Need Some Help on Turkey

[roknrandy]

Ok, now you've got me doing it (boob instead of breast) :)

My second attempt at smoking (the wife is insisting) will be this week. I'm going to try a 9# boob

When I deep fry I normally will soak in a brine for 24 hours, Add heavy rub and then inject and drop into the oil sauna for 3.25 minutes per pound at 360 degrees (I've had good luck with that formula) I've done about 15 of these over the past 4 years.

From what I've read (yes, I've got to much time on my hands) I should keep my smoker side at 225-240 and smoke until the probe hits 170 (carry over should take it to 180). Spray with a liquid of some type (I'll try apple juice) every 30 - 45 minutes and wrap in foil if it gets to brown.

I had read that it may end up taking about estimated cooking time at 1:15/per lb at 250-260??

So this would take mine around 11 – 11.5 hours? I’ll have the probe in the entire time but was wondering if this is in the ball park.

[mook]

First off welcome to the group Rokn.

I think you have it all worked out pretty well. My only suggestion would be to rely more on the temp than the time. If you are doing only a boob and it is brined, your cooking time will be a consideably less than for a whole bird. I like to keep mine somewere between 215 and 235, and pull the bird when the boob is at 165.

[BBQchef33]

rok.. go back in our archives to last october and november and you can find a load of other stuff from last years thanksgiving.. im sure we'll come up with new stuff, but this will give you some old ideas too.

[willkat98]

rok.. go back in our archives to last october and november and you can find a load of other stuff from last years thanksgiving.. im sure we'll come up with new stuff, but this will give you some old ideas too.

Check out the Roadmap thread at the top of this forum.

Secondly, I know you said you did 15 successfully in the fryer with your formula, but are you talking whole turkeys?

If your talking about frying turkey boobs, and your doing 3.25 minutes a pound, your talking a little over 29 minutes. Way to low for a boob in the fryer. Its more like 6-7 minutes a pound on boob only, on anything I've read (or fried)

I know you are talking smoking, but you mentioned the frying aspect that I wanted to clarify.

[BBQchef33]

Correct me if im wrong.. but wasn't the rule 45-50 mins/lb for smoking at 250-260? i try to run no higher than 240-250 and i always estimated 50 mins lbs and added a little. Used the handshake test for doneness. 20lb turkey went for about 16 hours. Im talking whole turkey.. not just boobs.. (only did a boob once..) went by temp, not time.

[roknrandy]

[quote=BBQchef33]rok.. go back in our archives to last october and november and you can find a load of other stuff from last years thanksgiving.. im sure we'll come up with new stuff, but this will give you some old ideas too.

Check out the Roadmap thread at the top of this forum.

Secondly, I know you said you did 15 successfully in the fryer with your formula, but are you talking whole turkeys?

If your talking about frying turkey boobs, and your doing 3.25 minutes a pound, your talking a little over 29 minutes. Way to low for a boob in the fryer. Its more like 6-7 minutes a pound on boob only, on anything I've read (or fried)

I know you are talking smoking, but you mentioned the frying aspect that I wanted to clarify.

Sorry about that Bill, Yes it was whole birds, I've done boobs twice that way but they are a pain in the a$$ because they take so much longer so I stick with the bird instead.

[roknrandy]

And please excuse any screw ups that may occur on a response from me. I'm trying to figure out the different ways to post. :oops:

[kcquer]

Randy, check the tag on your breast. If it says "injected with a solution of....%" it's already brined, additional brining will be at least a waste of effort and over brining can cause problems. http://www.cookshack.com/barbeque_guide/101/Brining101.htm

Good primer on brining here. Thanks to whoever put this link up originally (Bigmista?)

I usually wait until I think stuff is half done before inserting a probe. The metal shield can conduct heat and cook the area around the probe faster than the surrounding areas. Besides the probes go in easier once stuff is at least partially cooked.

[willkat98]

And don't forget:

Inject Inject Inject

Tony C's Creole Butter is good eating in a smoked bird boob

[Neil]

Try injecting with a mixture of 1 stick of melted butter and a cup of dry white wine. Soak a square of cheese cloth big enough to cover the breast and legs in the left over liquid and drape over the breast of the bird. It will continually baste the bird throughout the cook and you won't need to open the grill. Produces the most tender juiciest bird I've ever done.

[BigBelly]

All very sound advice above, no doubt. But, how taking a very simplistic approach to your turkey breast.

Do not brine or inject, try to get the enchanced turkey if you can and save yourself the trouble. Whip up a nice rub recipe or use your favorite bought rub. Fire up the smoker, keep your temps around 215-235. Cook the boob till you reach the internal temp of 170 degrees.

[spicewine]

When I smoke turkey I like to take 2 sticks of butter, 2 shallots, and 4 cloves of garlic. I saute these together on low heat until the flavors infuse the butter. Then I let it cool a bit, strain and inject into a very cold bird. The butter gets solid when it hits the cold meat and will not re-melt until the internal temp. reaches melting temp. Self bastes , is a very juicy bird and does not add any colors to the meat. Welcome to the club!

[willkat98]

Rok,
As you can tell, turkey is very versatile, since each post here has someone doing something just a little different.

I'm thinking of experimenting with some of Neils, little of Spicewine, KC, etc approach and see what happens.

[Solidkick]

Rok,
As you can tell, turkey is very versatile, since each post here has someone doing something just a little different.

I'm thinking of experimenting with some of Neils, little of Spicewine, KC, etc approach and see what happens.

Probably the best damn turkey you ever fixed is what will happen!

[MrSmoker]

I did a 22# bird last year in my OK Joes and it looks like i can get one that big in the Bandera. Anybody tried one that size? I suppose i could do it like beer can chicken(maybe use a Fosters can) :roll: On second thought probably a 3# coffee can!

[kcquer]

(Mods, can a Brother get a split)


Wife wants me to smoke a turkey for her office workers next month. Any tips would be appreciated.

Tom, unless you're dead set on a whole bird for presentation, I would go with a breast or two. If you have specific requests for dark meat, throw some legs in with the breasts. Its hard to do anything wrong with a turkey breast other than over cook it. I don't care for the drummies myself but Kpndsl reports excellent results using 3-2-1 (3 hrs smoked, spray and wrap and back in for 2 hrs, unwrap and back in for 1 hr)on the legs. Doing parts will be a much shorter cook and will allow you to get each part off the smoker when it is done.

[ckkphoto]

Let me back up what Kcquer said. I have smoked mebbe a dozen whole turkeys so far, and it is a bit of a trick to make the whole thing just right. MUCH easier to separate the white meat from the dark and pull these parts as each reaches 165. On a whole turkey, the breast gets done before the rest of the bird.
If you are determined to do a whole bird, 1. Brine it --makes a WORLD of difference--3 days before cooking for a day, then let it set in the fridge for a day to let the salt even out in the meat. 2 days before cooking inject the breast with melted (but cool and not hot) butter and garlic/salt /papain to give yourself needed extra moisture in the breast. Again, let it set for a day in the fridge to let the injection diffuse through the meat. On smoke day, rub and place BREAST DOWN in the smoker for the first couple hours then flip over for the remainder of the cook. This lets the juices flow down into the breast untill the meat is cooked enough that juice isn't going anywhere anymore, then flipping it moves the breast away from the radiant heat. I know this method is a lot of work. You will not generate complaints if you just salt and pepper and throw er in the smoker, but you WILL taste the difference if you feel like the effort. Like most barbecuers, I alternate between episodes of perfectionism and times where I just want meat on the plate. Hope this helps.

[Bellybro]

I suppose i could do it like beer can chicken(maybe use a Fosters can) On second thought probably a 3# coffee can!


We did a few of these last year this way. Injected with Tonyc C's and brushed with butter during the cooking process.
We did not have our Spicewine smoker at the tiime so the fire was built on one and and the bird placed off to the side and rotated frequently throughout the cook. Everyone who got one said it was the best Turkey they ever ate?????

[BBQchef33]

When I smoke turkey I like to take 2 sticks of butter, 2 shallots, and 4 cloves of garlic. I saute these together on low heat until the flavors infuse the butter. Then I let it cool a bit, strain and inject into a very cold bird. The butter gets solid when it hits the cold meat and will not re-melt until the internal temp. reaches melting temp. Self bastes , is a very juicy bird and does not add any colors to the meat. Welcome to the club!

i do a similar thing, but at the end of the saute, i add about the same amount of apple juice as butter maybe a touch less. I thought that the butter hitting the cold meat would solidify in place and not distribute as well. So, my thinking here is the apple juice thins the butter a bit and would help it distribute better throughout the meat.

Just another option. :)

Make sense?

[willkat98]

Cool

KC

I just did my first MERGE

Turkey info was pulled from "First Results" thread of RoknRandy.

Pretty neat tool.

Tool Mod

[BBQchef33]

Cool

KC

I just did my first MERGE

Turkey info was pulled from "First Results" thread of RoknRandy.

Pretty neat tool.

Tool Mod

No longer "Moderator in Denial" ?? huh? 8)

[kcquer]

Cool

KC

I just did my first MERGE

Turkey info was pulled from "First Results" thread of RoknRandy.

Pretty neat tool.

Tool Mod

Bill, well done! Randy is new so I wanted to be respectful of his thread, next week it's hijack city!

[BBQchef33]

next week it's hijack city???? now now children, u get like that i will have to seperate you.

oh sh*t.. did i just hijack? :)

[spicewine]

BAD IDEA ON TURKEY !!! When I first tried the butter thing I added sage and thyme to the butter -----Result-----Green meat . Please don't make this stupid mistake. Thats what I get for being too creative. :oops:

[willkat98]

BAD IDEA ON TURKEY !!! When I first tried the butter thing I added sage and thyme to the butter -----Result-----Green meat . Please don't make this stupid mistake. Thats what I get for being too creative. :oops:

Now thats funny.

Pesto Turkey

[Bellybro]

-----Green meat

I do not like them on a boat I do not like them with a goat!

[BBQchef33]

I have and injection mixture in our recipe section that uses sage, bay leaf and thyme with other stuff. I think its called "herbal brine". I boil the herbs in applejuice and make a strong solution then dump it into a brine and set some aside to dilute a bit and then inject.. didnt color the turkey at all, but gives it great flavor.. check the recipe section.

[racer_81]

-----Green meat

I do not like them on a boat I do not like them with a goat!

I do not like them without Spam, I do not like them Sam I am.

[roknrandy]

Kcquer, Thanks for the link It's got a lot of good info. The boob is in the smoker now :) Checking it every 30 minutes and waiting 8)

[kcquer]

Kcquer, Thanks for the link It's got a lot of good info.

Just passing along what someone else was kind enough to share with me. Best of luck with the boob!

[roknrandy]

Well I did not brine the boob (it already had a soultion injected) but I did inject (9 lb boob, 12oz marinade) and rubbed a little on the outside also. It's been inthe box for 3 hours already. I took the advice and am pre-heating the wood (It works really well) but While farting around the house for a minute, I almost Over heated it :oops: :oops: I stoped by the window and the smoke was starting roll off the wood on top :cry: :cry:

As a certain someone would say remove head from butt mod :wink:

With any luck it sould be done in 2 hours or so :lol:

[roknrandy]

She’s done :D (pulled off at 168 and it carried to 175) man is it juicy :D

I combined some of the methods you all mentioned. I did a butter/apple juice/rub inject and sprayed with more apple juice every hour for the first three, foil wrap and put about 2-3oz of juice in the bottom of the foil and back on the grill till it hit the temp. 3-1/2 hours total then rest for 1 hour :)

MMM MMM good :twisted: :twisted:

It was rough keeping the temp under 275. :( I had the damper just cracked open, anyway thanks for all the advice and it came out fantastic

[kcquer]

Randy, That looks AWESOME dude! Well done Brother! (Hey guys, this one's coming right along :wink: )

[willkat98]

(Hey guys, this one's coming right along )


your telling me.

I just smelled my screen to see if it smelled like turkey.

Damn good looking.

Need Smell O Vision Mod

[brdbbq]

Need Smell O Vision Mod


Come on to the clean room with I will fix that. :twisted:

[kcquer]

Need Smell O Vision Mod

Just remember to turn it off before you go to that "reasons not to get drunk thread"!

[parrothead]

Looks pretty damned tasty brother.

[Neil]

BAD IDEA ON TURKEY !!! When I first tried the butter thing I added sage and thyme to the butter -----Result-----Green meat . Please don't make this stupid mistake. Thats what I get for being too creative. :oops:

Now I know what I'm going to fix for our St. Patrick's Day party. Last year we had 6 people bring corned beef and cabbage.

[Solidkick]

Nice job brother! Looks really good!

[CinCity25]

randy it looks awsome....any leftovers to sample??? :wink:

[sirthames]

Oh man that looks awesome. I have to cook a turkey for my wife's office pot luck, but I think a couple of breast will be better. You got my mouth watering over here.

[willkat98]

I'm practicing this weekend.

Using the WSM

1 turkey boob with Jalepeno marinade, the other with Creole butter.

Gonna have mom try the Jalepeno one. If it is too spicy for her, I'll not do it on T Day because I have alot of older folks coming over.

[jt]

Use mom as a guinea pig. Good one. :D