1st turkey on Sat...this sound right?

[mattmuir]

Hello all, going to do my 1st turkey on Sat morning and this is my plan. Just wanted to know if I am on the right track.

20lb bird brined for 24 hrs starting Friday AM.

Sat, start bird at 185 for 8 hrs then 275 for 3 1/2 or so more till temp is 160 to 165. Then gobble up.

oops! Does the turley need to be in the fridge durring the brine? I know dumb question but I dont know the answer.

 

[nsh22]

Yes, it must be in the fridge at all times! What all is going in your brine?

 

[mattmuir]

Kosher Salt, I think I read that I need around 3/4 cup. Is there room more more goodies in the brine?

 

[dfess1]

i have found that it works better with smaller birds. 12-14 lbs. I used a brine with apple juice, pickling spice, worchester sauce, kosher salt. It came out pretty damn good.

 

[DirtyOldDuck]

Please don't take this wrong but you should do some more research on smoking a turkey before you try this. Turkey should not be cooked low and slow like other bbq. A 20 pound turkey at 185 degrees for that many hours could be dangerous. 12 to 14 pounds is about the max weight for smoking a turkey, and even then the smoker should be at least 250 degrees or so, otherwise the meat stays in the danger zone for too long and you can end up with salmonella. 185 for 8 hours is way too low in my opinion, especially at that weight. Personally, I would not cook a 12 pound turkey for that long at 185.

Even if the turkey is safe to eat, cooking it low and slow will dry out the meat. A 12 pound turkey (I prefer a dry rub without brining) at 250 degrees will give you a wonderfully juicy and done turkey (minimum internal temp of 165) in 5 or 6 hours.

 

[Skagdog]

Hello all, going to do my 1st turkey on Sat morning and this is my plan. Just wanted to know if I am on the right track.

20lb bird brined for 24 hrs starting Friday AM.

Sat, start bird at 185 for 8 hrs then 275 for 3 1/2 or so more till temp is 160 to 165. Then gobble up.

oops! Does the turley need to be in the fridge durring the brine? I know dumb question but I dont know the answer.

I've been smoking turkey's for nearly 10 years and have never ruined Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Here's my process:

1) 100% thaw the turkey in the fridge
2) Brine the turkey in a cooler (1 cup salt, 1 bottle of Wild Turkey 101, water to cover the bird. Add cubes, and keep adding ice cubes every 6-8 hours, as needed.
You don't want to waste tons of money on bunches of spices because the final product will taste like smoked turkey and you won't be able to pick out the individual onions, garlic, etc...
3) Smoke at 212 to 220 for 40 minutes per pound before you even think of opening the lid

**The more you open the lid to look at the bird, the longer it has to cook and the irregular temp may have an affect on the final product.

You may want to invest in a digital thermometer that is designed to be left in the bird and the smoker for the duration. It measures meat temp and smoker temp close to the bird. If you have one of these, there's no need to disturb the heat by opening the lid.

Once it's 160 I remove it from the heat and wrap in a minimum of 2 layers of foil.

Let it rest in this state for at least one hour.

I wet smoke with charcoal and apple.

WARNING: This is not the only way to do it, this is how I do it. You will develop a way that works for you after several smokes. It's

Lastly, if you can access the heat chamber without taking the lid off, throw a can of Original SPAM on there for a couple of hours.

 

[Diver165]

Please don't take this wrong but you should do some more research on smoking a turkey before you try this. Turkey should not be cooked low and slow like other bbq. A 20 pound turkey at 185 degrees for that many hours could be dangerous. 12 to 14 pounds is about the max weight for smoking a turkey, and even then the smoker should be at least 250 degrees or so, otherwise the meat stays in the danger zone for too long and you can end up with salmonella. 185 for 8 hours is way too low in my opinion, especially at that weight. Personally, I would not cook a 12 pound turkey for that long at 185.

Even if the turkey is safe to eat, cooking it low and slow will dry out the meat. A 12 pound turkey (I prefer a dry rub without brining) at 250 degrees will give you a wonderfully juicy and done turkey (minimum internal temp of 165) in 5 or 6 hours.

+1 on this.

You're not breaking down connective tissues like you are in beef and pork. No need to go low and slow. AMOF if you go low and slow you'll likely have shoe leather for skin. I usually smoke turkeys for 3-5hrs depending on size at 300F. Time isn't so much important when smoking as internal temp is. When smoking just remember, it's done with it's done.

Since fowl has a lower fat content in the meat and little connective tissues you're shooting more to maintain moisture. That's why I brine all the birds I smoke. Salt, brown sugar, apple juice and water that is all. Brine only a completely thawed bird. I put mine in a small rubber maid container that fits on the bottom shelf of my 2nd fridge for 8hrs minimum. Now all that being said, there are many that don't brine. And that's fine too. But you'll find most of those are using pre-brined turkeys. I like my results and have no reason to change. I usually start out with a turkey with less than 6% brine solution added. I like to add my own though. Some of the Butter Ball turkeys can be found with 18% or more solution.

 

[mattmuir]

I dont think the long low temp was for tenderness but more for smoke. I have a new GMG Pelet grill and this time schedule is in the recipe section. The wood pellets do give a great smokey flavor but much more is produced at the 185 mark than the higher temps. I can cook fast and get done, but may not have the same flavor. They do say to tent when the proper color is achieved. I do trust the advice given,but does it change because this is a pellet stove?

 

[Diver165]

You'd be surprised how well fowl accept smoke.

I do mine at 300F and the smoke flavor is all the way through. The real reason to smoke at a higher temp for turkeys and chickens is the fat you're trying to render out of the skin. If you don't get it hot enough to crisp up the skin it will be inedible. No joke...it will be like eating a peice of naugihide.

But have fun with it. Smokin meat is fun and a learning curve just like brewing. There really isn't a right or a wrong way. Just be sure whatever you're cooking reaches a proper temp for food safety sake.

 

[mattmuir]

I have been doing beef and pork and chicken for a long time....just a first for the big turkey. Your right though just like brewing, half the fun is the journey.

here is the directions from the web site

Turn the grill on and set it to 185°. When that temperature stabilizes, put the turkey in the grill. On humid days, I recommend that you cover it for the first hour, since some sooting may occur until the atmosphere inside dries out.
Make a mixture of 1 cup of apple juice and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Put this in a small spray bottle which you can get at Wal-Mart for about one dollar. Spritz (spray) the turkey about once per hour. Make sure that you spritz thoroughly, especially inside the bird’s cavities.
Cook the turkey for about 8 hours, regardless of the size of the bird.
After 8 hours, turn the bird over. Turn the grill up to 275°.
Push a metal meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, about 3/4" away from the bone. Push it straight down into the bird until it touches the bone, and then back it out about 1/2". Leave the thermometer in.
Continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes per pound until the temperature on the meat thermometer reaches 160°. If the skin becomes browner than you like during this period, you can cover the breast with aluminum foil. Remove the turkey from the grill, cover it completely with foil, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes, during which time the temperature will continue to rise to 165.

 

[passedpawn]

I did mine this Christmas at 400F. It is a 20# bird. Brined overnight with ice and vegetable broth. Cooked till 160 internal. Came out absolutely perfect. About 4.5 hours.

 

[mattmuir]

Wait, your pool is not covered in Dec Turkey looks just fantastic.

 

[Diver165]

That's a nice bird!

...cross that off the list of things I never thought I'd say to another guy.