We got a 14 lb frozen butter ball turkey after buying groceries at Winco. I have been wanting to try and smoke and then cook a bird.
1) We thawed it out for 2 days in the fridge.
2) Last night I broke it open and was able to get the sack of gizards out. The neck was still pretty frozen in the center. I went ahead and put my brine together which included a cup of salt, oranges, onions, lemons, garlic, thyme, pepper, parsley leaves, and water. Put it all in a big pot and stuck it outside (it was 25F last night).
3) This morning I got up early and fired up the cold smoker, with a temp setting of 150F and started the amazen smoke tray with apple dust. Took the bird (neck was easy to pull out) and stuffed it with the oranges, onions, lemons, and garlic. Then tied him him so that his legs and wings are snug up against his body and hung him in the cold smoker. Letting it go all day today while I am at work so that be from 7:30 AM to about 3:30 PM.
4) As soon as I get home was going to pull the bird out and put him in the oven at 325F with bacon draped all over him. Was going to put a meat thermometer in the breast and pull it out once getting to 175F on internal temperature.
Guess I will be the guinea pig. This bird will not be for thanksgiving, we were just going to carve it up and use the meat for meals in the coming week.
1) We thawed it out for 2 days in the fridge.
2) Last night I broke it open and was able to get the sack of gizards out. The neck was still pretty frozen in the center. I went ahead and put my brine together which included a cup of salt, oranges, onions, lemons, garlic, thyme, pepper, parsley leaves, and water. Put it all in a big pot and stuck it outside (it was 25F last night).
3) This morning I got up early and fired up the cold smoker, with a temp setting of 150F and started the amazen smoke tray with apple dust. Took the bird (neck was easy to pull out) and stuffed it with the oranges, onions, lemons, and garlic. Then tied him him so that his legs and wings are snug up against his body and hung him in the cold smoker. Letting it go all day today while I am at work so that be from 7:30 AM to about 3:30 PM.
4) As soon as I get home was going to pull the bird out and put him in the oven at 325F with bacon draped all over him. Was going to put a meat thermometer in the breast and pull it out once getting to 175F on internal temperature.
Guess I will be the guinea pig. This bird will not be for thanksgiving, we were just going to carve it up and use the meat for meals in the coming week.
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