Need help with turkey "yield"

Are you looking for finished product of 16 lbs. boneless, after smoking?

Your boneless yield will be about 40% of raw bone-in weight.  You have the skin with fat, ribcage and keel bone to remove, that will be about 50%, then cooked shrinkage.  Are you going to skin and bone them out first, or after smoking?

You will need about 35 lbs of raw weight, about 10 breasts.  The skin and fat will weigh the most.

You can counteract some of the shrink by brining them, either with or without cure, putting moisture back into them first before smoking/cooking them.

If I am erring, it is on the side of too much vs. too little, as the plumpness of the breasts and if they've been injected first, etc. can play a big part in it. Let me know how it comes out!

By the way, if you would so kindly stop over to Roll Call and introduce yourself, then we can properly welcome you! 

Flag , look at this http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/search.php?search=Slaughterhouse+Brine

should be what you need.

blackflag said:

I am smoking a bunch of those 3# turkey breasts you get all bundled up in the string nets for a friend (probably Butterball or something like that).  He needs 16#.  I haven't done enough of this (nor measured before when I have smoked 'em) to know how many pounds I need to start with.  Can any of you give me a pointer on turkey breast yield?  I greatly appreciate it.  Thanks.

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The Butterball website says there are 12 servings in each 3 lb. breast, so 15 lbs = 60 servings, or 30 servings for 18-35 year old men. How many people is he feeding?

http://www.butterball.com/product/boneless-breast-of-turkey-roast

blackflag said:

Thanks pops. 

I am smoking those 3# frozen "rounds" with the thread netting over them (to hold them roundly I guess).  They are boneless, and i believe injected.  They usually come with a gravy packet (that i discard).  Without the bone, the yield would be a little higher than 40% right?  Thanks for your insight.  As far as brining goes, what would be the best solution? 

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I apologize, I thought they were bone-in breasts. Disregard my first statement then.