Smoking a turkey (1 Viewer)

[KLF]

Thinking about smoking the bird this year, since I got this for my birthday:

http://www.amazon.com/Brand-Landman...ie=UTF8&qid=1416759457&sr=1-3&keywords=smoker

Looking for tips. I did some reading over on http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/, it gets kinda overwhelming. I was thinking about brineing Tuesday night and most of Wednesday, then remove and let it sit in the fridge on Wednesday night to dry out the skin (I have full access to a huge culinary kitchen with a walk-in fridge and freezer, so space is no problem). My smoker has hanging hooks in the top, but not sure how to hang a turkey, or even if I should. Was gonna stuff it with some onion, celery, garlic, orange, and some herbs, probably put more herbs under the skin.

Making a gallon of fresh chicken stock the day before. I will put a pan under the bird with plenty of mirepoix and stock to catch the drippings, for making gravy. Gotta have gravy!

Questions:
- Should I hang the bird, or just set it on one of the racks, breast up?
- Do I need to put water or juice in the pan? Or will the pan of gravy stock be enough moisture?
- Temp? I was gonna go around 300, I need to eat by mid-afternoon. Maybe crank it up to full blast near the end to crisp the skin?

If anything, I'm looking forward to freeing up the space in the oven for the all-important sides...

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

I've hung them and rested on the grate and they came out great either way. Nowadays I spatchcock, so it rests on the grate
I used to experiment with mirepoix.... apples, onions and such... but honestly can't tell the difference in the bird so I go straight water now. I never tried making gravy from the water pan but I bet it would be VERY smokey - too smokey for my family. I make gravy on the stove top. Unless you're after the classic whole-bird table presentation, consider spatchcocking that bird. It will cook faster and more evenly. Trimming out the backbone gives you pieces you can brown in a pan to help with your stovetop gravy. I used to wet brine with good results. I dry brine now though and think it comes out even better.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/...-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/quick-and-dirty-guide-to-brining-turkey-chicken-thanksgiving.html

Butt

 

[KLF]

I thought about spatchcocking (who came up with that name anyway?) but there's not enough room on the racks in my smoker, they are only ~14" x 12".

I wasn't gonna use the water pan water for the gravy, ya that would be too smokey. I was figuring another pan above it in the smoking section for the drippings, which will get strained and de-greased to make gravy while the bird is resting. I make a quick roux with some of the grease, then put in the strained flavored stock, toss in the giblets and let it simmer while we're getting the sides ready.

I will probably just do a couple pans of small chips for smoke, not the whole time.

 

[splitshot]

I have the same smoker. What I have found is give yourself enough time. I used to go with the 225~250 temp for the 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound rule. What I have discovered, leaving it for and extra hour or 2 (with water in the pan) just makes things more tender. When I do pork butts, shoulders, or Beef brisket they get tossed in at 2am.
Meats absorb the smoke while cold also, no need to add anything to the box after the first "smoke"
Try putting foil over your smoking box, punching 2 or 3 holes in it, then placing the top grate on it. Kinda keeps it from igniting into a fire ball.

Long story short, extra time (with extra humidity), at low temps, is a good thing.


We are having ribs tonight, 4 pound rack started at noon, should be ready in about 15 minutes.

 

[KLF]

Ummmm ya that's not gonna work for me, if I do the math, my 15 lb bird will take up to 22 hours. I'm not comfortable leaving my smoker going unattended in my back yard all night. All I need is some animal to decide to knock it over to get at what's inside, and I could have a BIG problem. We've had bears dump our trash cans and destroy bird feeders, so I gotta be careful.

Another question: my wife really wanted a Butterball turkey so that's what we bought. Do I need to brine? Seems like they already have something injected.

 

[FLATU8ER]

For what its worth from this rookie, I inject with Tony Chachere's Creole Style Butter. Use it on all my birds that hit my grill. I don't have the space to brine in the fridge. I grill/cook/smoke my turkeys on my webber. Can usually finish a 15 #'er in about 3 hours +/-, but sounds like you are planning for a bigger bird.
Good Luck, and Happy T day. Jim

 

[Butt Ugly Chuck]

Yeah, a big bird takes a LONG time. I'm prepping a 12 lb'er, and I'm going to spatchcock it for even cooking and reduced cook time.
Brine it! I prefer a dry brine but have had excellent results with wet too, and that sounds like the way you're leaning. To shorten cooking time you can start the bird in your smoker for a few hours and transfer to your oven to finish. It will still have an awesome smoke flavor.

 

[TXLX100]

I have a couple of frozen breasts I need to do something with, thinking about smoking for lunch meat. Looking at the nutritional facts, looks like there is already quite a bit of sodium in the frozen breast I have. I'm guessing it was injected or brined before it was froze. I think I'll smoke one as-is with some rub on it and see how it turns out.

 

[splitshot]

Yeah, a big bird takes a LONG time. I'm prepping a 12 lb'er, and I'm going to spatchcock it for even cooking and reduced cook time.
Brine it! I prefer a dry brine but have had excellent results with wet too, and that sounds like the way you're leaning. To shorten cooking time you can start the bird in your smoker for a few hours and transfer to your oven to finish. It will still have an awesome smoke flavor.

^^^This is excellent advise. And will load the house with a great smell (gets my vote).

I have a couple of frozen breasts I need to do something with, thinking about smoking for lunch meat. Looking at the nutritional facts, looks like there is already quite a bit of sodium in the frozen breast I have. I'm guessing it was injected or brined before it was froze. I think I'll smoke one as-is with some rub on it and see how it turns out.

A lot of the birds come packaged pre-brined or injected. Hence the "tender and juicy" adds. Should be good to go without a brine.

Gently separating the skin around the breast and thighs and rubbing some minced garlic and butter between the layer has worked for us. If you want to experiment, I have found it's best to use the immediate family for guinea pigs for a couple of dry runs before feeding a large group a holiday meal. Been there, plan "B" is not a fun option.

 

[KLF]

Well I ended up cooking it in the smoker, but I had no choice. Power went out last night, still not back, and no relief in sight. It was a real challenge to cook a huge traditional meal without a stove or oven, but we got by with the smoker, the grille, our propane camping stove, and the toaster oven (thanks to the generator).

I did brine the bird yesterday, used salt and brown sugar with water, tossed in some oranges and lemons since I had them, then found some fresh thyme and sage so I put that in too.

Fired up the smoker around noon, stuffed more oranges, onion, garlic, herbs and butter inside, put some flavored butter under the skin. Turkey went on by 1:00, my plan was to cook at 350 or so, but even full blast the temp wouldn't go above 300. Finally dumped the water out of the pan and got the temp up to 350, but it was still a very slow cook according to my remote thermometer. I did one batch of smoke with some apple chips.

At 7:00 pm we were starved and all the sides were ready so I fired the Weber grill and we transferred it over to there, running full open on all burners, so it finished pretty quick.

It ended up being one of the best turkeys I've ever eaten. The skin was perfectly crisp and dark brown, the meat had an awesome flavor. Just a touch of smoke, very moist, fell off the bone.

So sick of hearing that damn generator, going out to shut it off now.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Did your for the first time too, turned out fantastic. I didn't brine, I'd read that a lot of frozen turkeys are already soaked in a sodium solution as a preservative. I'm glad I didn't ours would have been way too salty. I did a regular spice rub, apple chips, and 250*. For a 9# bird it took 6 hours to get to 165*. Online places said to figure for about 30 min. per pound. My dad commented that smoked turkey smells like ham and man, it really did. But it tasted great, excellent flavor and moisture. I've had deep fried too and this was just as good, just different.

 

[JohnVee]

I've had deep fried too and this was just as good, just different.

Yep. Love them both and typically have to do it both ways when the family comes. I should never have introduced them to one of the ways so I don't have to spend so much time working on T-day. Wait...keeps me outta the crowded house? Shoulda done it years ago.

AND...Trunk, the TLCA link in your sig just reminded me to renew. How timely! Now to remind the club.