I be in trouble now and I need some guidance..

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redclaymud

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Sep 7, 2011
277
16
Barnardsville, NC
I've got an almost 19 pound turkey that I promised to have smoked and ready before noon tomorrow.  I received the frozen bird a good week ago and I placed it in the meat drawer of the refrigerator, thinking it would thaw.  Well, it didn't.  Still hard as a rock.  I'm running cold water through the bird now, but it's going to take a bit.

Where to go from here?  I really need to seriously thaw this bird.  Any suggestions?
 
I have thawed then in a cooler placed in the bath tub with a small stream of cold water running into it. seams to thaw faster then just soaking. 
 
If your soaking it in water just change it often. The trickling water works good too.
 
I have thawed then in a cooler placed in the bath tub with a small stream of cold water running into it. seams to thaw faster then just soaking. 
Wonderful idea.  Thanks so much.  That will work.  Good drainage with the cooler and controlled semi-cold water flow in the tub.  I can do this.  I'm totally grateful.  This makes me think the meal will happen as planned.
 
Just want to say again.........Change water often.............You will be suprised by how quick your bird will  be ready.......good luck
 
Question.  I've pulled the package wrapped gizzards and things, and the neck bone.  Does the tail bone need to be removed?  It seems prominent but I can't figure where to cut it out, or even if I should.

Moot point since I just stuck the turkey into the smoker.  Sorry.  At best this will be a after photo only. 

I manuvered my fingers around under the skin, massaged the turkey with oil, added Stubbs rub under the skin.  Added my own rub on top the skin since it browns so well and still leaves a good flavor when chewed.  Added a goodly dose of Stubbs rub to the inside and then two strongly flavored whole yellow onions for internal moisture

The Smoker is heated and I've got the pellet fire going with hickory and cherry chips in the wood scoop.  

  I'm thinking a long smoke since this thing is still refrigerator temperature or colder in parts.  Any recommendations as to smoker temperature?  

At 30 minutes per pound I'm thinking 9.5 hours at 235 degrees, but I might pop that up to 250 halfway through since it's an almost 19 pound bird.  Main goal initally is to bring everything up to ideal temperature so that it starts cooking evenly.  I'll jack it up to 250 once I'm satisfied the internal temperatures are about the same and then bring the bird up to to 175 or 180 by increasing the smoker heat to 250.

Time to add more wood chips and then a nap.  It could be a long night.
 
Question.  I've pulled the package wrapped gizzards and things, and the neck bone.  Does the tail bone need to be removed?  It seems prominent but I can't figure where to cut it out, or even if I should.

Moot point since I just stuck the turkey into the smoker.  Sorry.  At best this will be a after photo only. 

I manuvered my fingers around under the skin, massaged the turkey with oil, added Stubbs rub under the skin.  Added my own rub on top the skin since it browns so well and still leaves a good flavor when chewed.  Added a goodly dose of Stubbs rub to the inside and then two strongly flavored whole yellow onions for internal moisture

The Smoker is heated and I've got the pellet fire going with hickory and cherry chips in the wood scoop.  

  I'm thinking a long smoke since this thing is still refrigerator temperature or colder in parts.  Any recommendations as to smoker temperature?  

At 30 minutes per pound I'm thinking 9.5 hours at 235 degrees, but I might pop that up to 250 halfway through since it's an almost 19 pound bird.  Main goal initally is to bring everything up to ideal temperature so that it starts cooking evenly.  I'll jack it up to 250 once I'm satisfied the internal temperatures are about the same and then bring the bird up to to 175 or 180 by increasing the smoker heat to 250.

Time to add more wood chips and then a nap.  It could be a long night.
It will be iffy to cook that 19 lb bird safely, just make sure you get through 140* in 4 hours and you will be good. If it where me I would have cut the back out of it and layed it flat (spatchcock). I would cook it at 250* from the start.
 
 
I'm convinced.  the smoker temperature is now going to 250.  Why gamble?  thanks junkie.

.
 
It will be iffy to cook that 19 lb bird safely, just make sure you get through 140* in 4 hours and you will be good. If it where me I would have cut the back out of it and layed it flat (spatchcock). I would cook it at 250* from the start.
 
 
I would be getting that up to temp as soon as possible too, you would want to go at least 250°, even 275° until it hits 140°, then you've got time to slow-roast it.
 
I've got a good smoke going but it's all in the wood chips.  I still haven't figured out how to properly light that Amazin thing and keep it going while using wood chips in the smoker.  The seal at the bottom of the door is just too tight.  Maybe a metal straw or two down in that direction might improve the oxygen flow.  . I don't think it would take much.  It just lacks enough oxygen to keep the pellets lit and when I add fruit wood chips, I sometimes forget to pull the loader back out to allow enough oxygen into the chamber to burn both..

Wow, wonderful smoke now.  I added just hickory pellets to the wood chip tray and they are doing great.  I'm getting some hickory flavor into the bird. I'll alternate cherry chips and hickory pellets for the next hour and stop.  Don't want the bird super smoky.

First view in the window of the door, the bird looks to be getting a healthy tan.  I won't be opening that door for another 4 hours or more.

People that wonder why bbq buffs bbq don't understand the challenges of the meat.  My son has admonished me for serving more of my bbq to the dogs than to him, and in the early days, this was true.  I prepared a lot of bbq I wouldn't want my family to eat. 
 
Thanks for all your guidance.  I pulled the turkey at 165.  The skin was a bit overdone but the bird looked moist, even as it sat resting I could see the juices flowing throughout the inner chamber and all around the bird.  With the skin being so overdone, I might skin the kritter for tomorrow's presentation.  It's not my best effort.  Thanksgiving's turkey went much better, but no Q-views of that.

10201930_2-1-2012Turkey1.jpg


Moisturewise, I had a good pan of drippings.

49bf814d_2-1-2012Turkey3.jpg


f9c26bb2_2-1-2012Turkey2.jpg
 
This was one big bird and I had to cook it a bit faster and hotter than I would have normally cooked it.  That's probably the reason the skin didn't take on the golden bronze I was looking for.  Meanwhile, the tradeoff is this.  The skin can be discarded but the meat should be consistently moist throughout.  Leastwise, that's what appears to have happened.   For all intents and purposes the meat appears very moist.  I won't know for sure until it is sliced tomorrow.  Meanwhile it is resting and soon to be wrapped and put into refrigeration for a few hours.  I'll carve it cold, baste and bring it back to serving temperature tomorrow.  My favorite way of doing that is to seal the slices into gallon freezer bags and re-heating them in boiling water.

I bid you all a good night.  The crisis is over.
 
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