Turkey questions from a newbie!

[belair427]

Hi all,
I have been lurking and stealin ideas for a few weeks now but i need help with a few questions on my current project. I have smoked pork, pork, pork and, oh yeah, pork since I got my new smoker a couple of months ago. My family is starting to wonder if anything other than pork can be smoked. Today I relented and decided to give turkey a go. My beautiful bride of 24 years makes a knock your socks off roasted turkey in the oven. Her recipe involves lots of butter and is always very moist.
I am attempting to reproduce the moistness of her dish but to add smoke taste as deply into the bird as possible without drying it out.
The 12 lb. turkey is currently in a brine solution that at midnight tonight will be 10 hours old. I have concluded from my lurking that the skin plays an important part in protecting the bird from drying out.
I had decided that I would inject this critter with a butter, spice mixture after the brining precess is complete but am concerned that piercing the skin while injecting might allow moisture to escape during the 16-18 hours I think it will be in the smoker. What do you all think? Does this sound like a plan or a catastrophie? Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated. I plan to post a Q-view tomorrow if the final product is identifiable!

 

[jminion]

smoke at 325 aprox 20 min a pound, the skin will be much better.
There is not a lot connective tissue in a turkey a long smoke is not need to get prime results.

 

[flash]

For a 12 pound turkey, the cook time will be around 6 hours at 250
degrees. Higher as jminion stated if you eat the skin....which you know is not good for you. LOL Obviously, if you maintain a higher temperature then the
cook time will be less. I would shoot for 160º internal at the Breast and oh yeah, Breast down on the grate if using a vertical smoker.

 

[belair427]

Thanx for the input. Glad I asked, I had read somewhere 1.5 hours per pound at 225 degrees. If I had put it in at Midnight as planned I would have had bad turkey jerkey in the morning. What say you about my injection plan?

 

[pineywoods]

I brine overnight then rinse pat dry and inject the breasts and thighs. Then apply my rub or seasonings. In the smoker breast side up for about an hour or two at 225-250 then I turn it up to about 325 till I hit the internal of 167 in the breasts. I find this gives it longer in the smoke yet still gives me edible skin. I also usually use apple chips for the entire smoke

 

[meat-man]

keep us posted on how it turned out