Test Turkey

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meowey

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Jul 16, 2006
3,270
63
Northern NY (Adirondacks)
Well Folks,

I decided that it was time to do a turkey test. 9 lb bird was brined for about 16 hours. (2 G water, 1 cup salt, 1 cup lawrys salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup mixed peppercorns, couple shots hot sauce) I figure it's a 4 hour smoke. Smoking at 225-240 for 3 hours. Will raise smoker temp last hour to 325 to crisp skin. Am spraying with the apple juice / bourbon mix to enhance color. One probe in thigh and one in breast.

Hour 1
hour1testturkeyan9.jpg


Will post more pics later.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey
 
i am doing a chicken as i type. a glazing of pure maple syrup and butter in the last 2 hours gives it that sweet kick to go with the salt and it keeps the skin brown and moist
 
Meowey

Looks really good...was that a turkey that had a %solution added to it already or was it one with minimal processing???...I'm asking because ,I really wouldn't want to get it too salty tasting if I brined one..

Thanks
Later
Richard
 
Looking good Meowey, as per your usual :)

I am interested in the internal temps. Where was the thigh temp at when the breast temp was where you wanted it?

Going to smoke a 12#r for everyone on Thanksgiving and still putting the game plan together. Was going to put thigh probe to the inside of the bone but looks like you placed yours on the outside of the bone. Did that work OK?

Thanks!!!!!
 
Vulcan,

It is a butterball w/ 7% solution. I'm interested also in how salty it is.

Illini,

I took a guess with the probe in the thigh. The thigh started to pick up heat quicker than the breast. The breast has caught up and passed. I a keeping a log of temps that I will post for you after dinner.

Meowey
 
Well, here are the final pics.

Finished Bird
testbirddonepf1.jpg


Sliced and Ready!
birdreadytoeatcv8.jpg



My reaction is that this was the most juicy bird I have ever done. (1st brine ever) The taste was out of this world incredible. I used hickory for the smoke.

Vulcan

As far as the concern about the salt taste, it was pleasntly salty. This was a 7% solution bird and a test smoke to perfect the proceedure for Thanksgiving. For the next one I will probably reduce the salt a little, but will still brine to get the other flavors into the meat.

Illini

The following chart shows the temps of the thigh and breast over the time of the smoke.

chartvi9.jpg


Interesting!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey
 
That looks wonderful!

Talk about above and beyond the call, the temp chart was fabulous. How many points did you plot :roll:

Hope the Turkey day bird turns out as well

Thanks!

Edit: Oh, I went back and looked 18-points
 
Meowey;
I am so full of food, can hardly reach the keyboard.
Wanted to thank you for the temp chart again.
I printed it out and referenced my smoke to yours and the time-vs- temps was within 10 minutes. :?
Was the juciest and best turkey ever! It was not picture worthy as the skin was real dark. Next time will cut down on the chips I guess.
The meat was NOT oversmoked. I basted the bird 3 times with EVOO and wonder if this contributed to the dark color?
 
Illini,

You are most welcome. Yesterday's bird had the thigh probe on the inside of the bone. It was consistently higher than the probe in the breast. When the breast finished at 165, the thigh was at 172. Sorry, no chart. Too full to think!

My birds were very brown because of the ol' vaporized blue bourbon spray.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey
 
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