I have been informed by she who must be obeyed that I will be smoking the Thanksgiving turkey this year. The rationale is that this will free up our miniature oven (which is scheduled to disappear in a future remodel) for various other goodies. This is all fine by me, but my old Smokey Joe is about shot...I'd have to replace all the innards before I could use it, and that would probably be more than a new one. So, I'll probably use my grill, which is one of those horizontal cylinder types, without a separate smoking chamber. I've smoked ribs in it before. I just have to use something to shield the meat from the direct heat of the coals, and I've got some sheet metal that works pretty well for that. However, I don't have a good idea about the time required for a turkey. Anyone have any rules-for-the-smoker on this subject? The grill does have a thermometer, so I won't be flying completely blind, but I'd like some general idea about the time required so I can do a good estimate on the number of 12 oz curls I will go through during the process. One trick I do remember: wrap the bird in cheese cloth. Keeps it neat and helps any basting stay on. I also have a supply of apple wood for the smoke, and it and extra charcoal can be added through the air vent to minimize opening the grill.

Chuck