1: Thaw the turkey if frozen. Remove the neck and giblets (liver, gizzard, heart) and set aside. (Be sure to empty both the front and main cavity.) You’ll grill the neck, gizzard, and heart to make stock. Use the liver to make chopped liver or pate. Rinse the turkey with cold running water inside and out. Fold the wing tips under the wings.

2: Make the brine. Pin the bay leaves to the onion halves with cloves. Place the salt and honey in a very large stockpot. Add the hot water and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the cold water, brandy, and peppercorns. Add the turkey, leg end up, and the onion and lemon zest. Jiggle the turkey as needed so the brine flows into the cavity and the whole bird is submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and brine the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Invert the turkey half-way through so it brines evenly.

3: The next day, drain off and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey under cold water and blot dry. Insert bamboo skewers through the drumsticks to pin them evenly to the carcass. (I like to leave the cavity open, so heat and smoke get inside the bird.) Lightly brush the outside of the turkey on all sides with olive oil.

4: Meanwhile, set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium (325 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, position a drip pan under the grate. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it.

5: Set the turkey breast side up on the grate away from the heat. Add a wood chunk or 1-1/2 cups soaked, drained chips to the coals. If using a gas grill, place the wood in the smoker box or under the grate over one of the burners. There is no need to add wood for a pellet grill.

6: Indirect grill the turkey until the skin is bronzed and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. This will take 2-1/2 hours or so. If the wingtips start to burn, cover them with foil. If the skin over the breast starts to get too dark, loosely tent it with foil (as in lay sheet of foil on top. Don’t bunch the foil around the bird, or you’ll make the skin soggy.) If using charcoal, you’ll need to replenish the coals every hour or so, and add fresh wood chunks or chips once the first batch is burned out.

7: Start basting the turkey on all sides with melted butter after 30 minutes and continue basting every 30 minutes.

8: Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, increase the grill heat to high (450 degrees). On a charcoal grill, do this by adding coals as needed and opening the air vents. On a pellet grill or gas grill, simply crack up the heat.

9: Continue cooking the turkey until the skin is dark brown and the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165 degrees, another 15 minutes.

10: Transfer the turkey to a cutting board. Brush with butter one more time and let the bird rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving.