Well your off to a good start, thawing your turkey in the fridge is the only way to thaw it. I brine over night then rinse, pat dry then let air dry in the fridge 12-18 hours. A good wood to use is apple. I run my smoker at 275*-300* to help get the skin to crisp up. Here's a simple brine that is good. This is a single batch, I usually need 2-3 gallons, will vary with size of bird.
1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
Six oranges halved and squeezed (put all in pot)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.
Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate or ziplock filled with water on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, air dry in fridge for 12-18 hours.
*Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).
