Doin some turkeys tomorrow any suggestions?

[slowrollin]

Hey guys, im doin a couple of turkeys tomorrow to try out my new smoker. Any suggestions on cook time temp and seasonings? Its a homemade rotisserie with offfset fire box. Any thing would help. Its my first time smokin anything! Im poppin my smokin cherry tomorrow!

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[El Ropo]

Poultry skin doesn't take kindly to low temp cooking. Try to get the cooker up in the mid 300s or higher, otherwise, you'll be tossing the rubber skin!

I've never brined, but it apparently adds a lot of moisture to birds especially the white meat portions.

[Happy Hapgood]

What El Ropo said for Sure. AND make Darn sure it internal temp deep within the breast and thigh is a Minimum of 165 degrees.

Should be a Great cook if you do these.

[Midnight Smoke]

Best advice I can give is to follow the directions on the bag just like cooking in an oven. This will give you a nice tender Bird with a nice flavor of BBQ. I like Pecan wood for Smoke but most any wood will work great other than Mesquite. Just go easy on the Wood, Poultry takes on Smoke very easy and it is easy to Over Smoke it.

[slowrollin]

Maybe i should get some pork buts instead..... Turkey doesnt sound to fun.

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[Midnight Smoke]

Maybe i should get some pork buts instead..... Turkey doesnt sound to fun.

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That sounds like a plan! Hard to mess them up if you follow some simple steps and there is nothing like a nice 12 + Hour overnight cook.

[El Ropo]

If by no fun, you mean a short cook to get the hang of your cooker, I don't get it. If you want a more daunting long cook, go for pork butts.

A pic of the cooker would be nice. Just off the top of my head, maybe start off with something that will cook up a bit quicker, maybe a couple 5 lb chickens, or a 4 lb pork loin? Both of those would be a nice easy cook. And if you don't get it right, you didn't waste big bucks on a failed cook. Chalk it up as experience for the next cook.

Didn't mean to scare you away from poultry, but cooking it at a less than optimal temp is the most common rookie mistake around. I've done it too. But only twice :)

[Midnight Smoke]

If you want to do a Butt, they are not that expensive at least here.

My simple Pulled Pork.
Start with a minimum 8+ lb Butt; I prefer Bone-In. Slather the Butt with Yellow Mustard and sprinkle heavily with your Rub (This can be done the Morning/Evening before depending on when you plan to start the cook. I place my Butts into a plastic garbage bag and seal tight, place into the fridge for 12-24 hours. When ready to cook, remove from Fridge and place on counter for about an hour or so before putting into the smoker, (You could inject at this time). Let your smoker stabilize at your cooking temp and the smoke is running light Blue before putting the meat on.


Cook Indirect at 225º-240º Fat cap down, after 5-6 hours start spraying quickly with Apple Juice every hour or so until the Butt is at 165º. You want to spray quickly to not lose too much heat from the Smoker.


When the Butt gets to 165º-170º; Place onto Foil with Fat Cap up at this time, spray well with Apple Juice, wrap Butt in double foil, and place back into Smoker, (make sure the Foil seams are on top). At 165º most Butts will have a Stall at this temp that can last a long time. The foil will help speed this process along and keep the outside tender. Some will say No Spray, No Foil, just a matter of preference. Some people do not foil because they like the Bark, for me that is not the case.


Continue cooking until Butt is at 195º-200º, or until the Probe goes in like butter. Remove from Smoker and wrap in old towels and place into a dry cooler for 3-5 hours (less time is Okay but it will be better with a nice long rest), (Butt will still be too hot to handle without gloves).


EDIT, just read you have an Offset. If this is your 1st smoke you may want to just do some Chicken until you learn Fire and Temp Control. A Butt may be a little much with a Side Box for a 1st cook. The Side Box cookers are labor intensive to keep the fire at the right temp for such a long time.!

[El Ropo]

Yeah, it's a self made offset with rotisserie. We have no clue what he's dealing with. Need pics!

Maybe a couple of naked fattys are in order.

[fingerlickin']

Don't be scared of the bird. Shoot for 350* grill temp, should take 2-3 hrs for an average, say 14lb, bird. Just make sure you have a thermo to check the temp in the breast and thigh. Last time my breasts actually took longer than the thigh for some reason. Check both if you're nervous. The smoke will impart a pink hue to the meat, this is normal. Dust it with your favorite rub and smear some butter under the skin. I stuff mine with onions and oranges. Good luck, post pron!

[slowrollin]

It has thermometers on it now. I meant not fun due to fast cooking times. Thanks guys. Yeah im gonna guve it a whirl and see what happens. Its a cheap fail if it doesnt work.

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[slackdogbbq]

A little late but next time Brine, Brine, Brine! And don't be scared of a turkey, you are much bigger than they are.