Smoked a second bird that was raised in western Kansas. It weighed 12.4 pounds.
As per instructions, I did nothing to the bird.
Put it on a verticle,Spanek unit with a base that held/collected moisture. I inserted a polder in the breast. Internal temp was 36. I cooked it at 250. In 4 hours the breast temp registered 165.
I removed the legs & wings & wrapped it in 905 film & placed it in a styrofoam container. I continued to cook the thighs until they reached 180.
By then the bird had rested. When I sliced it, the moisture weeped from the white meat.
As last year, the family & guests voted for the American Heritage Turkey.
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