Help with smoked turkey.

schaydu · Sep 26, 2012

Morning folks, the family has volunteered me to do a smoked turkey for thanksgiving and I have absolutely no idea what to do. Being very critical of my food I don't want to disappoint and I want to do a couple of trial runs first. I've done chicken before and figured it can be much harder. Anyhow i was planning on using the poultry house brine, injection, and spritz and then dusting with a rub. After reading other threads there have been many ideas about brine time. I was only going to do 24hrs tops but one guy said he did if for 5 days! Also what is the best temp to cook and generally how long does it take per pound. I am also thinking about spatch cocking the bird. Any advice, pointers, and tips would greatly appreciated.

mike johnson · Sep 26, 2012

I would suggest buying an organic bird that has not been injected already with a SOLUTION. The reason for this is preinjected birds dont absorb the brine as well. The last 1 i did was about 12 lbs. and came out great.I know this sounds funny but I used the storebought plastic pop up to tell me when it was done.

P.S. DONT stuff the bird when smoking it.

fpnmf · Sep 26, 2012

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/113574/my-turkey

s2k9k · Sep 26, 2012

Jeff has some great tips for turkey:

http://www.smoking-meat.com/nov-2005-more-turkey-tips-and-recipes.html

I did a modified version of this brine but stuck to everything else and it came out fabulous:

http://www.smoking-meat.com/november-10-2011-smoked-buttermilk-brined-turkey.html

And if you like Cranberry, I'm sure this is Awesome:

http://www.smoking-meat.com/november-2010-smoked-cranberry-brined-turkey.html

12 hours is probably plenty of time in the brine and I wouldn't go over 24. I don't think injection is necessary it will get plenty moist from the brine.

Like Mike said, an organic or free range bird is Awesome, there really is a difference. I did a frozen bird last T-day and then a free range on Xmas and it was like night and day, so much more flavor!

You could do your trial runs with frozen birds to get it down but locate a free range bird for the big day and you are sure to impress!

jfsjazz · Sep 26, 2012

S2K9K,

Earlier this summer , I bought a free range turkey from a local farmer and smoked half of it. I did brine it overnight and smoked to an IT of 165. The breast was delicious, but I had to fight the meat off of the drumstick. The farmer explained that these birds run while they are growing and the leg muscles are actually developed, as opposed to many store bought turkeys that don't run.

OK, I can buy that explanation, but how do I make the other half better when I smoke it? Do you think that an injection on the drumstick meat would help? I also thought about separating the drumstick and after smoking for a while, foil it until done.

Thanks for your help.

Joe

joelarbear · Sep 26, 2012

Every Thanksgiving, I buy a regular old Supermarket frozen turkey around 12 to 14 pounds. It takes about 5 days to defrost in the refrigerator. The night before I smoke it, I put it in a pretty basic brine. I'm pretty sure I got the recipe on this forum. Before it goes on the smoker, I season it with Morton season all, and nothing else. It goes into the smoker whole, Breast side up. I smoke it at around 250 degrees until the breast meat hits 170. I then take it out and rest it for a hour before carving. Everyone fights over it.

I have to roast a turkey, every holiday as well because my wife has decided that she prefers turkey prepared that way. Most of it goes into a jambalaya that I make a couple of days after Thanksgiving.

Bottom line is, don't over think it. A pretty basic preperation, as long as it's smoked, turns out awfully good.

By the way, I grew up in Tuscaloosa. Roll Tide!

linguica · Sep 26, 2012

What wood do you think that you like best for smoking turkey.......Thanks Paul

kcphilaflyer · Sep 26, 2012

here's my turkey, and I would go with a fruit wood, apple cherry or something, with chicken and turkey, I think hickory is too strong, but thats just me

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125315/13lb-turkey-with-tqview#post_846514

rstr hunter · Sep 26, 2012

Here's my turkey how to.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/90788/weekend-turkey

I also brine mine for 5 days if there is time. Last time I did two turkeys one brined for 5 days and one only brined for 2 days and there definately was a difference. Not saying the shorter brined one was bad, just not as tender and flavorful as the one brined longer. I also inject with butter and a sometimes a little cajum seasoning. I'm partial to cherry or apple or other fruit woods for this as it is a sweeter flavor. Good luck and make sure to post q-view.

smokinhusker · Sep 26, 2012

I smoked my first turkey (14 lb) last year for Thanksgiving. Same as Joelarbear described. It turned out great and I'm doing it again this year the same way. I used 40% apple, 40% pecan and 20% mesquite.

This year I'm going to use Jack Daniels Bourbon Oak Barrel and not sure what other flavor.

schaydu · Sep 27, 2012

Thanks for the great advice folks! I will probably try to get one done in the next couple of weeks and i will defintiely put up pics! Rstr Hunter and kcphilaflyer thanks for posting links! Both of your birds looked delicious.

joelarbear Roll Tide to you too!!! I grew up here and spent 3 months on the plains at the rival school and decided my heart was in TTown. I cant see myself anywhere else!

sqwib · Sep 27, 2012

Sorry, could not find my Original post

Let us know how it turns out pics please!
[h3]Honey Glazed Pit Smoked Turkey with Apple Gravy[/h3]
USDA ON TURKEY

Note: when smoking turkey try purchasing one that is no more than 12-14 pounds. Much larger than this and the meat may stay in the danger zone (40-140 °F) for too long.
A 20 pound turkey can take up to 10-14 hours and larger turkeys greatly increase food contamination risks. A 12-14 pound turkey will be good, however a 20 pound bird can be done, just be careful of the "Danger zone".

For a turkey over 14 pounds, bump the temp up to 300-325°F the first few hours and for goodness sake, no peeking.

Brine Turkey, unless it already has been, such as "Moister Enhanced with up to 8% of solution" or "Self Basting" or "Kosher".
Brining enhances flavor and texture and gives the cook a wider margin of error, ensuring a moist bird, in my opinion anyway.
See attached "Brining basics" PDF at the bottom of this page.
USDA States that BASTED or SELF BASTED: Bone-in poultry products that are injected or marinated with a solution containing butter or other edible fat, broth, stock or water plus spices, flavor enhancers and other approved substances must be labeled as basted or self basted. The maximum added weight of approximately 3% solution before processing is included in the net weight on the label. Label must include a statement identifying the total quantity and common or usual name of all ingredients in the solution, e.g., "Injected with approximately 3% of a solution of.

Water to salt ratio is 1:16 or 1 cup of Kosher salt per gallon of non-chlorinated water.

Sugar reduces the the taste of the salt, use the same ratio as the salt.

Whole Birds brine for about an hour a pound.

Breasts no more than 5-6 hours

Turkey Brine:

2 Gal Water
2 Cups Kosher Salt
2 Cups Sugar (1 Cup white + 1 Cup Brown)
4 TBS Black Pepper
1 TBS Dried Rosemary
1 TBS Thyme
1/4 Cup White Wine or dry vermouth. (not Cooking Wine)

Combine all ingredients to 1 gallon of water in a large pot and bring to a slow simmer for 10 minute stirring, remove from heat and cool in refrigerator. Reserve a few ounces for the beer can.
In a cooler add ice and the brine, submerge bird in brine, (weigh down if needed) add ice as needed, after brine period remove and rinse, pat dry.

Slather:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
1 Tablespoon Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Minced Onion
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Old Bay
1 Teaspoon basil
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1/2 Teaspoon Cracked Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Celery Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning

Remove the neck and giblets from the inside, trash the liver and place the neck and giblets in the refrigerator, this will be used for gravy. Place the turkey in cooler add brine then add enough ice to last the length of time the bird will be in the brine and make sure bird is submerged and place in a cool location. Soak a 12 pound turkey in the brine overnight or 10-12 hours in the fridge, the goal here is about an hour a pound.

Slather: Olive oil, butter, Garlic, Rosemary Time, Cracked Pepper, etc.. note the picture with all the spices. I warmed the slather about 25 second in microwave, mixed thoroughly and rest about half hour, then the slather is placed in the fridge to thicken up.

Gravy: Fresh Sage, smoked garlic, green onions, white onion, applesauce and various spices as pictured below. Use fresh apples if you have them, the applesauce is a bit sweeter

Steps

Fire up the Pit: and bring temp up to about 350°F. I used white ash and cherry wood.

Setup the beer can apparatus: and fill halfway with reserved brine. I Did not brine this bird due to the fact that it was an enhanced turkey, since it was enhanced , I just used a bit of Killians and spices as pictured.

Drip Pan: Place a grate then a disposable tin foil pan on the reverse flow plate with a quart of water to catch the drippings for gravy, add water as needed, place the giblets and neck bone in the pan. Add some celery onion slices and spices to the drip pan. This smoke I tried apple sauce for a sweet gravy and only added the neck bone at the wife's request. I did add 2 cups of water during the cook but it dd not need it.

Reduce risk of contamination: Make sure everything is ready, reducing the possibility of contamination for example having the spices pre-measured in bowl and slather or rubs ready to go, because you will be handling the bird.

Trimming: Remove bird from brine, this was an enhanced bird so I did not have the option for brining, rinse thoroughly in cold water then pat dry. Trim the neck flap. Remove any pop up timer devices.

Rub/ Slather: At the least, make sure the breast is covered in a good slather or butter.

Stuffing the turkey: I do not cook stuffing in a smoked bird, if not being smoked on a beer can style apparatus, stuff with apple and onion quarters.

Placing the turkey: Once the Pit is preheated, to 350°F, about an hour works for my Pit, place the turkey over top of the beer can apparatus, pin the wings close to the sides with toothpicks, place the turkey in the drip pan and insert meat probes. This cook I put the probe in the innermost thigh. Some will plug up the neck hole with an onion, this one was not but it may decrease the cooking time slightly, the jury is still out on this one. I also placed the bird in a pan to catch the drippings for the gravy.

Cooking: Let the temp creep down slowly until a temperature range of 240-250°F is achieved, this may take an hour or so to level off. Plan on 30 to 40 minutes per pound at this temperature. Watch the wings and breast and if they start to get too brown you can cover them with some foil.

Sanitize: Once everything is on the Pit, I will wipe everything down with Chlorox Cleanup.

Mopping: If you want to mop your smoked turkey, wait until the last hour of the cooking time to start. This particular cook I brushed the bird with honey about 60 minutes before it was done.

Danger Zone: Pay close attention to the cooking temps and time, if you are nearing the 4 hour mark and are not close to 140°F, I would suggest bumping your temps up to 325°F until you are out of the "Danger Zone".

Checking the Internal Temperature: (I strongly suggest that anyone doing whole poultry, educate themselves on the proper handling and cooking procedures.) The breast and thighs must reach different internal temperatures for ideal doneness. When the breast reaches 150°F, cover it with foil to prevent it from being overcooked. I removed this turkey when the thick part of the thigh reached 160°F. The temperature will rise after removing it from the smoker. Keep an eye on your times and temps, if you get a reading that doesn't make sense with the time chart, err on the side of caution. Although I did not take a reading of the breast it was cooked perfectly and If I had taken the thigh up to 170°F, it may have been overcooked.

Disclaimer for cooking temps, you knew that was coming. USDA states that the turkey should be cooked to a minimum of 165°F at the lowest temp reading. I would suggest an instant read thermometer, such as a Thermapen if you plan on smoking turkey. Check at the innermost part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast and the lowest reading should be at 165°F, per USDA guidelines.

Resting: Remove the turkey and cover loosely with aluminum foil for about 30 minutes. If I need up to an hour, the turkey will be wrapped in a thick towel in a non drafty area, any longer than an hour and its foiled, toweled and placed in a cooler with more towels.The resting is very important, a lot of the juices will redistribute into the meat ensuring its a moist bird. If you are pulling your turkey slightly before its final temp, make sure that you let it rest about a half hour wrapped in foil and lay a towel on top. During this rest your temps may increase due to carry over heat, so if you pulled it a little shy of 165°, don't sweat it.

Gravy: As the bird is resting finish up the gravy, Pour liquids from beer can apparatus and the drip pan through a strainer into a pot, bring gravy to a simmer and reduce by half, add spices to your preference, remove excess oil. Use arrow root or corn starch to thicken the gravy. If you have time you can refrigerate the gravy until the oils solidify on top then scrape the grease off the top.

Carving: When carving the turkey if it appears pink Don't panic, this is normal. The smoking process causes a chemical change in turkey that causes it to turn pink. Just make sure the lowest reading is at 165°F.

Time charts, not an exact but in the ballpark,

This was a 12.4 lb bird and took almost 34 minutes per/lb at 230 - 240°F, I was at exactly 4 hours into the cook when I reached 140°F, next cook I will maintain 250- 260°F until it is out of the "danger zone", this was too close for comfort.

Cooking

- At 235°F your turkey will take 30 to 35 minutes per pound.
- At 250°F your turkey will take 25 to 30 minutes per pound.
- At 275°F your turkey will take 20 to 25 minutes per pound.

Thawing: Frozen turkey thawing timetable. Weight In refrigerator In cold water

In the Refrigerator (40°F or below)
Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds

- 4 to 12 pounds 1 to 3 days
- 12 to 16 pounds 3 to 4 days
- 16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days
- 20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days

I thawed this 12.4 pound bird in the refrigerator for 5 days and still had ice inside the turkey around the neck bone.

In Cold Water

Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound

- 4 to 12 pounds 2 to 6 hours
- 12 to 16 pounds 6 to 8 hours
- 16 to 20 pounds 8 to 10 hours
- 20 to 24 pounds 10 to 12 hours

Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

Concerns/Notes:

When carving the turkey if it appears pink Don't panic, this is normal. The smoking process causes a chemical change in turkey that causes it to turn pink. Just make sure the lowest reading throughout the turkey reads 165°F.
This was a 12.4 lb bird and took almost 34 minutes per/lb at 230 - 240°F, I was at exactly 4 hours into the cook when I reached 140°F, next cook I will maintain 250- 260°F until it is out of the "danger zone", this was too close for comfort.
Keep the turkey refrigerated or in iced brine until ready to cook, do not bring up to room temperature before smoking.
Watch temps closely, the bird needs to be above 140°F in under 4 hours, bump up the temps until you are above the "Danger Zone".
The turkey turned out great, It had good flavor and was moist throughout, the dark meat was exceptional.
Compared to an Oven Roasted turkey and my "Keg Roasted Turkey" the smoked turkey wins over the Oven Roasted but not the Keg Roasted turkey, but in all fairness the turkey was 11 months old and was an enhanced bird so I did not have the option of brining. I will follow this up with a fresh bird next time. However the skin was much better on the smoked turkey than the Keg Roasted Turkey,
The gravy was good but needs work, I think next time I will saute or brown some of the ingredients before adding to the drip pan and use fresh diced apples in place of apple sauce. The sauce was much better the next day, after removing the grease.
Many will say you can not get a crisp skin smoking with low heat, I had no problem getting a crispy skin and this bird was smoked sitting in liquids.


Spices used for the slather and Gravy	Fresh Sage, smoked garlic, green onions, white onion, applesauce and various spices.	Bird ready to go, can half full with Killians and spices as pictured with a large sprig of fresh sage and smoked garlic.

Cherry wood smoke. Note the removed grate, the pan is sitting directly on the reverse flow plate.	Foiled Wings, starting to get dark	Foiled breast when thigh reached 150°F

Removed all foil at 155°F and brushed with honey	Pulled when thigh reached 160°F	Rested, wrapped in foil and towels for 30 minutes and ready to carve.

schaydu · Sep 27, 2012

Also S2K9K thanks for posting those links, thats exactly what i was looking for.

sleepercaprice1 · Sep 27, 2012

I've smoked store bought turkeys and they have been a big hit with the family. This year, I got lucky and shot a wild turkey. Has anyone smoked a wild bird? Do I need to treat it any different than a store bought?

schaydu · Oct 1, 2012

SQWIB I dont know I did not see your post to begin with but that is awesome!! The post was very helpful and insightful!!!!!

Help with smoked turkey.

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