Breast up or down

bigr314

Meat Mopper

Original poster

Jun 4, 2011

270

15

Uniontown,Pa.

• Nov 20, 2011

• #1

When smoking a turkey is better to place turkey breast side up or down. Thanks

 

rdknb

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Jan 23, 2010

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Chester (Kent Island), Md

• Nov 20, 2011

• #2

I always do breast up, that's just me though

 

SmokinAl

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Jun 22, 2009

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Central Florida (Sebring)

• Nov 20, 2011

• #3

I always do breast up too, but lately I've been hearing that with the breast down the juices run into the breast keeping it moist. I may do half & half this time & see how that works.

 

chef jimmyj

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May 12, 2011

22,172

7,150

• Nov 20, 2011

• #4

If you are all about the Norman Rockwell Presentation...Breast Up will be Prettier...Otherwise there probably is some benefit to Breast side Down but none of the Chef's I have worked with ever bothered...Maybe one or more of the Multi-Bird Smoker's here will do a test this year...JJ

 

scarbelly

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Jul 26, 2009

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• Nov 20, 2011

• #5

Most of the folks I have cooked with always rubbed butter or some other fat under the skin so breast up still keeps the breast moist. Just keep an eye on it and when the breast starts to brown cover it with foil 

 

raptor700

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May 20, 2010

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Crestview, Florida

• Nov 20, 2011

• #6

Breast up here 

 

jakesz28

Fire Starter

Aug 12, 2014

42

10

Davenport Iowa

• Nov 27, 2014

• #7

bringing this back from the dead.

I just started a 14 lb turkey breast down. May turn it half way threw.

 

smokeusum

Smoking Fanatic

Jan 13, 2013

571

26

Charlotte, NC

• Nov 27, 2014

• #8

i think I'd start with them down and then finish up for presentation purposes.

I spatchcocked mine and will put it cavity side down... I figured I'd start it in the smoker and finish in the oven if the skin doesn't brown and crisp the way I'd like. I hope it works out the way I've played it out in my head....