Turkey Smoke Per Pound?

[eabrego67]

Newbie here...

I have a 22# Turkey that I will wet brine for about 20 hours. I will smoke/grill it on a Pit Boss 700Fb. From what I have read, turkey can smoke anywhere from 15-30 minutes per pound. That is a huge window when trying to time everything for Thanksgiving.

Anybody have any advice or more accurate cooking times, please?

Thanks,
EA

 

[indaswamp]

For a bird that big, it would be best to spatchcock it. This simply means removing the backbone and spreading the bird out flat (leave the breast bone in). The bird will cook faster and more evenly. Best to cook to temp. and not time. use a good digital probe thermometer and cook the bird to 165*, then pull and tent with foil for 30~45 minutes.

 

[jcam222]

Time will depend heavily on your cooking temp. They say 240ish will be 30 to 40 minutes a lb. while 325 is closer to 15 minutes per lb. with a bird that big the higger temp will still get you plenty of smoke.

 

[chef jimmyj]

^^^^^ Yep, this.^^^^^...JJ

 

[eabrego67]

For a bird that big, it would be best to spatchcock it. This simply means removing the backbone and spreading the bird out flat (leave the breast bone in). The bird will cook faster and more evenly. Best to cook to temp. and not time. use a good digital probe thermometer and cook the bird to 165*, then pull and tent with foil for 30~45 minutes.

Thanks for the advice, i have given spatchcocking some thought.

 

[eabrego67]

Time will depend heavily on your cooking temp. They say 240ish will be 30 to 40 minutes a lb. while 325 is closer to 15 minutes per lb. with a bird that big the higger temp will still get you plenty of smoke.

Thanks for the reply, do you think at the higher temp it will stay moist?

 

[tallbm]

Newbie here...

I have a 22# Turkey that I will wet brine for about 20 hours. I will smoke/grill it on a Pit Boss 700Fb. From what I have read, turkey can smoke anywhere from 15-30 minutes per pound. That is a huge window when trying to time everything for Thanksgiving.

Anybody have any advice or more accurate cooking times, please?

Thanks,
EA

Hi there and welcome!
See here for some time charts of 250F cooking temp and 325F cooking temp to get an idea where you may land.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/any-chance-at-a-turkey-cook-time-sticky-post.281619/

At higher temps you should not have an issue with juiciness with your brined bird.
Actually a higher temp like 325F is preferred so the skin behaves better. If you go under 300F temp you are likely to get leathery skin because of how poultry skin acts with heat.

I hope this helps :)

 

[chef jimmyj]

Juicy poultry is a function of the Finished Temp or Internal Temp you cook to. 225 or 325°F, you get a juicy bird when the breast hits 155°F and the legs are 165+. Cook the breast any higher, at any temp, and you can end up with dry meat...JJ

 

[eabrego67]

Hi there and welcome!
See here for some time charts of 250F cooking temp and 325F cooking temp to get an idea where you may land.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/any-chance-at-a-turkey-cook-time-sticky-post.281619/

At higher temps you should not have an issue with juiciness with your brined bird.
Actually a higher temp like 325F is preferred so the skin behaves better. If you go under 300F temp you are likely to get leathery skin because of how poultry skin acts with heat.

I hope this helps :)

Thanks for this it really helps.

 

[eabrego67]

Juicy poultry is a function of the Finished Temp or Internal Temp you cook to. 225 or 325°F, you get a juicy bird when the breast hits 155°F and the legs are 165+. Cook the breast any higher, at any temp, and you can end up with dry meat...JJ

Makes sense, thanks.