O/T Trash Can Turkey on the ice????

[dreamcatcher310]

I want to try cooking a trash can turkey on the ice this year, does anyone have an suggestions/help/tips on how to do this on the ice? I've heard guys talk about cooking them on ice fishing trips, but I've never actually seen it done. I know the basics of it but just wondering how to keep it off the ice and up out of the snow and stuff without breaking the seal around the bottom of the trash can. Also, approximate cooking time for size of the bird (how long per pound??) Thanks!

 

[APJ]

We dont do it on the ice, we cook it on shore just try to find a small flat spot, on bare ground...

[fishingsurveyor]

KFC would be alot easier 

[chief613]

never done one myself but got the idea of it.  id say you need a metal pan blocked up off the ice a few inches. maybe a metal barrel lid, I've seen "drip pans" for hot water heaters i bet home depot might have them, lid from a larger metal trash can. How a bout a bucket chicken in a metal 5gal pail.   I bet its the best you tasted, everthing cooked on the ice taste great. Hope to see pics

[landlockedsalmon]

What if you cut a 55 gallon drum about a foot high,and set the bird in the drum with the trash can and put charcoal around it?

[Bowdoin Boy]

Can I use a plastic trash can??

[Skidda]

Can I use a plastic trash can??

You could!

[The3Ps]

OK! Here it goes. You need a old 35 gallon grease barrel w/ one end still on. Have a good fire in the barrel to get it all cleaned out.(paint,oil,grease, whatever) After Its all burned out cut to the first rib every 8" to 10" all the way around the barrel. Bend the cut ends at the end of your cuts(@ 1st rib) and then again @ 5" out off rib but UP. Allot of barrels will have a looped rail at the end of the barrel so I run a couple pieces of mechanics wire through all the way around to add stability for the folded arms. Weld a bolt to each side of the barrel, so you can run a few lengths of mechanics wire or chain to lift barrel. Fill Top of barrel with charcoal and fill lower "flower" (will hold the most) takes a 20lb bag. Squirt and light. Pound A metal Pipe in he ground (latest I've done it is Thanksgiving So Frost might mean creating another option) Wrap pipe with foil... Place foil on ground around pipe and enough to cover circumference of barrel. Impale bird on pipe. I use 20lb mono to wrap the bird together, so it will not fall apart. Line will not melt and is easy to take off....Place barell over bird. Will cook a 20lb bird 3 hours on a cold thanksgiving day. So I would plan for more charcoal, to be added as it cooks for extended cooking time due to cold bringing down temp of vessel.. Good Luck.. Some of the best eating bird you can get.

[The3Ps]

Meant to add.. If you do it on the ice, That barell gets mighty hot and think you might have a 20" Chummed hole by the time it was done. LOL

[Mainedog]

We used to cook turkeys under a can.  A lot of work.  I could not get the spike in the ground one
time so made a stand.  Catching the drippings for gravy was always a trick too.
Yes, we over did the bird a bit this time, but the burned part was only on the outside!
We now just smoke them in the smoker!

I think you figure about 15-20 minutes under the can a pound....need to double check this.
And yes, you do use a bag or two of charcoal.

[dreamcatcher310]

KFC would be alot easier 

hahaha you ain't kiddin!   

[dreamcatcher310]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Just thought this would be fun to try on the ice sometime, especially if it's a slow day. I'll report back don't worry! If anyone else has any other suggestions please keep posting.

Tight lines!!   

[SilverSides]

Unless you like the taste of lighter fluid you might want to use match light charcoal or light the briquettes off to the side and shovel around the bottom of the can after the fluid has burned off

[The3Ps]

Ditto

[The Dad Fisherman]

Mmmmmmm Trash Can Turkey.

Mainedog....a little trick for ya......Use a Bundt cake pan to catch the drippings. Its got a hole in it so the stake can go through it.

We do these in scouts all the time....amazingly tender turkey

[Mainehazmt]

didnt look like it when the pelleteers did it in the parking lot!

[chief613]

We used to cook turkeys under a can.  A lot of work.  I could not get the spike in the ground one
time so made a stand.  Catching the drippings for gravy was always a trick too.
Yes, we over did the bird a bit this time, but the burned part was only on the outside!
We now just smoke them in the smoker!

I think you figure about 15-20 minutes under the can a pound....need to double check this.
And yes, you do use a bag or two of charcoal.

its hard to tell in the pic, but it doesn't look like the galvanization  has been burnt of the can. The fumes from the zinc are pretty poisonous if i remember right.

[toguetaker]

Get yourself one of the orion cookers and you will not have a problem. I have done several turkeys on the ice this way as well as about 100 racks of ribs. This thing works great and it has legs so it will not burn through the ice.

[Raquettedacker]

its hard to tell in the pic, but it doesn't look like the galvanization  has been burnt of the can. The fumes from the zinc are pretty poisonous if i remember right.

    Chief is right...   Never use galvanized cans....

[chief613]

Get yourself one of the Orion cookers and you will not have a problem. I have done several turkeys on the ice this way as well as about 100 racks of ribs. This thing works great and it has legs so it will not burn through the ice.

I've done a fair amount of BBQ and for the money a Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) is about the easiest/best cooker out there, in my opinion anyways. It has about the best fire control, with out exaggeration i can usually get 10+ hrs of cooking with out touching a thing. Just a Weber 22" charcoal grill will produce so great BBQ on the ice as well.

[Mainedog]

Mmmmmmm Trash Can Turkey.

Mainedog....a little trick for ya......Use a Bundt cake pan to catch the drippings. Its got a hole in it so the stake can go through it.

We do these in scouts all the time....amazingly tender turkey

Later attempts used the Bundt cake pan.

[The Dad Fisherman]

 

[Bassbug]

when we do it we put the charcoal around the trash can on the ground,  well on the medal we use to cover the ground.  since the ground is not likely to melt that works fine. I imagine that you would need some sort of barrier between he ground and the  bottom plate even a couple of pieces of 2"x might work good enough, if they don't catch on fire, and they are light.  Also, if it's windy I don't know how the charcoal would react to that.  I would recommend a dry run on dry land first.  Also,  don't spray lighter fluid on the coal on and around the trash can, start them in a different place.  that lighter fluid taste will affect the turkey.

[dreamcatcher310]

Get yourself one of the orion cookers and you will not have a problem. I have done several turkeys on the ice this way as well as about 100 racks of ribs. This thing works great and it has legs so it will not burn through the ice.

Wow, just googled it. Looks like an amazing rig! I haven't found one negative review yet.

[tommb]

I cut a small door in my barrel so you can check the bird to see if its done(after burning one to a crisp)

[Mainedog]

Might have to investigate those Orion cookers personally!

[dreamcatcher310]

I rarely turn down an investigation haha  Thanks for the help everyone!

[Teleskiah]

One of my families faves!  Do it several times a year!  My kids dig it!

[Snakehunter]

You can use a galvanized can but you need to have burned a hot fire in it to burn the finish off before you use to cook with. YOU CAN'T USE PLASTIC CANS - THEY WILL MELT AND CATCH FIRE!!!
Personally I would not make any kind of fire on the ice. The ashes make a heck of a mess and the results will pollute the water when the ice melts. We do shore fires around here.