Cold Smoked Turkey

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bigeasy

Newbie
Original poster
Dec 9, 2010
4
10
Can anyone tell me how to cold smoke a turkey. What type of brine ? What kind of temperature ? I have a Big Green Egg and would love to smoke a turkey but not for an immediate meal.

Thanks,

BigEasy
 

alblancher

Master of the Pit
OTBS Member
Mar 6, 2009
4,166
65
Louisiana
You are probably not going to find anyone on this site recommending that you cold smoke a turkey, unless you can smoke it below 40 degrees or have some curing method I am not familiar with.  Poultry in particular spoils very quickly and requires a hot smoke to be safely prepared.  Do a search on this site on "4 hour rule" for an explanation.
 

bigeasy

Newbie
Original poster
Thread starter
Dec 9, 2010
4
10
Thanks Alblancher, that's what I wanted to hear. I read in some blogs to smoke the turkey @ 200 to 240 F and then I read to cold smoke it @ 70 - 90 F but I'm concerned about the 4 hour rule. It sounds like I need to know how to just simply smoke a whole turkey. Instructions and receipe required.

Thanks
 

rbranstner

Smoking Guru
OTBS Member
Oct 18, 2007
5,700
39
West Fargo, ND / Northern MN
Yea I wouldn't recommend cold smoking it because of the whole 4 hour rule that is unless you know what you are doing as far as curing the bird first. If you want to smoke a bird first then eat it later that is no problem. I smoked 9 birds for Thanksgiving the week before and we just reheated them on Thanksgiving in an oven or roaster at a lower heat say around 200-250 covered in foil with some liquid under it and they were all very moist.
 

eman

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
OTBS Member
Feb 3, 2009
5,316
138
Thanks Alblancher, that's what I wanted to hear. I read in some blogs to smoke the turkey @ 200 to 240 F and then I read to cold smoke it @ 70 - 90 F but I'm concerned about the 4 hour rule. It sounds like I need to know how to just simply smoke a whole turkey. Instructions and receipe required.

Thanks
I agree w/ all the others. Can you please give me the location where you read about cold  smoking a turkey ?
 
 

jirodriguez

Master of the Pit
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Jun 5, 2009
4,652
139
Portland, OR
I would hot smoke the turkey as normal, then cut it up and vacuum pack the meat and freeze it. Then any time you want smoked turkey just toss a bag into a pot of almost simmering water to re-heat it.
 
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