smoking turkey

I don't know how Hot that Smoker gets but if you can't run a steady 325*F the 20 Lb birds will not get out of the 40-140*F Danger Zone in the recommended 4 hours. You would need to Spatchcock them, remove the Backbones and lay them flat to increase surface area and expose more of the birds to the heat...JJ

As far as Tips go, Brine those big guys for two days then drain and place them on racks over drip pans to let the Skin dry for 24 hours before mixing a Rub with Butter or Bacon Grease and rubbing it on and under the Skin. Never Stuff a bird you plan to smoke! Below is my recipes for Poultry Brine and Rub. Congrats on the new Smoker and Good Luck...JJ

Families Favorite Brine

1/2C Kosher Salt

2T Paprika

2T Gran. Garlic

2T Gran. Onion

2T Dry Thyme

2T Black Pepper

1C Vinegar (Any)

1-11/2Gal Cold Water to cover Chix

1/2C Brown Sugar, Optional

1T Red Pepper Flake Optional

Mix well and Soak the Bird over night or up to 24 Hours.

Remove the Chix, rinse if desired and pat dry with paper towels.

Place in an open container in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours for the Skin to dry.

This will give a crispier skin when Smokng or Roasting...

Bubba Chix Rub

1/2C Raw Sugar

2T Paprika (I use Smoked if I'm just Grilling)

1T Cayenne

1T Gran. Garlic

1T Gran. Onion

1tsp Black Pepper

1tsp Wht Pepper

1tsp Allspice

1tsp Bell's Poultry Seasoning or Thyme

Mix well and rub on Oil or Butter coated Chicken.

Reduce Cayenne to 1teaspoon if less heat is desired.

Hello Smokyjo! That looks like an MES model number but not sure, what brand/kind is it? Like Chef Jimmy said, if you can't get to 325* with birds that big, you are asking for trouble.

I see this is your first post, how about heading over to Roll Call  and introducing yourself? Thanks!

SmokinHusker said:

Hello Smokyjo! That looks like an MES model number but not sure, what brand/kind is it? Like Chef Jimmy said, if you can't get to 325* with birds that big, you are asking for trouble.

I see this is your first post, how about heading over to Roll Call  and introducing yourself? Thanks!

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Alesia, That model number is for a Masterbuilt Gasser...JJ

One thing I can tell you is "don't trust the built in door thermometer". They are notorious for being inaccurate. Best investment you can make is in something like the Maverick ET-732 digital w/remote.

smokyjo said:

I am just learning how to use this site so forgive me if I am sending duplicate messages.


My wife bought the smoker from sears, the model number I gave may be their model number. Anyway, I have a masterbuilt 30" vertical smoker. I'm not sure how steady the tempature is since this is my first time using it, any suggestions on how to test to see how it holds the temp and for how long?


The recipe sounds great I will use it for sure. I'm just wondering if I smoke 1 20 lb turkey instead of 2 would that be okay. I'm assuming the problems is with smoking 2 birds at once. What if I smoke smaller turkeys, say 15lbs each would that make a difference.

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From what I have read you are better off smoking 2 10 pounders rather than 1 20 pounder.


Sent from my iPhone using voodoo and smoke signals.

Jo, the problem isn't how big or how many Turkeys you cook but," How Hot does the Smoker get? " Many guys here have smokers that will cruise happily at 225-250*F but can't get much higher. I am one of them. My MES Electric won't go over 275*F so smoking a " Whole " bird over 14lbs is risky because it won't get over 140*F internally in under 4 hours. I can go 16lb, 18lb or even 20lb and as many as I want " if " I spatchcock them as described above. The added surface area allows the lower heat to do it's job quickly enough.  Now if you can get that smoker over 300*F, 325*F being optimal...You can smoke as many 20lbs as it will fit because at these higher temps your smoker is just a Big Oven that happens to make smoke. So smoke them big boys whole if you can get hot enough...or...Spatchcock them...or...Go with smaller birds. The choice is yours and is based on what temp you can or want to smoke at...JJ

My Smoke Hollow will go over 350, but I still try to limit turkey to 14 pounds. I prefer the 11 or 12 pounders, but this year only found 1 at that weight. Been getting turkeys at 48 cents a pound but they all seem to start at 14 pounds, so 14 and a half is average. Shopping the deals I have 4 turkeys at 48 cents a pound and will probably get 2 or 3 more hehehe....

For your first turkey, READ EVERYTHING ON HERE about smoking a turkey. I keep notes from everything I smoke so I don't have to rember how long stuff took (at 60, my rememberer doesn't always work right).

And start that bird at LEAST an hour ahead of what you believe to be the time you need to get it done. They can come out of the smoker, get wrapped in foil and dropped into a cooler which is then completely filled with towels so there's no air space. It will stay so hot you can't touch it for over an hour EASILY and I've had them hold for 3 hours with no issues at all. So if it gets done an hour early that's no big deal. Even 2 hours really isn't a big deal. My notes tell me the last 14.5 pound turkey took 4 hours and 40 minutes running the smoker between 325 and 350 (mostly 325... I noted temp readings every so often) So I'll plan on having this bird in there somewhere between 5 and a half  and 6 hours before before serviing time.

The time it spends sitting all wrapped up in a cooler, resting, is when I make mashed potatoes, gravy, throw a salad together, make vegetables, and stuff like that.

Also... YOU HAVE TIME before T-day. Get a 5 to 6 pound roasting chicken and run that smoker through its paces BEFORE thanksgiving. Practice brining, and then roast a whole chicken. Doesn't take that long and the experience you get will be extremely valuable. After that... a turkey is just a big chicken.

Brine for a 5 pound roaster is only about a quart if you drop it into a gallon freezer bag and brine it in that.