So no one in my area had any cure #1. Well due to this I was unable to use Pops brine recipe for my turkey, but I found TQ and a recipe for it.
Recipe gathered from:
http://www.bbq-fyi.com/morton-tender-quick.html
Making a Hammy Turkey - Make a turkey brine of 2 gallons water, 2 cups Tender Quick, and 2 cups brown sugar. Brine the turkey for 3 full days, then rinse the turkey for 2 days, letting it sit in a buckets of fresh, cold water. Replace that water every 12 hours during the 2 day rinse. Dry the turkey off, then smoke it until the thigh reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Morton Tender Quick is also used for curing large cuts, like hams and pork picnics. It's necessary to inject brine into the meat, especially getting it around the joints. This injection process is called "pumping pickle".
So this is what I did. The turkey is sitting in 5 1/2 gallons of brine/cure in a cooler in my fridge. I will be pulling tonight about Midnight and soaking in water. I injected about a quart of pickling juice into the bird itself.
As for the hanging of the bird inside my smoker, I am going to be adding an eye bolt the the center of my lid and then use a meat hook to hang the bird from the eye bolt. I plan on using butcher string to wrap the wings and thighs tight to the cavity and then hook the meat hook through the cavity and out through the back bone giving me a secure hook. I will then line the inside of my smoker with foil to keep anything from getting on the bird as I put it in the smoker and take it out.
I will try to take pics and let everyone know how it turns out. I am taking a much smaller backup bird just in case to throw in a roaster.
