Newbie Needs Step by Step Instructions for Smoking a Turkey in a 30" Masterbuilt Electric

[jarjarchef]

NO WATER in the water pan. Fill it with clean sandbox sand you can get a Home Depot or other such place and cover the sand with heavy duty foil. Put one of those disposable aluminum foil pans under the turkey to catch the drippings. Yes 2-3 shot glasses of chips every  30-45 minutes will work if you do not have or want the AMNPS. But the AMNPS and MES were made for each other. Otherwise you will be adding chips quite frequently and that's ok. Remember Hickory, Mesquite are very strong flavors so if you are using one of those, cut them by adding some fruitwood (apple, peach, cherry etc). 

We have a MES at work and I find that with the water in the pan makes it very humid and will cause issues getting a crisp skin. The use of the playground sand will create a heat mass to help with even cooking. Catching of the drippings is good for gravy. I would add a sliced onion, a couple carrots and a stalk or two of celery to the pan during the smoke. After the smoke while the turkey is resting use the pan drippings and vegetables to make a nice gravy with.

So to brine or not to brine........ It is really a personal choice

Make sure you have an accurate thermometer for chamber and food temps. Our MES is not very accurate for temps.

Temperature to cook at. 225 is traditional low and slow. I start out low and slow till the meat hits 140, then I will turn it up to 300 till the meat hit 165 IT in breast and 175 in the thighs.

Time of cook..... I find that it goes about 45-60 min per pound, but it can vary with each cook.

Let the meat rest for an hour....

Enjoy .........

 

[smokerinfl]

Thank you everyone for your feedback!

I was at the supermarket last night and they had some smaller (frozen) turkeys on sale for 59 cents per pound.  I went ahead and picked up a 10 pounder that will be my test subject this Saturday afternoon. :)

I know it already has the additives (8%) so I'll probably cut back on the salt in the brining as others have suggested.

I actually wish I could start smoking it early on Saturday but unfortunately, I won't be home until about 2 pm.  

Here's to a good start!!!! 

 

[mike johnson]

remember to post pics :)

 

[smokerinfl]

Will do... A few more quick questions everyone...

Should I put the bird in a foil roasting pan?  Or, should I just sit it right on the racks?

For a 10 pound bird, I am thinking it will take about 6 hours, is this correct?  Would adding any other meats to the smoker increase my cooking time? 

 

[jarjarchef]

On the rack with the foil pan on the rack below to catch the drippings for gravy....

More meat should not make it take longer, but it will effect the air flow.

 

[thsmormonsmokes]

I agree with this statement but if you like stuff really smoky like I do low and slow allows more smoke. I do jack the temps at the end to crisp up the skin or flame crispen the skin with a torch. The latter is my new trick that I almost always do with whole birds of all kinds now. I'm always afraid to dry out that breast meat.

On the subject of not drying out the breast meat, don't rely on those plastic pop-up thermos the birds come with.  I made that mistake last weekend, and I think it brought the IT to 183 before it popped.  The white meat was drier than I wanted it to be.  Lesson learned.

Do you just use one of those attachments to go on the top of a camp propane tank?  I've read that before on the forum and want to try it out this year.  Does propane just burn clean enough that you don't have to worry about it making the skin taste gross?

 

[fpnmf]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/99200/first-turkey

Slaughterhouse Poultry Brine By Tip Piper of Hillbilly Vittles

1 ½ Gal Water

½ C Salt - Kosher

½ C Dark Brown Sugar

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Onion Powder

2 tsp Cajun Spice (Louisiana Cajun Seasoning)

2 tsp Celery Seed

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/tips-slaughterhouse-recipes-for-poultry

 

[smokerinfl]

Hi All,

Just wanted to post an update here.  This was my "trial run" that I did this weekend.  Previously frozen 10 pounder.  Brined for about 12 hours in a simple salt, spice, and apple vinegar solution.  I did cut down on the salt since it was previously frozen.  Rubbed with a simple mustard, old bay, spice mix.

I used cherry wood chips and cooked it for about 5 hours with the temp set between 220 - 240.  I started out at 240 but cut it back since it seemed to be cooking too fast.  I cranked up the MES to about 275 for about 20 minutes at the end to crisp the skin a little...

photo (11).JPG

• smokerinfl
• Nov 19, 2012

I just bought a 12 pound bird today for Thanksgiving... Figured I would try something a little different this time around so I am open to more suggestions...

Thanks again everyone for the advice!

 

[kryinggame]

Hi  Ted  My Names'  Kathleen and I'm a smokeaholic

Kathleen, I've been trying to get treatment for my smoke-aholic addiction.

Regretably, it's gotten worse.

My girlfriend contributed to my addiction by buying me a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker.

Now, I spend my weekends in the back yard smoking up everything that I can find.

Pray for me.

 

[smokerinfl]

By the way, does anyone have a preference of Cherry Wood or Apple Wood?

 

[sparkypyro]

I like a 50/50 apple/pecan mix.


Sent from my iPhone using voodoo and smoke signals.

 

[timberjet]

yep, you won't taste any propane.

 

[timberjet]

that was in reference to someones question about propane torches.

 

[timberjet]

Hi All,

Just wanted to post an update here.  This was my "trial run" that I did this weekend.  Previously frozen 10 pounder.  Brined for about 12 hours in a simple salt, spice, and apple vinegar solution.  I did cut down on the salt since it was previously frozen.  Rubbed with a simple mustard, old bay, spice mix.

I used cherry wood chips and cooked it for about 5 hours with the temp set between 220 - 240.  I started out at 240 but cut it back since it seemed to be cooking too fast.  I cranked up the MES to about 275 for about 20 minutes at the end to crisp the skin a little...

photo (11).JPG

• smokerinfl
• Nov 19, 2012

I just bought a 12 pound bird today for Thanksgiving... Figured I would try something a little different this time around so I am open to more suggestions...

Thanks again everyone for the advice!

Pretty awsome looking bird there! How did it taste?

 

[smokerinfl]

Thanks.  It was actually really tasty for my first try.  The white meat was a little drier than what I preferred but I can't complain...

 

[smokerinfl]

By the way, I know some people who spray the turkey every hour or so with olive oil.  Does anyone know if Olive Oil Cooking Spray (Pam) would have the same effect?

 

[rodel]

I don't like sprays - they have an 'off' aroma to me.  You can get a olive oil sprayer - put in your real olive oil, pump it, and then the pressure forces it out like a spray.

That was a nice looking bird!

 

[vwdubfreak]

How are you guys running the temp higher then 225? my MES 30 only has settings for 225...I've gotten spikes higher then that but as actual settings go thats all I have.

 

[smokinhusker]

How are you guys running the temp higher then 225? my MES 30 only has settings for 225...I've gotten spikes higher then that but as actual settings go thats all I have.

Your MES 30 only has a setting up to 225*? Are you sure you don't mean 275*. 100* - 275* is the normal for all of the MES's.

 

[vwdubfreak]

oop's yes...275, 5th cup of coffee hasn't kicked in.