JimDog
Freelance Gynecologist
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 208
Loc: Columbia
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I've smoked lots of stuff, but for some reason, never a whole turkey. I have a 14 pounder that I am planning on smoking this weekend. Other then thawing it - what should I do with it?
I am planning on rubbing it just like I would a pork loin. Do you put anything in the body cavity? Should I brine it first? If yes - for how long? What about injecting it? I know a lot of people go that route, but I think that by perforating it with the needle would allow a lot of the juice to escape - and I hates me some dry turkey.
And how much time should I plan on letting it smoke? I use an el-cheapo brinkman charcoal smoker, and try to keep it in the "ideal" range on the thermometer.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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HAUS
member for now
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 4085
Loc: Paradise
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i did a whole one a few yrs ago on a weber charcoal grill and hickory. best turkey i had ever had. without boring you with details, here is what i followed. I have a pellet smoker now and i still use the same principles.
http://www.weber.com/grillout/recipes/poultry/brined-and-barbecued-turkey-with-pan-gravy
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Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day..
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dabs
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 5971278
Loc: New Money, USA
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Jim;
I have smoke quite a few turkeys on charcoal, gas and electric smokers.
Don't know what Haus gave you and it might be really good advice - but this is what I have done.
I thawed the birds completely and pulled all of the giblet stuff out of them - soaked them in a 50/50 water and apple juice mixture for about 12 hours in the fridge and then rubbed them right before smoking - I did a few different variations of rub over the different times.
I also put a few sticks of butter in the cavity before placing in the smoker, and this is the most important part in my mind - I always smoked them breast down. it can mess the skin up on the breast, but it allows all the juices and some of the butter to go into the breast and keeps them moist.
I put two more sticks of butter into the chest cavity about 5 hours into it.
Just my .02 cents.
dab
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dabs
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 5971278
Loc: New Money, USA
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How did the damn turkey turn out? 
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JimDog
Freelance Gynecologist
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 208
Loc: Columbia
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Abso-freakin-unbelievable...
My main concern was the time. I like to pull the meat off and serve it hot, so I was trying to figure out what time to put it on and have it ready at 6. The answer turned out to be noon.
On the lower grate, I did a whole pork loin cut in half and brined for 24 hours then rubbed my my magic dust. On the top rack I did the turkey, also brined for 24 hours, mopped with melted butter and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. I threw a stick of butter in the cavity for good measure. I couldn't bring myself to smoke it breast down. I didn't want it to stick to the grate and look less then something you would see on the cover of Bon Apetite.
I used the same brine on both - it is the recipe in Haus's link. Instead of dumping the brine after the soak, I used it in the water bowl in my smoker. I checked it about every hour. and added charcoal and wood as necessary to keep it in the ideal range on the thermometer. I also used a baster to suck some of the melted butter out of the cavity and squirted it on the bird a couple of times during the process. Oh - and I used green pecan.
I really should have taken a picture, but my guests were like vultures hovering around the kitchen as I pulled it off the grill. Both the pork loin and the turkey turned out perfect.
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dabs
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 5971278
Loc: New Money, USA
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Glad it turned out good.
Never used green wood before - I thought it put a bitter tasted in the meat???? Can you shed light on that?
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H2ODOG
the one who never tires
Reged: 12/22/05
Posts: 11021
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What temp did you try to keep the turkey at??? I've always been worried about the damn bird drying out, so I put it in a pan and covered in fol the last couple hours. Gonna have to try this way. Don't smoke a bird often, but it sounds moist and damn tasty
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It’s better to be hated for who you are, instead of loved for who you aren’t.
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HAUS
member for now
Reged: 12/14/05
Posts: 4085
Loc: Paradise
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if you smoke it in the pan with broth, you can cook it breast down for awhile and then flip it over allowing the breast meat to get smoke flavored. mine wasn't dry at all and came out a nice burgundy color. i'd post a pic, but i'm blocked from such shenanigans here at work 
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Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day..
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JimDog
Freelance Gynecologist
Reged: 12/13/05
Posts: 208
Loc: Columbia
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Quote:
dabs said:
Never used green wood before - I thought it put a bitter tasted in the meat???? Can you shed light on that?
DuckMeRunnin is the one that turned me on to using green wood. He gave me a piece of green pecan a couple of years ago, and I've used nothing else ever since. In October I scored about 5 green pecan logs. They are about 18" long and maybe 8 - 10" in diameter. I tried splitting one of the logs with a maul, and after a dozen solid hits, gave up.
So I took the ole chainsaw to em, and cut off 2" slices of the log - then split those into chunks. They'll smoke for a good couple of hours. The smoke is sweet - not bitter at all.
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