Brined Thanksgiving Turkey

[texastiger]

Today's smoker product was a success, if you measure by compliments and minimal leftovers. I brined a 12-lb bird with the following:
2 gal. water,
1.5 cups canning salt,
3 cloves of minced garlic,
2 tablespoons ground black pepper,
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce,
1/3 cup brown sugar.
I let it soak for about 15 hours. Before putting the bird on the smoker I cut an apple in half and placed it inside the cavity. I didn't inject or rub - I just put the bird on the smoker: MES30 with AMNPS. I used oak pellets for the smoke. I set the temp on 275, as high as it would go. The IT was over 160 in about 4-1/2 hours. Since it got to 165 a little faster than I expected, I let it stay until 170 before pulling it just to be safe.

The result was outstanding. As I was carving the smoked turkey I let a guest or 2 sample it. Before long, the house was buzzing and the whole crowd was picking it off the plate as fast as I could carve it. I have to say, it was one of the tastiest birds I've eaten in a long time.
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[xf7spguy]

That's awesome I'm doing mine in the morning on a mes30 also I am new to this forum you said you use pellets I didn't know u could use pellets in that smoker do they burn better that's the wood chips and where do you get these pellets also what is a amnps

 

[texastiger]

Welcome to the forum! The pellets are specifically for the "AMNPS",  a device from A-Maze-N Products that produces great smoke in an electric smoker as an after-market accessory. Google AMazeN Products and you'll see a couple of them. I have the 5X8 pellet/dust variety, so I can burn either A-Maze-N pellets or dust. I like the pellets, they are really easy to deal with. The chip loader that comes with the MES30 works just great, and produces good smoke. I find that the AMazeN Products smoke generator gives me more smoke longer, and it's a really "good" smoke - always thin blue smoke from it. And the AMazeN Products smoke generator will produce smoke for a lot longer than the standard chip loader. You just load the pellets (or dust) into the tray, light it with a propane torch, set it inside the smoker where it can get some air flow (I put mine one the bottom rack near the chip loader and use the chip loader like an air damper). 

I really like the MES30, especially for the money, and it works great without the AMNPS, but in my humble opinion, the AMNPS is the perfect compliment to make the MES another notch better. You might think about getting an AMazeN Products pellet/dust smoker: http://www.amazenproducts.com/

I'm sure you'll have a great smoke tomorrow! Are you brining the turkey? I just started doing that and I really like the added flavor and moisture. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[foamheart]

You need an aux. smoke generator. You can't use pellets in your tray. The generators most of us use and the pellets are located :

http://www.amazenproducts.com/default.asp

He's actually having a sale that will end tomorrow night I think. 

 

[xf7spguy]

Thanks foam do these just replace the tray I went to the website how do they work do u just lay it in the smoker where the old tray lays

 

[geerock]

Actually you can use pellets in the mes tray. They burn pretty quick, though, so if you make a long thin foil pouch of pellets and leave the ends open (about a 1/2 inch hole each end) they last a good amount if time for about a quarter to half a cup. You can also use small chunks instead of chips. They last longer than chips and have better flavor than bone dry chips.

 

[xf7spguy]

Thanks geerock