Smoking a Turkey

I actually happen to be smoking a turkey tomorrow for my daughter's and mom's birthday!

First piece of advice......BRINE!

If you have the time, brine for 24 hours in refregerator. Google "turkey brine" and you'll get the encyclopedia. A very basic brine is:
1 gallon water
1 cup salt
1/2 sugar

The most important thing is the salt/water ratio.

Anyway....brine for 18-24 hours. Then pull the turkey out, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place on rack back in fridge for a few hours to overnight to let the skin tighten back up.

Pull out of the fridge a couple of hours before the cook. Place bags of ice on top of the breast like this:

That will allow the breasts to start cooking slower than the dark meat, which will prevent the breasts from drying out.


THEN....

Fire smoker.
Bring temp up to between 325-350.
Smoke with fruitwood until 165 in breast and 180 in the thigh.

I like using a turkey cannon for mine when I can.
http://www.campchef.com/infusion-roaster-turkey-cannon.html

If not using a turkey cannon, I usually always stuff an onion (halved) a lemon (halved( and an orange (halved) in the cavity, truss it up and put it on a roast rack so it's easy to move on and off the cooker without tearing the skin. You can also just put it directly on the smoker cook rack.



Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......................smoked turkey's da BOMB!

I have to agree brine is the way to go. Check out the net for all kinds of brine recipes

Oh yeah, make a brine. We get creative with ours and use just about anything.

Sliced oranges, lime juice, dried herbs, apples, & whooster sauce.

Leanza turned me onto the process of dry brining...

Here's the link... I was very pleased with this.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1094027&postcount=17

Ditto on Wampus' brine with one small change: if the bird is "enhanced with up to __% solution" then change the salt to 1/2 cup & the sugar to 1 cup. Otherwise it will turn out way too salty.

Here is one I like
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96123&highlight=Ross+Ventura:clap2:

Ross

Me likes this one........
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95615&highlight=turkey+101

Smoked turkey is the way to go.I skimped on the salt in my brine cuz I had a "enhanced" turkey the 1st time I made one.Bad idea,it dryed the hell out of it.

Apple wood is the way to go IMO also

Smoked turkeys are fun in that when done, they'll end up with that beautiful ruddy brown color you've probably always wished to have on Thanksgiving Day, but never actually realized (turkeys on television are usually painted).

The good news is that turkey is relatively low maintenance. A bi-breast (turkey with thighs/legs/wings removed) was the first thing I ever smoked and it came out fantastic- just threw it in the smoker and let it go.

The first time you do it, I'd consider a very basic brine- water and salt and not too much else. This won't add tons of flavor, but it WILL add tons of moisture. I only suggest this so your first time, all the new flavors you aren't experienced with comes from the smoke. I think this makes it easier to, in the future, imagine what more complicated brines will do to a turkey. I have an apple cider-juniper brine that's heavenly- but I also value tasting a smoked turkey with it and knowing exactly where all the components of the taste and texture come from.

I also highly recommend serving smoked turkey with a white barbecue sauce. The basic recipe is well known, but here's my usual maxim:

-Start with 1 cup mayo, or more if you wish. If you're feeding a family, use 2. If you're feeding a crowd, consider 3.
-Add apple cider vinegar until you have a balance of thickness and acidity that you like.
-Add a splash of lemon juice.
-Add onion powder and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Heavier on the onion powder.
-Add a dash of cayenne.
-If you wish, add more mayo or apple cider vinegar to adjust the consistency/acidity.

Forgive the lack of measurements, but I don't measure when doing this. It's all about balance, and considering there're only a few ingredients and none are particularly expensive, I think it's definitely worthwhile to play with it along the above guidelines rather than following a strict recipe the first time.

To me, white barbecue sauce and smoked turkey are nothing short of made for each other.

Don't worry about extra sauce. Slap a dollop of it between two pieces of toast and you'll make the best BLT you've ever had in your life. I specifically make too much for just this reason.

Yeah, brine is a must IMO but not all agree. The ice bag on the breast is some Very good advice. The trick however is to leave it on there for 20 minutes, no more, no less. I got my turkey skills form here:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm

Been doing them this way for a few years now. Here's a pic of the last bird that may look familiar:



It showed up here as well: http://issue5.smokesignalsmagazine.com/

Good luck and enjoy. Smoked turkey is a great smoke :thumb:

Lately, I've been loosening up the skin on the breast, and making a mixture of soft butter and a favorite rub. I spread the butter mix under the skin, and season the outside as well. I always use a drip pan under the turkey (had poor results smoking a turkey IN the pan) and save the drippings to make gravy. This is important- save the drippings to make gravy!!

After devouring the turkey, save the carcass. You can boil it for a few hours for a great broth to use for everything from cooking greens to making gumbo.

Turkey is the first thing I ever smoked. I will never roast a turkey again. It is some good eats. Get some horseradish for the leftover sandwiches.

Here is a few ideas.

http://www.huckshut.com/2008/10/11/...hut.com/2009/11/26/hucks-spatchcocked-turkey/

http://www.huckshut.com/2010/11/22/bbq-turkey-where-bird-meets-fire/http://www.huckshut.com/2008/10/11/smokin-turkey/

IMHO no brining is necessary.
Every time I have brined then smoked turkey I wonder why the cook just didn't do a ham?

K.I.S.S

Best tip I can throw out there? Don't smoke a butterball. If you're doing low and slow it's very possible to smoke the bird done and end up with a big glob of unmelted butter still in the breast and/or an empty pocket/hole where that butter originally was.

230 degree smoker, apple wood
Turkey sprayed inside and out with olive oil, lightly seasoned with a poltry blend or just simple black pepper.
Smoke low and slow 230ish for about 5 hours, shoot for the 175 finish.

Keeping it simple and using a mild wood like apple or cherry I produce a bird that's someplace between smoked and roasted, never hammy.

EatRBBQ said:

IMHO no brining is necessary.
Every time I have brined then smoked turkey I wonder why the cook just didn't do a ham?

K.I.S.S

Best tip I can throw out there? Don't smoke a butterball. If you're doing low and slow it's very possible to smoke the bird done and end up with a big glob of unmelted butter still in the breast and/or an empty pocket/hole where that butter originally was.

230 degree smoker, apple wood
Turkey sprayed inside and out with olive oil, lightly seasoned with a poltry blend or just simple black pepper.
Smoke low and slow 230ish for about 5 hours, shoot for the 175 finish.

Keeping it simple and using a mild wood like apple or cherry I produce a bird that's someplace between smoked and roasted, never hammy.

Click to expand...

I'm not discounting your opinion here at all, but I have to disagree on more than one count.....

I've done side-by-side testing with chickens and there is an UNMISTAKEABLE difference between brined vs non-brined birds. Even slightly overcooked, the brined bird was still very moist and juicy while the inbrined bird was not. Not that you can't produce a fine quality smoked turkey or chicken WITHOUT brine, but as I said....given the time and prep I will ALWAYS brine. Period. Also I've never had the "hamminess" that some describe with brines. If you have, I'd suggest that you either had too much salt in the brine or simply left it in the brine too long. MY OPINION.

Secondly.....don't smoke a Butterball? Don't get that one either. In fact, the last turkey I smoked was brined AND it was a Butterball. Both myself and my entire family agreed it was the best smoked turkey I've ever done. Mind you, I've not done a LOT, but have done at least 7 or 8. Not all Butterballs, but some were.

Here's a thread I put up of a turkey I smoked a couple of weeks ago. Butterball. Brined. Delicious.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104719http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104719&highlight=wampus+smoked+turkey


Everyone's got their own opinion. I'm not saying you are wrong by any stretch. I just disagree. Many don't care for smoked turkey at all either. Others swear by it. THAT is what's so great about this place and this hobby.....it's all about what YOU like.

Here's a link to a Turkey I did recently. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104181

I've tried turkey with & without brining and I'll never smoke another turkey w/o brining it first. It's just so darn good. YMMV. Cheers!!!