Thanksgiving Turkey Help!!!

nsantole · Nov 11, 2019

I am looking for help on smoking a Tday turkey. My main concern is that i am cooking this turkey in my backwoods smoker for the first time and wasn't sure if you guys recommend cooking with water or without water in the pan. Also what temp should i shoot for?

Will the water keep the skin chewy?

my plan is:
-brine for 24 hours
-soak in water 24 hours
-season with AP bbq rub
-cook spatchcocked until internal temp is good

thoughts/advice?

much appreciated!!

wbratt1 · Nov 11, 2019

If you're going to soak in water, I recommend allowing for a day after you pull the turkey out of the liquid to sit on a rack in your refrigerator uncovered so the skin can fully dry out prior to smoking. I use a WSM with mine and do not typically use water in the pan as I target 300F to avoid rubbery skin.

nsantole · Nov 11, 2019

wbratt1 said:
If you're going to soak in water, I recommend allowing for a day after you pull the turkey out of the liquid to sit on a rack in your refrigerator uncovered so the skin can fully dry out prior to smoking. I use a WSM with mine and do not typically use water in the pan as I target 300F to avoid rubbery skin.

Thanks Bratt. i will give that a try too. do you baste during cooking? I've seen people adding oil to a sauce to help the skin brown.

Evan · Nov 11, 2019

Curious, what is the reasoning behind the 24 hour water soak?

akoda · Nov 11, 2019

no 24 hour water soak, it will undo the brine

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nsantole · Nov 11, 2019

I wanted to soak after brine because my rub is salty and I didn't want the turkey to get too salty.

Akoda, do you know this from experience? This is my first time trying that method and was skeptical about it.

marvda1 · Nov 11, 2019

just rinse after brine and go light on your rub. or find a new rub with less salt.

wbratt1 · Nov 11, 2019

nsantole said:
Thanks Bratt. i will give that a try too. do you baste during cooking? I've seen people adding oil to a sauce to help the skin brown.

I put a little oil on the skin before smoking it. I’ve been dry brining the past few years with Harvest Brine so no need to soak in water or even rinse it off. I would skip the soaking and reduce the salt in your rub if you can to simplify and not pull the salt back out.

akoda · Nov 12, 2019

I brine every year (wet brine) I make my brine on the Saturday before so the flavors of veggies I add get distributed. I take most of the veggies out on Tuesday and put the bird in, let it sit in brine for 24 to 30 hours and then remove, dry the outside and put it uncovered in my fridge until time for it to go on the smoker. I don't use a rub but add some butter and herbs under the skin and will rub some butter on the skin. Stuff the inside with onion, orange, celery and herbs. Best birds I have ever done.

nsantole said:
I wanted to soak after brine because my rub is salty and I didn't want the turkey to get too salty.

Akoda, do you know this from experience? This is my first time trying that method and was skeptical about it.

JVM59 · Nov 12, 2019

I have a cooker very similar to your Backwoods. I cook my turkey around 300 degrees, give or take, without water in the pan.

Thanksgiving Turkey Help!!!

nsantole

Found some matches.

wbratt1

Knows what a fatty is.

nsantole

Found some matches.

Evan

Got Wood.

akoda

is one Smokin' Farker

nsantole

Found some matches.

marvda1

Full Fledged Farker

wbratt1

Knows what a fatty is.

akoda

is one Smokin' Farker

JVM59

Full Fledged Farker

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