I know most everyone says to brine the turkey, but I've done it in the past and felt the bird gained nothing from it. This is my preferred method of smoking a turkey, just throwing it out there for another recipe/opinion on how to do it.
I can never taste the brine and it doesn't add anything to the birds I've smoked. I do use an injection of creole butter the night before, injecting it into many small places instead of a couple large to add moisture to the meat (and flavor), and rub it down with Billy Bones BBQ rub. Then, in the morning, I place it breast down on the smoker and then rotate after a couple hours. I have used a mixture of hickory and apple before and it was marvelous. Under the bird, I use a foil tray of apple juice and cloves. Not sure if it adds anything over water, but apple juice is relatively cheap. The bird comes out great. Not dry, not dripping wet, but nice and moist with a delicious bark on the bird from the rub.
The birds I use are typically 12-16 lbs since I have a relatively small smoker. I last smoked one with an offset smoker and a fan blowing over the coals, but this year I will be using an electric smoker. I plan on smoking the bird at around 240 degrees and use applewood/hickory in a pan directly on top of the element with a couple pieces of charcoal. I "start" the smoke process with a propane torch to get the embers going and it takes off from there. Never flames up, just a nice slow ember with a think blue smoke. How long does it take? Not sure, but I will check the bird with my thermometer throughout the process starting at the 2 hour mark every 30 minutes or so. I'm smoking the bird a day early at my wife's request and will heat it in the oven wrapped in foil on Thursday.
I can never taste the brine and it doesn't add anything to the birds I've smoked. I do use an injection of creole butter the night before, injecting it into many small places instead of a couple large to add moisture to the meat (and flavor), and rub it down with Billy Bones BBQ rub. Then, in the morning, I place it breast down on the smoker and then rotate after a couple hours. I have used a mixture of hickory and apple before and it was marvelous. Under the bird, I use a foil tray of apple juice and cloves. Not sure if it adds anything over water, but apple juice is relatively cheap. The bird comes out great. Not dry, not dripping wet, but nice and moist with a delicious bark on the bird from the rub.
The birds I use are typically 12-16 lbs since I have a relatively small smoker. I last smoked one with an offset smoker and a fan blowing over the coals, but this year I will be using an electric smoker. I plan on smoking the bird at around 240 degrees and use applewood/hickory in a pan directly on top of the element with a couple pieces of charcoal. I "start" the smoke process with a propane torch to get the embers going and it takes off from there. Never flames up, just a nice slow ember with a think blue smoke. How long does it take? Not sure, but I will check the bird with my thermometer throughout the process starting at the 2 hour mark every 30 minutes or so. I'm smoking the bird a day early at my wife's request and will heat it in the oven wrapped in foil on Thursday.
