# Beer Can Turkey Dinner



## pacanis

My first attempt (and last) at cooking a whole turkey. Way too much work carving that bird up after dinner when all I wanted to do was vegetate on the couch 

Nothing fancy. The bird came brined in a solution, so that's what I went with. After it thawed I let it air dry in the fridge overnight to dry the moisture out some.
After setting the foil pan and 24 oz beer can into my vertical smoker (that I was running hot like a grill) I placed the bird onto the can. Worse than threading a needle. I really could have used a hand here. 
Then I brushed it with a vegetable oil, salt & pepper mixture. I checked it after cooking for 15 minutes and it needed a couple braces to hold it upright.
3/4 of the way through when I snapped the one pic I basted it.
And that was it. About 5 hours later, running about 380F, it was done. It weighed a hair over 20 lbs.

It was moist with just a slight smokey flavor from the charcoal and also from the smoker itself. I imagine running it hot burned some of the creosote off, or at least created a little smoke.


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## Rocket_J_Dawg

Looks beautiful Pac. I'm actually drooling.


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## Dawgluver

OMG, Pac, what a gorgeous bird!  You did great! 

Sad that you won't do it again.  Maybe try it in the oven?


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## Andy M.

What's not to like?  Looks great to me.


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## Zhizara

Consider me flabbergasted.  I thought you were going to use the beer as a braising liquid.  

You sure do make pretty food!  If it tasted anywhere as good at it looked, and knowing your track record, I'm sure it was.

Excuse me while I find my drool rag.  I'm dripping drool all over my laptop.

Where's the stuffing??????


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## Whiskadoodle

Looks like the turkey came out perfect.   Your finished plate looks pretty swell too. 

 I see  I'm  not the only one who's caught drooling at their keyboard.


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## PrincessFiona60

That looks wonderful, Pac!  Next time invite friends over.


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## Zhizara

Heah, Me, Me, Me!


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## pacanis

Thanks guys 

Z, the stuffing is in-between the corn and the sprouts 

Dawg, I wouldn't change the method, I simply don't like all that work after dinner. A chicken I could put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until the next day, but the turkey was too big for that so I felt obligated to cut it up right away. Too much work after too big a dinner, lol.
Now if someone were to stop over, eat with me and take care of that afterward... 

Thanks again.


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## Gravy Queen

That is my kind of food !!! Looks fab well done !


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## forty_caliber

Looks great!  

Carving is worth the effort.  Think of all those leftovers...turkey soup, turkey spaghetti, King Ranch turkey, turkey pot pie.....

Consider the Turkey Cannon. 
Amazon.com: Camp Chef, Sante Series Turkey Cannon Infusion roaster indoor/outdoor TKYC: Patio, Lawn & Garden

This does an amazing job with turkey both in the smoker and in the oven.  Plug the throat of the bird with an onion or apple.
Put aromatics in the tube with wine or broth
Put the bird on the cannon and roast.  

Steam builds in the cannon helping to cook the bird from the inside while roasting.  Perfect tender and juicy every time. 


.40


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## pacanis

Thanks, GQ, .40.

Oh there's leftovers alright, lol. My next step after a couple meals will be portioning and prepping for the freezer. I expect I'll be eating a lot of turkey & biscuits this winter (turkey, veggies and gravy over biscuits). And tetrazzini! mmmm


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## Andy M.

You could also make a turkey dinner shepherd's pie with turkey, gravy and veggies under a crust of stuffing.  Mmmmm!


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## Dawgluver

Andy M. said:


> You could also make a turkey dinner shepherd's pie with turkey, gravy and veggies under a crust of stuffing.  Mmmmm!



I love that, with a layer of cranberry sauce stuck in there!


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## Andy M.

Dawgluver said:


> I love that, with a layer of cranberry sauce stuck in there!



I've only made it once as there aren't enough leftovers every year.


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## pacanis

Andy M. said:


> You could also make a turkey dinner shepherd's pie with turkey, gravy and veggies under a crust of stuffing. Mmmmm!


 
mmm , or mashed potatoes


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## Alix

That is a FINE looking turkey. I know its a lot of work, but hey, its worth it. I'd suggest putting your whole bird under plastic wrap outside til you feel like dealing with it, but I think your puppies might be a problem.


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## pacanis

Thanks, Alix.
And I had thought of sticking in the grill overnight, but with temps in the low twenties I figured it would freeze... of course then I could have started a, Is it OK to thaw cooked turkey and re-freeze it thread


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## Alix

Hahahahahaha!!!!


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## Whiskadoodle

The ultimate turkey sandwich in Layers.  I like stuffing in mine.  I know, it's bread and more bread.   Somehow I think it's worth it for a once in awhile treat.   Or hot turkey sandwiches with mash potatoes for a quick meal.  Makes up for all the work and time you did prepping.  

 You can also make a turkey stock with the carcass.  It's surprising how much meat you can clean off after a long slow simmer.  And freeze the stock in usuable size containers.


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## pacanis

Love open faced turkey sandwiches. Sometimes I even add a couple of slices of bread on top, just because.
I'm going to have to make more gravy! lol


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## MrsLMB

pacanis said:


> Thanks guys
> 
> Z, the stuffing is in-between the corn and the sprouts
> 
> Dawg, I wouldn't change the method, I simply don't like all that work after dinner. A chicken I could put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until the next day, but the turkey was too big for that so I felt obligated to cut it up right away. Too much work after too big a dinner, lol.
> Now if someone were to stop over, eat with me and take care of that afterward...
> 
> Thanks again.


 

Wowza .. does that ever look delicious Pac !!

And for future reference --- I am really good and cleaning up and putting things away


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## pacanis

Thanks, L.
And I will keep that in mind


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## Roll_Bones

Beautiful job.

Tell me about the temperature sensor and what do you use for a display.
Also why is the sensor in the breast?

TIA


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## pacanis

Roll_Bones said:


> Beautiful job.
> 
> Tell me about the temperature sensor and what do you use for a display.
> Also why is the sensor in the breast?
> 
> TIA


 
Thanks, Bones.

I use a Maverick dual probe sensor. E73 or something. It's always gotten good reviews from the smoking crowd.
It's in the breast because that seems to be "the place" to take a turkey's temp. And the plastic pop up comes in the breast, so Butterball must think so, too. I did use a Thermapen to stick it in various parts, including the leg and thigh, but between the probe and my thermapen the readings were all over the place. All above 155 though, so I knew it was done.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Next time use a Foster's can. It's Austrailian for beer, mate!


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## pacanis

That's what I ended up using, Loin. The store was out of 24oz Heineken.


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## CarolPa

Your turkey looks great,* Pac!*  And it's your first one!

*Forty_Caliber* - That's a neat turkey rack you showed.  I never thought to beer-can a turkey.  I have a rack I bought for beer-can chicken.  The can fits in the rack and the chicken goes over it.  The rack has a round base for stabilization that fits perfectly into my deep dish pie pan to catch the drippings.


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## pacanis

Thanks, Carol


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## Paymaster

Oh Yeah!!!!!!! That bid looks great. I could see some fine turkey salad sammiches with those left overs!


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## pacanis

Thanks, PM!


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