I need help to predict the cooking time

[hextejas]

I am going to try my 1st smoked turkey on Monday. My wife, bless her heart got the biggest she could find at 22lbs.

It is 8% infused goodies of some kind and we will brine it about 24 hours.

About how long will it take in my MES (no E) 22" ? I will keep it set at around 225 - 250.

I am thinking that the cook time would be about the same as a MES but what do I know.

thanks

 

[rabbithutch]

I cannot answer your question because I don't keep records of my smokes like I should.

Are you going to spatch it or cook it whole? In my limited experience the spatched bird cooks faster and I think I get better smoke flavor. YMMV

 

[hextejas]

I cannot answer your question because I don't keep records of my smokes like I should.

Are you going to spatch it or cook it whole? In my limited experience the spatched bird cooks faster and I think I get better smoke flavor. YMMV

It's going to be whole. Surely someone has an idea.

 

[heyer5]

You'll probably run an hour for every pound or pound and a half at that temp...I think, from what I've read on here.

So, in other words, I have no idea, so don't take my post as anything worth while!

 

[foamheart]

This is simply to estimate time, its in no way accurate because the only way to insure safe food is to use Internal Temp.

But for guesstimation .......

TEMPERATURES.jpg

• foamheart
• Dec 27, 2013

Hope it helps.

 

[rabbithutch]

Howdy HexTejas!

Sorry I couldn't help. I know that timing is a critical issue in preparing excellent meals. My problem is that I've gotten senile and cannot remember as clearly as I once did.

I seem to recall that someone put together an chart for estimating cooking time for different meats and cuts and posted it here. If I recall correctly (ref. the previous paragraph), it used a constant cooking temp.

Maybe someone with a better memory and/or better search foo than me can guide us to it.

 

[rabbithutch]

Well Dang!

FoamHeart beat me to it!

Well done, my friend! (or "mon ami: as they say in cajun country)

 

[mdboatbum]

Get your smoker temp as high as it'll go. No real need to brine as it's already been injected, but it won't hurt if you're dead set on it. At 225˚ you're probably looking at 10 hours. At 275˚ it should cross the finish line in around 8. At 350˚ you're probably looking at 6-7. All these times are estimates. Cook the turkey until it reaches 165˚ in the deepest part of the breast.

If you can, try to give a day uncovered in the bottom of the fridge to let the skin dry out a little. It'll be less rubbery that way.