Thanksgiving turkey breast

kmhicks

Newbie

Original poster

Nov 25, 2015

24

10

Central Illinois

• Nov 26, 2015

• #1

Just smoked my first ever turkey breast. Turned out way better than I ever dreamed. Can honesty say it is the most tender, juicy turkey I've ever carved.

Brined for 36-40 hours. Devised a rub of brown sugar, onion, garlic, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, and sage. In the smoker for about 6 1/2 hours at 225-235. Used a mix of hickory and mesquite chips. Flavor is great!

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• kmhicks
• Nov 26, 2015

 

kmhicks

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Nov 25, 2015

24

10

Central Illinois

• Nov 26, 2015

• #2

Guess my question to everyone (anyone) would be about color. I didn't get the dark color on the outside of the bird that I'd have liked. And honestly have no idea why

 

Last edited: Nov 26, 2015

hardcookin

Master of the Pit

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Aug 13, 2015

2,269

696

Northeast

• Nov 26, 2015

• #3

I usually smoke my turkey @ 300 degrees on a stickburner. The turkey usually has good color.
You didn't mention what you was smoking on.

 

kmhicks

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Nov 25, 2015

24

10

Central Illinois

• Nov 26, 2015

• #4

I have a charbroil upright propane burner. Works great mostly. Can't get over about 250 though if I'm using water in the pan, which I always do to keep things from drying out

 

foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Apr 4, 2013

11,236

3,319

South Louisiana, on the Mississippi River

• Nov 26, 2015

• #5

just a thought, you used two hard smoke woods. Hickory and Mesquite is about as tuff as you can get, normally these are reserved for long smokes.

Next time you do a smoke try a lighter wood. Pecan has good color and is about mid road IMHO.

You can drop to the fruits and nuts woods they are mostly lighter smokes.

Not knowing your smoker, you might also have had all the vents wide open and lost a lot of your smoke on a short smoke, or was your breast dry when you started smoking? did it stay wet? Wet is not conducive to got color or smoke taste and just might have saved your meal by not over smoking the bird.

Any number of thinks could have happened these are only a few. I am guessing probably the later. Remember smoke can not catch, permeate or hold on water too well.

Just my first thoughts.

 

Last edited: Nov 26, 2015

hardcookin

Master of the Pit

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Aug 13, 2015

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Northeast

• Nov 26, 2015

• #6

I have never used that type of smoker. Not sure if the water pan has anything to do with it. Usually to get my skin to crisp up I cook at higher temp.
As long as the chicken had good flavor and was moist I wouldn't be to concerned.
Hopefully someone will better answer your question.

 

kmhicks

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Nov 25, 2015

24

10

Central Illinois

• Nov 27, 2015

• #7

Thanks everyone. I'm guessing in retrospect I should have let the skin air dry in the fridge overnight probably. Didn't even think of that. I patted the skin dry before coating with olive oil and rubbing the bird, but probably still had a lot of moisture soaked into the skin. As to my wood choice, I've had great luck with the woods I used on almost everything. I will be getting some fruit woods probably in the future, apple especially.

As to temps, this smoker will not get above about 250 on its best day if have any liquid in the water pan at all. Which for most smokes I do works fine. Wonder if maybe I should have let the pan go dry for half an hour to an hour maybe? 2 would have brought my temp up to about 350 that way. I do that when doing pork to get a better color on the meat.

 

Last edited: Nov 27, 2015

smokerudrink

Newbie

May 14, 2013

14

10

Louisville Ky

• Dec 2, 2015

• #8

The day before Thanksgiving I smoked some wings and a T breast to get in the mood.

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• smokerudrink
• Dec 2, 2015

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• smokerudrink
• Dec 2, 2015