Yoder Smokers Community Forum

I am trying ther UST recipe from "a popular website" and it had a gravy preparation involving putting a drip pan under the bird. I assume that means no diffuser and putting the pan on the base of the smoker, more or less at flame level ut beneath the bird.

This concerns me about getting ashes in the gravy--- albeit at 325F I don't generate many.

Anyone had experience with this and ready with a suggestion?
Thanks

Do not remove the diffuser. This would have to be a 1st shelf thing for the pan for gravy, with the turkey on the second shelf. Without the heat diffuser you will incinerate your turkey.

I am taking a different approach. I will do spatchcock turkeys, put the backbones, necks, giblets and trimmings with the recipe ingredients in a gravy pan and smoke it the day before, and smoke the turkeys on Thursday.

That person (Meathead?) has a different smoker. The 640 doesn't have enough room on the top grate to fit a turkey. I cook the bird on the main grate and have the pan next to it. I miss the drippings but I have leftover chicken drippings and turkey stock from previous cooks.

You need the diffuser unless you're doing direct searing steaks. Which does work very well BTW with the Grill Grates.

OK, Looks like the diffuser is in and I am just going to put the gravy pan behind the bird (directly over the flames but it isnt much hotter there) my plan is for the turkey breast to be on the far right, legs pointed towards the gravy pan which is directly above the flames. I will post pics pass or fail

If you spatchcock the turkey, it will fit just fine on the top shelf, which will allow you to put your tray directly under it. Personally, I never cook any birds without spatchcocking them.

Yoder_Herb wrote:If you spatchcock the turkey, it will fit just fine on the top shelf, which will allow you to put your tray directly under it. Personally, I never cook any birds without spatchcocking them.

The practice bird is 14 pounds. The big bird is 26. Any experience with spathcocking one that size?

I have not done one that large, but can say that it will probably not fit on the top shelf of any of the Yoder pellet cookers, even if spatchcocked. I would suggest that you do like I am going to do, and smoke the gravy pan the day before with all of the trimmings from the bird, and then cook the bird on Thursday. I am doing 2 15 pound birds, one on the top shelf and one on the bottom, which is why I am cooking the gravy pan the day before. If you are after the picture perfect bird, spatchcock it, but don't flatten it out. I have done this with very successful results as well. The bird will cook faster and more evenly, and look good on a platter for presentation. Take a look here: viewtopic.php?p=1962#p1962