Thanksgiving smoke thread

[Smashing]

Data, Wegmans has "minimally processed" birds for 1.29 a lb, or something close to that. I bought 2 12lber's on sunday.

.

Too bad there's no Wegmans in Delaware.


Last year I smoked a turkey for about 2-2.5 hours then threw it in the fryer for 15 mins or so to crisp the skin and bring it to temp. It kept the smoke flavor nicely and gave us some awesome skin.

 

[billtzk]

Unless you pay out the ass for a "fresh" one around here there is no way you are finding one that hasn't been injected. I have never had a problem with brining though as long as you find one that has 8% or less solution. I just reduce the salt a little and never had any issues.

Around here in Dallas, Costco and Sam's Club all sell inexpensive, 99 cents a pound, minimally processed turkes, sometimes fresh, sometimes frozen. Costco also sells some fairly expensive organic birds that are minimally processed. Then the high end grocers like Whole Foods will have the locally sourced organic birds, fresh, minimally processed, with $75 price tags on a 14 pound bird.

I just buy the Butterball brand fresh and minimally processed .99 cent a pound birds from Costco. I got several this week and froze 'em so I can cook turkey all year. It's a little harder to find the minimally processed birds for a decent price except between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It's good to hear you can brine the pre-injected ones anyway and just use less salt. I have not tried it because all the information I've read and heard about brining says to use a minimally processed bird.

Are you sure you don't have minimally processed birds up there? Down here, even Kroger and Tom Thumb (Safeway) will carry them from time to time.

 

[dfess1]

Too bad there's no Wegmans in Delaware.

yeah, but i believe he's closer to wilmington. Can hit up the Cherry Hill store. Not that far of a drive, plus gives you an excuse to hit one of the many good beer bars in philly!

 

[dataz722]

Now, this will be the first time I've brined anything. Any tips? I picked up 2 gallon freezer bags for these 12 lbers. Big enough? Haven't actually checked that part out. Also, not sure I have room to store these guys in the fridge once they are in the brine. Does that matter? Lastly, the recipe I'm using says 8lbs of ice. am I putting this in once I'm done with my boil, or is this once the solution has cooled, in order to keep the birds cool for 24 hrs.

That bag won't be big enough, not even close. Use a cooler or 5 gallon bucket. Kept in a cool place with enough ice in it, it will stay cold long enough.

Too bad there's no Wegmans in Delaware.

Yup, we don't have any of the nicer grocery stores. Best we have is SuperG.

Are you sure you don't have minimally processed birds up there? Down here, even Kroger and Tom Thumb (Safeway) will carry them from time to time.

Possibly some of the organic free range ones are but I refuse to pay that much for a Turkey so I haven't looked.

yeah, but i believe he's closer to wilmington. Can hit up the Cherry Hill store. Not that far of a drive, plus gives you an excuse to hit one of the many good beer bars in philly!

No way in hell I am going all the way to cherry hill just for a turkey. It might not be too far distance wise but that drive takes a while.

And I try to avoid philly at all costs.

 

[billtzk]

I brine birds up to 14 pound in a 12 quart enamaled stock pot. Takes 2 gallons of brine, and the pot is short and wide enough to fit on my bottom refrigerator shelf without having to remove or relocate the shelf above it.

If you use an enamaled pot, make sure there are no chips on the inside exposing the base metal. The brine solution will react with it. SS or plastic are really the best choices for brining.

A five gallon food-safe bucket is really good for brining because it is narrow and therefore reduces the amount of brine you need. You might have to cut it down to fit in your fridge or temporarily move a shelf.

 

[dfess1]

No way in hell I am going all the way to cherry hill just for a turkey. It might not be too far distance wise but that drive takes a while.

And I try to avoid philly at all costs.

wuss

so any downside to using a 6 gal brew pail? Shoudn't screw the plastic up by having that salty of a solution in it, right?

 

[JLW]

wuss

so any downside to using a 6 gal brew pail? Shoudn't screw the plastic up by having that salty of a solution in it, right?

For me, I like keeping those things seperate. I bought 5 gal pail from home depot for I think $5 to do all my brining in.

 

[dataz722]

wuss

so any downside to using a 6 gal brew pail? Shoudn't screw the plastic up by having that salty of a solution in it, right?

I wouldn't do it. Just got to lowes and get a bucket for $3. Technically it isn't offically food save but I am not too worried about it.

 

[dfess1]

i guess i'll see what i can fit in older brewpots (that are just collecting dust now). I really don't feel like going out to Lowes just for some buckets. we'll see.

 

[billtzk]

A 5 gallon pickle bucket is food safe. You should be able to source a free one from a local deli or restaurant that serves pickles. Like a sandwich shop. It'll smell like pickles, but that won't matter for brining. I wouldn't use it as a fermenter.

 

[RedHouse]

I used to live in the Buffalo area, and then moved to NH....really missing Wegmans up here!

I am paying about $2.40/lb for a fresh bird. Last year, I paid almost $4/lb for a fresh, organic, locally farm raised bird....it was good....but not really worth it if you ask me.

 

[toolboxdiver]

toolboxdriver, did you use the pan drippings below for gravy? I've been contemplating doing this, just don't want to block the smoke. Either that, or its store bought.

Now, this will be the first time I've brined anything. Any tips? I picked up 2 gallon freezer bags for these 12 lbers. Big enough? Haven't actually checked that part out. Also, not sure I have room to store these guys in the fridge once they are in the brine. Does that matter? Lastly, the recipe I'm using says 8lbs of ice. am I putting this in once I'm done with my boil, or is this once the solution has cooled, in order to keep the birds cool for 24 hrs.

I used some of the pan drippings for gravy, and my pan was well below the bird under the grate.
I use a Porcillin coated pot for brining and put it in a cooler surrounded by ice the length of time for the brine is up to you I do it for 24 to 36 hours then rinse well dry off and then coat it with extra virgin olive oil and some bells poultry seasoning inside and out

 

[Bobby_M]

My wife got two free 21 pound birds from Shoprite this year. While she meant well, I didn't have the heart to tell her she should have gone for the smaller ones. These babies are destined for the smoker because we're not even hosting dinner this year. My problem is that I read that they are going to take at least 12 hours on the smoker and that's a long freakin day of feeding the firebox.

Should I pop the wings/legs off after the 6 hour mark to let more heat get to the breasts, etc?

This seems pretty daunting being my first poultry on the smoker.

 

[Butcher]

I smoked some cheese the other day for the first time, so now Im going to smoke some for a cheese platter. It went pretty good, I threw wood chips in a steel box, left it on the pot burner of the grill for about 5-10 minutes and then threw it in the grill with the cheese and put the cover over the grill. My wood kept going out so I had to redo that a lot to keep the smoke going but the end product was delicious. I plan on using hickory for one batch and alder for another.

 

[dataz722]

My wife got two free 21 pound birds from Shoprite this year. While she meant well, I didn't have the heart to tell her she should have gone for the smaller ones. These babies are destined for the smoker because we're not even hosting dinner this year. My problem is that I read that they are going to take at least 12 hours on the smoker and that's a long freakin day of feeding the firebox.

Should I pop the wings/legs off after the 6 hour mark to let more heat get to the breasts, etc?

This seems pretty daunting being my first poultry on the smoker.

I would probably butcher it down into it's 8 pieces and cook them seperated. That will make it cook quicker and help with timing.

 

[Cromwell]

I'm roasting a turkey on the barbie this year, but not smoking it.
My kids like "traditional" food for Thanksgiving, so they don't want smoked.
But I've roasted chickens on the bbq before and they're better than any other way I cook them, so I did a turkey last weekend and it turned out great.
Perfectly browned all over, leg and thigh meat perfectly done, and breast meat incredibly juicy and not overdone.

The key is to let it warm up for an hour or more, with an icepack sitting on the breast.
Then cook it high (mine was at 400) and unstuffed on a stand-up roaster.
Highly recommended.

 

[corkybstewart]

A few of my tips for smoking/brining the bird:

For brining I use 10 gallon Ziplock bags from Walmart-4 of them cost $5. I can put 3 of them in an ice chest with plenty of ice to keep them cold for the 12-15 hours they are in there.
I use about 3 bottles of Guinness per bird in my brine.
Smoke the bird breast side down.
For a really moister bird put it in a paper bag or oven bag for the last 3 or 4 hours. It will have plenty of smoke flavor by then.
If you really want to eat the skin, bake the turkey in the oven.

We're eating with our neighbors this year so they'll cook one in the oven, I'll smoke one and fry one. I'm also smoking one for the shop welder who built my smoker/grill last year.

 

[billtzk]

My wife got two free 21 pound birds from Shoprite this year. While she meant well, I didn't have the heart to tell her she should have gone for the smaller ones. These babies are destined for the smoker because we're not even hosting dinner this year. My problem is that I read that they are going to take at least 12 hours on the smoker and that's a long freakin day of feeding the firebox.

Should I pop the wings/legs off after the 6 hour mark to let more heat get to the breasts, etc?

This seems pretty daunting being my first poultry on the smoker.

I've never smoked a bird that big. I go for 12 to 15 pound birds for smoking, with 13 or 14 pounds being my favorite. That said, the biggest problem is usually overcooking the breast by the time the legs and thighs are done. Cromwell's advice to let the bird warm to room temp (at least a couple of hours) with a bag of ice on the breast to keep it colder does help a little. Also, wrapping the breast in foil after it takes on the color and level of crispness you want may help slow down the cooking.

That's all I do for smoking turkeys, but as I said, I've never smoked one that large before.

 

[nate456789]

I have 2 15ib birds that I will be smoking @ 325.
I want to make sure I time this right, am I right in thinking they will be ready in 3 to 4 hrs?
Thanks

 

[billtzk]

At 325 it would probably be 3 to 4 hours, yes. But don't go by time. Use a thermometer.

Stick a remote digital thermometer probe into the breast starting from the neck opening so the tip rests in the middle of one side of the breast. Cover the breast with foil after it has achieved the color and texture you want. Then remove the bird when the breast registers 155F. By that time, the thighs should be around 165 degrees. Carryover heat should take it to 165 in the breast, 175 in the thigh.

The old advice from the FDA to cook turkey until it registers 180 in the thigh is a sure fire way to ruin a bird. It'll be dry and tough and overcooked.

Alton Brown used to say to pull the bird when the internal temp in the breast gets to 161 degrees. More recently, he has revised that to 151 degrees. I go with 155 in the breast, and my turkeys are always cooked.

 

[nate456789]

At 325 it would probably be 3 to 4 hours, yes. But don't go by time. Use a thermometer.

Stick a remote digital thermometer probe into the breast starting from the neck opening so the tip rests in the middle of one side of the breast. Cover the breast with foil after it has achieved the color and texture you want. Then remove the bird when the breast registers 155F. By that time, the thighs should be around 165 degrees. Carryover heat should take it to 165 in the breast, 175 in the thigh.

The old advice from the FDA to cook turkey until it registers 180 in the thigh is a sure fire way to ruin a bird. It'll be dry and tough and overcooked.

Alton Brown used to say to pull the bird when the internal temp in the breast gets to 161 degrees. More recently, he has revised that to 151 degrees. I go with 155 in the breast, and my turkeys are always cooked.

Thanks for the advice. I do have a remote thermometer - It is fairly accurate. This is my second attempt at smoking a turkey. The first try I was not able to get my smoker box above 225 because it was a windy day - so the turkey was rubbery, but it had an internal temp of 160 in the breasts.
I am hoping to get the box hotter this time.
My only fear is stopping at 155 and the bird not getting to the right temp while it is resting. The majority of the sources I have found said the breast should be between 160 and 165. Above that and you have ruined the bird.

Any recommendation of some simple spices? nothing over the top.
I rubbed the bird down with olive oil and spices before I cooked it.
This was my first attempt. It looked tasty but I was not impressed.

 

[wolfstar]

This year I am smoking a 10# bird. I soak the turkey for about a week in a very weak brine solution of apple juice, a couple of cinamon sticks, and kosher salt.

I smoke it on a rotisserie with the cavity stuffed VERY LOOSLEY with large chunks of cellery, apple, juniper berries, and carrot. I slip a compound butter of fresh sage, a touch of rosemary and thyme under the skin.

Having done this a couple times in the past, so far it has been a number one hit for Turkey Day.

Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Honey Sage Cornbread Stuffing (homemade)
Cranberry Sauce (homemade)
Triple Chocolate Bread pudding with Vannilla ice Cream and A Rum Glaze

There is only two of us so the menue is limited but good....

 

[nate456789]

Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Honey Sage Cornbread Stuffing (homemade)
Cranberry Sauce (homemade)
Triple Chocolate Bread pudding with Vannilla ice Cream and A Rum Glaze

There is only two of us so the menue is limited but good....

Limited? My god that sounds good.
Looks like a very tasty menu to me.

 

[billtzk]

Any recommendation of some simple spices? nothing over the top.

I bet you could insulate that smoker with Reflectix. Just keep it away from the firebox area and do the upper cabinet only.

For something simple, I tuck a stem of rosemary under the breast skin and put a couple more inside the bird along with a lemon and an onion cut into large chunks. The rosemary will definitely be noticeable, but not over the top. Black pepper and cayenne rubbed under the breast skin as far as you can reach without tearing or separating too much of it, and more sprinkled on top of the skin for appearance. No salt, since I always brine the bird. Anything like that will work.

I often flavor my brine. Orange blossum honey, ginger, garlic, herbs, soy sauce, apple juice, a pinch of clove, a couple of bay leaves. That sort of thing. When I flavor the brine I tend not to use much additional seasoning on the bird before roasting or smoking, just pepper and maybe some onion in the cavity.

 

[corkybstewart]

I just put a 15 pounder and a 12 pounder on. They're sitting at 195F right now, using lump charcoal and apple chips. I'll have to add charcoal before work tomorrow morning and the turkeys should be done by noon.

 

[JoeyChopps]

About to put my 17 pounder in ( I know is a little large) but its cool its 4am so I got 12 hours to cool it happy thanksgiving

 

[Walker]

This ***** is almost done...

 

[dfess1]

these babies came out awesome. That brine I had back on page 3 was awesome. I've never had white meat that moist before.

 

[McLompoc]

Had a problem with the oven, so I thought what the hell and did my chipotle dungeness crab stuffed mushrooms in my smoker! They were hot, sweet and decadent!

 

[billtzk]

Those chipotle dungeness crab stuffed mushrooms look awesome, McLompoc. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

 

[McLompoc]

1lb dungess crab, fresh and I shelled my own after steaming.
1.5lb Mushrooms, large enough to hold the stuffing
Bread crumbs
Garlic
Chipotle in Adobo-small can
Oregano
Parmesan fresh grated
Mayo - I used the new mayo with olive oil

In a blender or processor drop in the can of Chipotle and about 5-6 big cloves of garlic. Puree until blended. Scoop out in put in a container with a lid. You will only use a portion. I found mixing this concoction with butter and brushing on corn is yummy too if you like heat.
Back to the shrooms. In a bowl with the crab meat add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo. Fold just a bit. Now is time to add the chipotle. Start with a small spoonfull, taste and then leave alone or and more to your liking. Fold more and taste is my theory. Add oregano, fold, then add bread crumbs a litlle at a time to get a firm yet moist consistency. Add parmesan to your liking and fold again. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let everything combine.

When ready to cook, I remove the stems from the mushrooms a scoop out the insides. Spoon a heaping batch of crab goodness in the mushrooms and form with a spoon.
I smoked these at 225 for about 25-30 minutes and they were great. The heat was noticeable but quickly eased to a sweet and warm crab melt! In the oven I do them 350 15-20 min. You can telll when they are done.

Happy eating!

 

[bgeek]

Smoked a brisket this year for Thanksgiving. Spiced with kosher salt and cracked pepper and left it on the bbq for about 12hrs. Used mesquite lump charcoal for coals and hickory/oak chunks for smoke. Turned out awesome. :rockin:

 

[billtzk]

1lb dungess crab, fresh and I shelled my own after steaming.
1.5lb Mushrooms, large enough to hold the stuffing
Bread crumbs
Garlic
Chipotle in Adobo-small can
Oregano
Parmesan fresh grated
Mayo - I used the new mayo with olive oil

In a blender or processor drop in the can of Chipotle and about 5-6 big cloves of garlic. Puree until blended. Scoop out in put in a container with a lid. You will only use a portion. I found mixing this concoction with butter and brushing on corn is yummy too if you like heat.
Back to the shrooms. In a bowl with the crab meat add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayo. Fold just a bit. Now is time to add the chipotle. Start with a small spoonfull, taste and then leave alone or and more to your liking. Fold more and taste is my theory. Add oregano, fold, then add bread crumbs a litlle at a time to get a firm yet moist consistency. Add parmesan to your liking and fold again. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let everything combine.

When ready to cook, I remove the stems from the mushrooms a scoop out the insides. Spoon a heaping batch of crab goodness in the mushrooms and form with a spoon.
I smoked these at 225 for about 25-30 minutes and they were great. The heat was noticeable but quickly eased to a sweet and warm crab melt! In the oven I do them 350 15-20 min. You can telll when they are done.

Happy eating!

Man that sounds great. Thank you! for the recipe. I'll be trying this out soon.

 

[billtzk]

Smoked a brisket this year for Thanksgiving. Spiced with kosher salt and cracked pepper and left it on the bbq for about 12hrs. Used mesquite lump charcoal for coals and hickory/oak chunks for smoke. Turned out awesome. :rockin:

Beautiful. What temp did you smoke it at?

 

[bgeek]

Beautiful. What temp did you smoke it at?

The temp was hard to control, due to the wind, but I was able to keep it between 200F-300F.

 

[McLompoc]

Man that sounds great. Thank you! for the recipe. I'll be trying this out soon.

No worries at all! Love to cook! And I have used this topping on New Zealand green lip mussels! Outrageous!

 

[cabron99]

Maybe I've got this all wrong, but I let the wife do her usual excellent job with the turkey and I went out in the back yard and smoked a Havana Partagas Lusitania. Accompanied by some of my homebrewed IPA. Works for me.

 

[corkybstewart]

My birds, 2011

 

[JoeyChopps]

Sweet shirt

 

[corkybstewart]

Sweet shirt

Dress-up Aloha