Brined Bird was dry, what gives??

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LowSlowBo

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So I've just started my adventures in BBQing and decided to smoke an 18lb bird for the family. It came out more dry than I was hoping for especially stacked up against a fried turkey which was also present at the table. I'm just trying to figure out what I could have done differently?

I brined it for 24 hours in a 1:1 kosher salt/sugar ratio then smothered it in butter, oil and herbs as well as stuffed it with onions, oranges, and lemons.

I cooked it between 315-350 for 4 hours with a drip pan and a water pan. 1.5 hours in I had the color I was looking for so I wrapped it very loosely in foil. After another 1.5 hours I unwrapped the turkey and added 5 big tbsp of butter rewrapped and put it back until temps were hit. It then went in a preheated cooler for 30 mins.

The end result was good, great flavor with the salt, pepper, herbs and some citrus showing through, I was just disappointed in how dry it was. Does anyone see anything I could have done differenntly?
 
What was the internal temp, did you take off at 170 in the breast. We smoke one every year for thanksgiving in a cheap, old brinkman and always turns out juicy. Same brine,1-1 salt, brown sugar then rinse, pat dry, rub with brown sugar and put on smoker.
 
The internal temp is important info. You should cook it until it is 155 in the breast and at least 165 in the thigh and then let it rest before carving.
 
Sounds to me that you overcooked your turkey.

What internal temperatures are you taking the breast and thighs too?

Also from what you are saying you basically took it off the smoker, added butter, then wrapped and put it into the cooler. You didn't vent your bird, so it held onto the heat in the foil and kept cooking while in the cooler. If you are waiting 30mins to carve it up, don't worry about the cooler. Just keep it on the counter, with a loose tent of foil. This will allow the heat to escape and keep your bird from carrying over cooking too far.
 
I'll view it as a loss but a learning experience, you all are right in that I must have overcooked it. I covered it in butter and wrapped it in foil when the breast temp was at 145, I pulled it at 165 and wrapped it too tight not fully understanding that resting poultry only requires a tent.

It's a bummer when your showing off your new Egg and introducing everyone to it and the concept of smoking only to share subpar results but I'll learn from it and fire her up again .
 
A couple of things here. #1, get you a good thermometer, preferably a thermopen. The guess on how long it will take is only good for planning an eating time. Cook by temp. I like 165 in the breast. I'm betting yours was in the 175-180 range based on the timeline you presented. This year mine was 16 lbs. It cooked in 2 hours 25 minutes and was juicy. Second, I don't see anything about injecting in the post. Simple butter is my choice, it adds flavor and moisture to the bird.
 
LowSlowBo said:
I'll view it as a loss but a learning experience, you all are right in that I must have overcooked it. I covered it in butter and wrapped it in foil when the breast temp was at 145, I pulled it at 165 and wrapped it too tight not fully understanding that resting poultry only requires a tent.

It's a bummer when your showing off your new Egg and introducing everyone to it and the concept of smoking only to share subpar results but I'll learn from it and fire her up again .
Click to expand...

The thing with having dinner with family and friends is that the food is just a distraction. It is truely about the times you share with them that matter.


Just keep practicing and you will be able to put out some dericious birds whenever you want. The nice thing is that chickens cook the same as turkeys and chickens are cheap! Practice throughout the year so you know how the bird will act and next year, really wow them!
 
aawa said:
The thing with having dinner with family and friends is that the food is just a distraction. It is truely about the times you share with them that matter.


Just keep practicing and you will be able to put out some dericious birds whenever you want. The nice thing is that chickens cook the same as turkeys and chickens are cheap! Practice throughout the year so you know how the bird will act and next year, really wow them!
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. thats all I want is to be with my family, Time is short and i spent so much of it working, I missed life, I've got a lot to make up for and a short time to do it.

as for the bird, my opinion, over cooked, pull at a lower temp, let it rest longer.
Like aawa said, practice, practice, practice, I eat what I cook good or bad.
Thats the learning curve.
 
My advice is look around the forum and get a good brine there are a lot of good people in here . And watch you temp a little closer . JUST SAYING .
 
Having been force fed Sahara turkey at every holiday from the time I was in short pants till I was old enough to run away & join the Cowboy Turtle association I can tell ya it is over cooked, to hot & to long buzzards need 325. One of the few times I use an accurate thermo is on buzzards, I pull 'em and tent 'ea at 175 in the thigh for whole birds.
 
Our Turkey also came out dry, we used the same recipe we have used for years, it temped out perfectly at 160 in the breast with a thermo-pen, I figured it was just the bird.
 
Maybe not enough salt to water ratio for the brine? I had an 18 pounder, too. Used about 1 and 1/2 cups of salt to 1 cup of sugar. In my 4.5 gallon "measuring cup" (yep-it is big & has 1/2 gallon marks) it came up to just over 4 gallons to cover everything.
 
for future reference, I wouldn't try cooking something for the first time for company. do at least 1 test run ahead of time so you can make the mistakes then, and learn for the next time when you're entertaining.
 
I have only done a couple turkeys myself. I cooked at the same temp and also brined 24 hours. I cooked about 3 hours a 12.6# bird. Mine came out great. The thing that sticks out different to me is you had the color you wanted at 1.5 hours and you foiled. I flipped mine over after 1.5 hours but never foiled and had a beautiful color. I have to wonder about your actual cooking temp. Either you wanted a much lighter color than me or your temp was higher than you thought. Just a guess. I learn from my mistakes, and others too when I can. Keep smoking!
 
columbia1 said:
Our Turkey also came out dry, we used the same recipe we have used for years, it temped out perfectly at 160 in the breast with a thermo-pen, I figured it was just the bird.
Click to expand...

Also, remember, as much as it pains me, I always temp probe in a few places since it can vary wildly depending on probe placement. Yes, I may want to cry when I see those juices of awesomeness pouring out where I pierced my meat, but I think it is worth the minimal loss compared to over or under cooking certain types of meat. I think thjisis especially true for whole birds.
 
"It's a bummer when your showing off your new Egg and introducing everyone to it and the concept of smoking only to share subpar results but I'll learn from it and fire her up again ."- LoSlowBo

I think this is being missed also. With your timeline, 4 hours in a BGE will definitely overcook your bird. Even with the water pan in there the steam will not penetrate the bird. Everyone else has hit it on the head with your other problems. But I think cooking in the BGE was the down fall. Did you test you BGE thermometer before the cook and make sure it was calibrated correctly? You may want to check that also.
 
fresh birds do not require brine, however brinning it will assure you of a good bird..
a koshar salt bird for three days before has yeilded great results for me as it id easier than sinking the bird in a bucket, especially if you have to do a couple...the salt sweats up then gets absorbed back in on the 2nd to 3rd day
as every one above has stated watch your temps!
 
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