NEWBIE - "2" 9lb Turkey Breasts "Bone In"- any suggestions

[chickenlip5]

Howdy all!

I'm getting ready to smoke a couple 9lb turkey breasts.  I'm lost on smoking turkey.  I have a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker that I've used on Brisket and Tri-tip (both came out awesome).  

Temps in Austin, TX will get down to 48 deg tonight.  

We are planning on eating tomorrow at 2 p.m.

I'm planning on injecting the breasts with Butter Creole seasoning and then rubbing the breasts down with butter, rosemary, and garlic.

I'll be smoking them with Hickory chips

Here's my questions...

1)  Should I cook these in a pan or straight on the grate

2)  The breasts have part of the wing & neck... should I trim them so they just have the breast

3)  The breast is on the bone... should I leave it or de-bone it.

4)  What type of mixture should I put in the "water pan"... plain water or apple cider vinegar.

5)  What temp should I cook at

6)  How long should I plan on cooking (knowing full well this varies... just looking for an average)

7)  How long should I plan on keeping the smoke flowing

Thanks for your help... just trying to make these as tasty as possible.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I learned that, especially for the first time around, KISS method is best.

I haven't injected birds (or anything else) with marinade for years. It's a texture thing...the injection sites become a cavity from forcing the liquid into muscle and they tend to get mushy. I'm not saying you shouldn't inject...just that I don't.

I would keep them intact and bone-in...bone adds flavor when cooking...also helps to avoid having to tie them up to keep their shape.

Open grates for smoking, smoke hot & fast with temps @ 275* (I believe that's as hot as the MES will get). Birds don't benefit from low & slow smoking, unless they're tough old birds, or you want extra heavy smoke flavor.

Water in the pan would be fine, but any liquid in the water pan will reduce the temp potential due to water evaporation cooling it's environment. You may not see over 250* with water in the pan...lose the water and temps will climb if running too low. Contrary to popular belief, water in the smoker does not keep meat moist...just the opposite...the only benefit is that you get more smoke adhesion to the meat with higher humidity...stronger smoke flavor when hot smoking. If you go dry, just put a layer of foil over the pan to catch the drippings so they don't scorch and make your bird taste like it was roasted instead of smoked. Clean-up is much easier as well.

If you can get 275* out of the MES, plan on approx 25 minutes/lb...not total weight of all pieces, that is per piece (may take more or less depending on smoker and conditions). Measure the internal temperature and cook to a minimum of 165*F per USDA for poultry. Check internal temps an hour or so before expected total cooking time if not using a "leave-in" meat probe...you don't want to overcook them (too high finished internal temp)...that's what a dry bird comes from.

Don't forget that your smoker will take some time to reach stable temps after adding a bunch of cold meat. When the thermal absorption on the surface of the meat slows down temps will climb...the bigger the pieces and/or the more of them you add the longer this takes. I've had smokers take over an hour to stabilize when adding a boat-load of meat at the same time. Just let it ride and all will be well. Being you're adding 18lbs to the smoker, probably figure on adding an extra 30 minutes to the cooking time, just for a bit of cushion on your finished time. If they're done early, I've put birds into a pre-heated crock-pot on low/warm to hold until ready for carving (don't carve until ready to dine...they'll dry out with exposure to air due to evaporation of water from the warm meat...all meat does).

Eric

 

[chickenlip5]

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the message!  Sounds good.  I need to confirm my MES will get to 275.  

How long should I keep the smoke flowing?

Does it make sense to pre-heat the smoker, then open it to put the meat in?

Thanks!

Jim

 

[hardcookin]

Eric is spot on.
Get your MES up to temp then throw your breasts on.
Important thing is don't over cook them.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

From what I've heard about the MES one chip loader tube should be about enough smoke. Smoking at higher temps reduces the smoke flavor somewhat, so they're harder to over-smoke. But if you get smoke for 2 to 2.5hrs will probably be a good amount of flavor. Birds don't need a lot of smoke flavor anyway, as they have a far milder flavor than beef, pork shoulder, etc.

Definitely preheat the smoker, as temps will crash for a while after adding the food. This allows your smoke to get rolling and mellow out a bit, too...it likely starts out white and bit heavier, then thins out and turns blue (if working relatively well). I start out with a cold smoker a lot, depending on what I'm doing and the results I'm looking for, but it's not considered a standard practice. You have to add cooking time due to cold start-up, and the smoke will be heavier once it gets rolling, which adds more smoke flavor to the meat due to the surface of the meat still being cold when the smoke hits it. Probably considered more of an advanced smoking method, but not difficult...just gotta start the smoke that much earlier if you're on a time-frame.

Eric

 

[chickenlip5]

Got it..., I think :)

I'll start the MES, crank it to 275*, load the chips, wait for it to get to temp, then open, put the breasts in, and keep the smoke flowing for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Once the smoke stops, I'll wait till we hit 165* internal temp and let the birds rest till we eat.

Can't wait!  I'll let you know how it goes and if I can figure out how to put pics on here, I'll place them.

Thanks again for the advice.  I appreciate it!!!

Jim

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Yep, you got it...you'll do fine, and those turkey breasts will be a big hit!!!

You're welcome for the help...happy to be of assistance.

PM me if you need help with posting pics...it's easy once you do it a couple times.

Eric

 

[newbie smoker 1]

Do I'm doing 2 10lb turkeys- what temp and how long for 2 birds? Same MES smoker

 

[chickenlip5]

Here's the pics... hope they show up.  Turns out the smoked turkey breasts took about 1 less than the calculated time.  I'm going to invest in a better probe thermometer... the one on the MES isn't accurate enough.

Thanks for your help!  It was a hit.

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• chickenlip5
• Nov 25, 2016

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• chickenlip5
• Nov 25, 2016

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• chickenlip5
• Nov 25, 2016

 

[forluvofsmoke]

NICE!!! Sounds like you learned a few things along the way, so, next round should be a snap.

Eric