Not really complicated, get a bird thats about 18 pounds or less. (otherwise the lid wont close) Make 2 piles of charcoal on the sides of the grill leaving the center empty. I prefer using mesquite chunk coal because it burns longer, but regular charcoal will work as well. Spice your bird. I use a cajun seasoning, and garlic powder. Buy the thinist cheapest fatty bacon you can find. 2 pounds is enough. Take the first pound and cover every sqaure inch of the bird. legs and wings included. Put the whole thing on a cheap METAL cookie sheet. Do not cover with foil. it will stick to the bird. The cookie sheet with edges is what you want. flat sheets wont work because of the grease. Put the whole thing in the middle of the grill between the coals. Put on the lid and leave the vents basically wide open unless your using mesquite. then about 3/4 open. you want it hot! I usually throw on some soaked white oak or Hickory right on the coals before closing the lid. get a beer and do nothing but tease your neighbors with the scent of BBQ turkey and bacon for about an hour. Do check periodically to see if the bacon is done, and add a few more wood chips to the coals. Once the first batch of bacon is done, remove and replace with a fresh batch. The cooked bacon is an awesome snack, or great as a salad or tator topping. The cook time is 10 to 12 minutes a pound. my average turkey is 3 hours. You will want to pull all the bacon and let the bird brown for the last 45 minutes. the second batch of bacon is usually not fully cooked, but I pan fry it to add to the dinner. Key notes are to make sure you use plenty of charcoal or you will be trying to add during the process. not easy to do with most of the grills. some webbers have the side access on the grills to make it easier. Anyhow. A big indicator other than temp to look for is that the skin and meat start to pull from the ends of the legs. Now here is an important tip. DO NOT TRY AND LIFT THE COOKIE SHEET AND BIRD OFF THE GRILL TOGETHER! Get spatchula and loosen the bird from the sheet. take tongs or forks and lift the bird from the sheet on to a platter. Let rest 20 minutes, and carve. The birds come out so juicy your family will be amazed. Even the little strips of white meat on the breast are oozing juice. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions.
