer of foil.

This gives you an air gap not a heat sink like water.

You can cook around 300ºF like this, give or take depending on your conditions. You can crack the door open a bit to bump it up ... but I don't like doing it unless I'm using all lit charcoal.

This will change the dynamic inside your cooker. You may very well find the bottom bird is done sooner in this configuration, just keep an eye on things.

I would start with two lit chimneys or use CHris's instructions for lighting one, dump in, dump unlit on top, wait for all to be lit.

Then run with the door cracked as mentioned and you should do well for temps.

Thanks to both of you.

I run a flowerpot base in my WSM. So it doesn't sound like I'll have any trouble getting up to temp.

I guess I'm worried most about getting the two turkeys in there. I can put the lower grate down right on top of the flowerpot base but that only give about an inch extra clearance.

Given that my turkeys will be small, has anyone had any experience fitting two in the cooker?

I generally use a minion method light--I have an old bottomless (and topless)coffee can and I put in in the charcoal basket first then put charcoal all around it. Then I pour lit charcoal in it and pull the coffee can out. But it sounds lie two chimneys would be a better approach. Maybe extra charcoal besides the two?

I'd forgo the clay saucer, just foil the waterpan. Two chimney's of lit should be fine. Re: doing two birds at once, here's a recent COOK by Larry W.

quote:

Originally posted by LarryR:
I'd forgo the clay saucer, just foil the waterpan. Two chimney's of lit should be fine. Re: doing two birds at once, here's a recent COOK by Larry W.

In the cook with the two birds, I had 2 firebricks in the waterpan and sand in the other. So your flower pot should work fine.

quote:

Originally posted by DW Frommer II:

Given that my turkeys will be small, has anyone had any experience fitting two in the cooker?

I cooked two 12 pounders last year - they fit fine. I prefer to butterfly them and use water in my pan for a low&slow cook at 225-250. I know I am not typical in that regard.

This year I am attempting two 18 pounders (see my post "Are my birds too big?"). That might be a bit too much.