Yet another turkey help question.

[NoobNoob]

Tis the season right. So, I am smoking a turkey tomorrow. That's right. Not for thanksgiving. We don't host a thanksgiving at our place but I was at the grocery store and they had fresh, never frozen butterball turkeys for $.98/lb which I thought was a pretty good deal. In my mind I was thinking spatchcock, but then I decided that I maybe don't want to smoke the turkey for a meal at all. I'm thinking sandwiches. So I broke the turkey down into quarters and it is in my special brine. Figured quartered it would cook faster than a whole bird even spatchcocked. Now my question - if I'm going to smoke the turkey skin on, should I put all the quarters in the smoker at the same time? I know the wings will get done fairly rapidly and the breasts and legs will take longer. Also, if I'm making sandwiches, it doesn't need to be pulled turkey necessarily, is there an IT I should shoot for? The skin will be removed after cooking I just want it for moisture and flavor. It will be rubbed also. Any advice on this would be great.

 

[zwiller]

When hot smoking poultry I like to take breast to 160F and other parts to 180F. The times I spatched or halved I found the ITs were where I wanted so I don't see any need to stagger start times. I think you would want to go higher for pulled but I wouldn't and would do as above, and just slice up. A smoked turkey sandwich is one of those rare things where the leftovers might be as good or better than when first served.

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I agree I would put them all in the at same time. 160-165 in the breast and other parts at 175-180. Post some pics of your cook and let us know how it turns out!

 

[NoobNoob]

Well I did what you guys suggested and did it all at the same time. Max smoker temp is 250 which might have been a bit low, as it took about 4 hours to hit 160 in the breast. But it is spectacular! These will be the best sandwiches I will ever have had with turkey I can already tell. The pic just shows the moisture glisten...mighty fine. Quick recap I quartered the bird for convenience and fridge space, brined from Tuesday afternoon til today(thurday). Rubbed it with a good chicken and rib rub (lots of paprika) and smoked with about a 70/30 hickory/cherry mix based on advice from a few knowledgable gents in the chat. Cannot tell you how good this tastes. Might turn thanksgiving into a sandwich affair! Thanks all’

 

[tallbm]

Well I did what you guys suggested and did it all at the same time. Max smoker temp is 250 which might have been a bit low, as it took about 4 hours to hit 160 in the breast. But it is spectacular! These will be the best sandwiches I will ever have had with turkey I can already tell. The pic just shows the moisture glisten...mighty fine. Quick recap I quartered the bird for convenience and fridge space, brined from Tuesday afternoon til today(thurday). Rubbed it with a good chicken and rib rub (lots of paprika) and smoked with about a 70/30 hickory/cherry mix based on advice from a few knowledgable gents in the chat. Cannot tell you how good this tastes. Might turn thanksgiving into a sandwich affair! Thanks all’

Hi there and welcome!
Great job! You have basically hit a home run on your first attempt.
If you want to take it over the top, next time add cure #1 to your brine and get ready for the dark meat to have the state fair smoked turkey drumstick flavor and the breast to have another layer of amazing cure flavor.

Keep it up and I look forward to seeing what you smoke next :)

 

[DanMcG]

NIce work Noob, I'm glad it worked out for ya!