Newbie who need quick whole turkey advice ASAP

[kaya16]

I bought  a 21 lb turkey and failed to research. I currently have it in the fridge brining and expecting to smoke tomorrow afternoon! I now am on the forum and reading my turkey is 2 big. I have a number 2 smokin it sysytem.  Is there anything I can do at this point? Can I smoke for a couple hours and then move to my oven?  Any help or ideas what I can do with this bird that is currently prepping now? Thanks

 

[LarryD]

Search for these forums for spatchcock...

 

[SuperDave]

Search for these forums for spatchcock...

That's a great suggestion if it will fit on the rack. Otherwise, splitting the bird in half and smoking on 2 racks would be a possibility. If the was the case, I'd also swap racks at about the 2 hour mark.

 

[Meatball]

Nothing wrong with a little oven time at the end. The spatchcock idea will give you good results to.

 

[Pork Belly]

I have a #3, and doubt a spatchcocked turkey would fit in a 2.
Spatchcock it, discarding the spine for stock, then split the bird through the middle of the breast. do a half a bird on each shelf. if it is a still a bit too big for the #2 racks, truss it up with butchers twine to compact the mass a bit.

 

[EFGM]

Probably a little late but for information purposes anyway. I spatchcocked a 22#er some time back and the  dimensions we 18 X 13-14. See picture. It overhung a 12 inch rack with the legs a little. I would cut in half like mentioned and use 2 shelves and I believe that would keep you under the 14# top weight I think I remember Tony mentioning one time. Hope this helps. This one was done on a pellet grill.

 

[DivotMaker]

What'd you end up doing, Kaya?