Are you going by the make-shift stock thermometer for smoke chamber temps? They're worthless, until you can verify temps with a fryer thermo or digital probe and make marks for approx temps in 20-25* increments. Also, cook to temp, not by time. You need to know that the bird was at least 165* (USDA minimum recommended temp for poultry) as verified by an accurate direct-read or digital probe thermometer in the breast and thighs before pulling it to rest and slice. Any bird larger than 12lb is pushing it in most smokers, as they're difficult to get from 40-140* in 4hrs @ typical smoke chamber temps of 225-250*, and need to smoke @ closer to 300* to be safe (most turkeys are injected with broth solution, so must be handled as compromised muscle meats). Lastly, don't stuff a bird you will be smoking...takes too long to heat all the way through in a safe amount of time at the lower cooking chamber temps.
Hope you can take another crack it soon...smoked turkey is great when you get it finished to around ~170*...juicy and delicious!
As for the butt, 225-250* chamber temp until 200* internal temp...again, cook to temp, not time. If boneless or if you injected it with marinade, the 40-0140*/4hr guideline comes into play again. If that's the case, higher smoke chamber temps should be used.
Regardless, if larger cuts are being smoked, don't probe for temps until at least 2 hours into the smoke, so you don't shove any surface bacteria into the meat with the probe (not bacteria from the probe, but from the meat's surface...probe should be sterile as well).
BTW, please drop by
ROLL CALL forum so we can properly welcome you to the SMF family.
Eric
