Grilled Turkey (Third Installment)

One of my first entries on this blog from October 2005 pertained to my experiment of grilling a turkey. SInce then I have grilled a turkey for the past four Harvest Suppers at church. This year the H.S. had a low turnout, this happens occasionally. Nevertheless I went to the grocery store to purchase a turkey  -- I thought I was at a bargain store but paid $1.19/lb, later I went to the mega lo mart around the corner, there turkeys were/are .69/lb.  Oh well.  I brined the bird the night before, (an interesting piece in last week's NY Times on brining.  I agree with the article for the most part, especially since you cannot make gravy with the drippings of a brined bird.)  Before cooking I always slather a concoction of whatever herbs are growing in the herb garden mixed with butter, salt and pepper under the skin of the breast and legs, then slather a mixture of bacon grease with a pinch of cayenne pepper (new addition this year) on top of the skin, then fresh cracked pepper and onto the grill she goes.  

I love watching the stages of coloring accomplished by the smoke.  First the bird is a light brown, then a deep brown, then a dark drown, then an almost like its going to burn color before switching over to a light auburn then finally a deep dark auburn: