I smoked a chicken back in October. For a first effort it came out really well. I left it on just a little bit too long, but the chicken was still moist and juicy and at 164º so it was still tasty and delightful. This was my very first smoking effort. I've watched my Dad do it a lot of times growing up, but never did it myself until Oct.
For Thanksgiving, I followed Jeff's guide for smoking a turkey in a Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker
www.Smoking-Meat.com
I drilled some holes in the lid, used a nut and bolt and some aluminum scrap and made a vent door. I bought a Grill Care heavy duty temp gauge and put it in the lid as well. I then drilled some holes in the charcoal pan.
I cut the bird down the middle into 2 halves the night before and soaked it in a simple salt water brine solution, covered in the fridge overnight. Thanksgiving morning I drained the brine and gave the turkey a simple rub down with pepper and a little bit of salt. I placed my coals in the charcoal pain the night before and the next morning I doused the coals in lighter fluid, boiled a pot of hot water and filled my pan just below the brim and placed one half on the lower rack on the right side and one half on the upper rack on the left side and lit my coals.
I started my turkey at 5:34 am MST yesterday anticipating 8-10 hours of smoke time according to Jeff's article above. I checked things about every 90 minutes and added charcoal (Kingsford) and Hickory chunks (soaked in water overnight) as needed. My temp stayed steady between 175º - 200º, but would spike to 250 - 275º when I added hickory or charcoal. Surprisingly, the bird finished in 7 hrs 6 minutes and 56 seconds. Much faster than I anticipated.
Despite being done earlier than anticipated, the bird tasted excellent. The meat was moist, tender and juicy, but juices were clear and the final temp when I took it off was 163º. This was the first turkey I have ever done.
So my first two smokes have gone very, very well and I'm proud of my success and efforts. I don't know if I'm getting good at this or if this is just beginner's luck.
I had a few pointers from Dad. I tried to use a Maverick ET-733 wireless setup but it was having issues, I think it was defective so I just used the meat thermometer aspect of it to keep track of the bird temp. I'll be sending the Maverick back tomorrow.
When I can afford a new smoker, I have my eyes set on this beauty. Until then, my Brinkmann will have to suffice.
www.bbqguys.com
For Thanksgiving, I followed Jeff's guide for smoking a turkey in a Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker
Smoking Turkey on a Brinkman Water Smoker - Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips
Ok.. smoking turkey on a Brinkmann water smoker may not be your thing but for millions of people it is. And probable half of those million have problems
www.Smoking-Meat.com
I drilled some holes in the lid, used a nut and bolt and some aluminum scrap and made a vent door. I bought a Grill Care heavy duty temp gauge and put it in the lid as well. I then drilled some holes in the charcoal pan.
I cut the bird down the middle into 2 halves the night before and soaked it in a simple salt water brine solution, covered in the fridge overnight. Thanksgiving morning I drained the brine and gave the turkey a simple rub down with pepper and a little bit of salt. I placed my coals in the charcoal pain the night before and the next morning I doused the coals in lighter fluid, boiled a pot of hot water and filled my pan just below the brim and placed one half on the lower rack on the right side and one half on the upper rack on the left side and lit my coals.
I started my turkey at 5:34 am MST yesterday anticipating 8-10 hours of smoke time according to Jeff's article above. I checked things about every 90 minutes and added charcoal (Kingsford) and Hickory chunks (soaked in water overnight) as needed. My temp stayed steady between 175º - 200º, but would spike to 250 - 275º when I added hickory or charcoal. Surprisingly, the bird finished in 7 hrs 6 minutes and 56 seconds. Much faster than I anticipated.
Despite being done earlier than anticipated, the bird tasted excellent. The meat was moist, tender and juicy, but juices were clear and the final temp when I took it off was 163º. This was the first turkey I have ever done.
So my first two smokes have gone very, very well and I'm proud of my success and efforts. I don't know if I'm getting good at this or if this is just beginner's luck.
I had a few pointers from Dad. I tried to use a Maverick ET-733 wireless setup but it was having issues, I think it was defective so I just used the meat thermometer aspect of it to keep track of the bird temp. I'll be sending the Maverick back tomorrow.
When I can afford a new smoker, I have my eyes set on this beauty. Until then, my Brinkmann will have to suffice.
Weber Smokey Mountain Charcoal Smokers | 14/18/22-in : BBQGuys
Save on Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smokers. 14, 18, & 22-in models available. Up to 726 sq. in. of cooking surface. Free shipping from BBQGuys!
www.bbqguys.com
