Glad to be a member of your esteemed club!

[smokin gary]

Hey there!

The bride and I have been stick smokers for the past 25 years or so ... I think our first vertical was a Bradley and then we upgraded (significantly) to a 24 x 40 Klose.  

After a couple of decades, we have turned out some pretty tasty fare and truly cannot enjoy Que anywhere else.

But hell, I'm on the green, an inch from the cup of turning 65 and just don't want to work as hard for our dinner.

I've been eyeing the pellet smokers for about a year now and finally pulled the trigger on an FEC 120.  Can't really tell you when I have been so dang excited to get my next "toy".

We're here in San Diego and the 120 is targeted to arrive on November 23rd.  Naturally, the turkey is gonna hit the pits (or should I now be sayin "oven"?) for Thanksgiving.

From what I can glean from the hours spent on the various forums ... it seems as though the recommendation is 180 degrees for a good while and then finishing off at around 250.

On the Klose, I would do my darnest to not let that thermometer climb much above 225 ... but I'm guessing that I'm leaning into a whole new smoking education.

I've been reading your forums for a good while now and have a deep appreciation for the talent and experience that you fellow smokers willingly share.

If you have any newby pellet smoker advice, please do not hesitate to tutor me!

Oh ... and btw ... if anyone is near San Diego and is looking for a great stick smoker, I certainly could recommend the unit I have. Great shape and turns out absolutely wonderful Q!

Many thanks in advance!  

Gary

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[noboundaries]

Smokin Gary, welcome to SMF!  Glad you are here and bringing all that expertise with you. 

I don't do low n slow on turkeys so can't help you with your question. I usually do three big turkeys each TG, one at a time in my WSM.  I do one the weekend before, one on TG, and one the weekend after, freezing the extra meat for the rest of the year.   Heck, I just made a big pot of smoked turkey soup two weeks ago out of legs and thighs from last TG. 

I set my smoker at 325-350F for my brined and injected big birds.  Sometimes when the smoker is loaded with a huge drip pan of veggies and an 18-20 lb bird the temp will hover around 280F for a while before it starts climbing due to the heat sink effect.  Turkeys are usually done to the correct internal temp in 3 to 4.5 hours. 

November 23rd is cutting it close on the arrival of the new smoker for you, but just in time!  Have fun with the new gear.

Ray

 

[smokin gary]

Thanks Ray!  Yeah ... smoked a good number of turkeys over the years and the flavor those bones make in broth turns any soup into a wonderful treat!​

No kidding about cutting it close!  But hey, what's life without a little excitement!

Enjoy your birds!

Gary

 

[gary s]

  Good morning and welcome to the forum, from a warm, cloudy and rainy day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.

Gary

 

[smokin gary]

From one Gary S to another ... thanks for the welcome!  Looking forward to getting that FEC120 delivered and sharing new experiences!  BTW ... weather in San Diego ... another beautiful day!  But we'd sure love if you were to send some of that rain in our direction!!!​