Smokin' a Turkey

[geds]

The ribs sound good too! Unfortunately I have a side fire box with a barrel smoker. Not enough room to stack anything above the turkey. I could put something beside it though....

From the sounds of the suggestions it looks like the idea of putting a water pan at the entrance to the cooking chamber has been nixed. So, I'll have a drip pan under the rack the turkey is on just to make clean up easier. I'll use Kingsford mesquite charcoal in the fire box and try to keep the temp up to 350. That will be a challenge with this smoker it likes to drop to 300 every time you turn your back on it!

I'll see if I can get some fruit chips to add to the mesquite coals for flavor. I've used orange peels in the past, both in the fire and in the water pan.

[JLA]

Yeah ribs cook pretty fast. I jerky'd my first ever rack of spares. I treated em like a prokbutt and let em be for 6 hours. I figured by how dry and burnt they were that they must have been done at the 1.5 - 2 hour mark.

My favorite pork to smoke is rib roast (loin with babys still attached) A nice pork rib rub on the outside and injected with apple cider, then low and slow for about 6 hours. DEFREAKINLICIOUS.

[JLA]

Use the drip pan, and add a cup of water to it. All the water does is hinder the skin crisping. Not many folks eat the skin on a turkey anyway because its too thick, what the water pan does do is create a humid heat that penetrates and cooks the meat faster. Itll make the most of your 300 degrees.

Anyone ever had a steamed hamburger? Try it sometime..

[langenc]

40 min/pound of body weigh--not yours-the turkeys

[Bobitis]

Geds, do you have access to any lump charcoal? It's a bit harder to start, but it burns hotter and longer. Given the choice of lump or regular, I'll buy the lump every time.

As for wood, don't bother with chips unless it's all you have access to. Chunks are much better. The rule of thumb is use aged hardwood. Green wood is no different than using chips that have been soaked in water. It's wet wood, and it creates creosote.

My favorite smoke wood is Alder. I also use lots of fruit woods. Hickory is harsh id used on anything but pork or beef in my opinon. And mesquite is out of the question for anything. In MY opinion.

Another misconception when it comes to turkey is the brining. 9 outta 10 birds have already been injected, so it's a waste of time and money. You can inject or rub away, but it'll do nothing to keep the bird 'more' tender. It's just a flavor thing.

As JLA said, hotter and faster is better for whole birds or white meat. I do my legs and thighs low and slow though.

The concept of the water pan is dual purpose. For low and slow, it's job is as a heat sink when filled. It does add a little moisture to the smoke, but that's a small byproduct.

If I were to do just a breast, I'd do as Josh suggested. Wrap it in bacon. Pull the bacon from the skin side half way through if ya like the skin.

Good luck.
.

[geds]

Bob - are you suggesting wrapping the bacon over the skin or between the skin and the bird?

[dad2thebone]

Originally Posted by JLA

Use the drip pan, and add a cup of water to it. All the water does is hinder the skin crisping. Not many folks eat the skin on a turkey anyway because its too thick, what the water pan does do is create a humid heat that penetrates and cooks the meat faster. Itll make the most of your 300 degrees.

Anyone ever had a steamed hamburger? Try it sometime..

I always use about a 1/2 pan of water in mine and dont use my chips till the last 3 or so hours.I tried the charcoal w/mesquite and it skinned over alot.I soak the chips for about 1/2 hr and then im ready to go. Like jla said , 3-350 is better and faster. IM gonna try a ham this year and some bacon after just to give it a shot.Good luck and happy thanksgiving.

[JLA]

Happy thanksgiving indeed. I am smoking briskets tonight. 5 hours in the smoker, then wrapped in foil and refridgerated to be finished in the oven over night wednesday night. Then taken out thanksgiving morning and tossed in the hot box til serving time.

Im smoking 2 turkeys tonight as well. one for carving late tonight and putting the meat away for sammages. And one for my mom. Ill pull hers a little early and wrap it up, she will finish it in her roaster.

Gonna be a tasty holiday.

Good luck to ya Geds!

[geds]

Sounds great! Thanks to everyone for the advice - I hope everyone has a very happy holiday!

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by langenc

40 min/pound of body weigh--not yours-the turkeys

So that means I would cook my 20 lb turkey how long? The thing would be charcoal.

[JLA]

Ite Geds. Just pulled off the first turkey. Started it at 17:47 this afternoon and the button popped sometime between 21:00 and 21:30. I smoked it on the bare rack right under the thermometer at 325-350, the temp dipped to 300 a few times, but it came out perfect. Meat is as moist as you could want. Tastes like Premium deli smoked turkey breast sandwich meat. All i did was rub it with a 50/50 mix of Shooter45s secret rub and lemon pepper, no basting, no turning, nuttn special. I didnt even open the barrel until 21:00 to check on the popper button becasue I knew it was getn close. I think while turkeys are 35 cents a pound Ill buy 20 or so to keep in the deep freeze to smoke when i run low of sammage meat.

Hope yours turns out good. This one is delicious!

[geds]

I can smell it from here and my mouth is watering! Enjoy it!

[JLA]

Originally Posted by langenc

40 min/pound of body weigh--not yours-the turkeys

This cant be right. I just pulled a 15 pounder off after smoking for just shy of 4 hours at 325 avg temp. Had I cooked it for 40 min per pound, thats 40X15, thats 10 hours! it would have been mummified! 3 hours and roughly 45 minutes was perfect, the bird pictured above is tender and extremely juicy.

I think the 40 min/Lb. is porkbutt cookin time. and its best done at around 250-275

[todd51]

Josh that turkey looks absolutely delicious. First rate job. I hope you and your family enjoy it and have a great Thanksgiving.

[JLA]

Oh we will Todd. That turkey isnt for thanksgiving tho. Its just for sammages. I just finished dismantling it into white meat, darkmeat, wings and legs. The best part is the oysters on the back. Nobody ever eats those because they dont know about them. But on a smoked turkey they are devine, and on a 15+ pound bird there is just enough to make a sammage out of em.

[treniaL]

I want my turkey to be juicy ;-)

[JLA]

It will be, just mind the cooking time and the temperature. If you cook it in the oven or in a roaster check it often and baste it often. Use a meat thermometer to check meat temp often, turkey is cooked to a safe level once the center of the breast reaches 145 degrees, and it only has to stay there for about 20 minutes before the bird starts to dry out. Those little red popper buttons are designed to release at 145 and the catch is built into the tip of them which rests at the center of the breast when inserted properly.

Perfect is opening the oven and finding the red button just popping, but thats super luck. using the meat thermometer throughout the basting cycles will help you learn how quickly the breast is warming up and will help you estimate exactly when it will get to 145 in the center. At 325, it should happen between 3.5 and 4 hours with a bird weighing around 15 pounds..

[myfriendis410]

I haven't smoked a turkey in some years, but I always took the time to brine them for three days using brown sugar and salt; a cup of each. The bird stands in the brine for three days, sometimes that's problematic trying to keep it cold. I've stood the bucket in an ice chest in the garage to keep it refrigerated. Brining really benefits poultry in that it tenderized and moisturizes the meat.

I also tried to maintain a higher temp in the smoker and I too use a Brinkmann Smokin' Pit.

Hope you all enjoy your turkey dinner. Happy Thanksgiving!

[JLA]

I know this aint Turkey, but I gotta show it. This is one of the briskets I smoked last night with the turkeys.

I smoked the briskets right at 6 hours, brought em in the house, wrapped them with 4 layers of foil and placed them in a foil pan. The bigger one is in the freezer to be finished wednesday over night for thanksgiving day thursday, the littler one, seen here was tossed in the oven over night at 220 degrees. I pulled it this morning at about 0830 and put it in the hotbox on the counter. Its been sweating in there for 3 hours now and its lunchtime. Its still almost as hot as it was when i pulled it out of the oven. Sammages are delicious.

[geds]

Josh that brisket looks as good as the turkey!

[JLA]

It is my opinion, being a beef eater primarily, that is is better..

My wife and daughter like the turkey more. Thats just more brisket for me.

[cpttango30]

I heard it will get you high as a kite. But they are a PITA to get lit....



Thank You I will be here all weeks.

[geds]

Quick question - no one has mentioned anything about stuffing the bird while smoking it. Since you do when deep frying and roasting, why wouldn't you stuff it while smoking?

[JLA]

You can, but it will increase cooking time a little. I dont stuff them. Not even when i have the wife bake them.

[geds]

That answered that question - thanks again!