Smoking to a deadline

whistlepig · Jan 21, 2012

I'm still pretty much a rookie smoker and need a little help. I was asked to smoke a ham and a turkey breast for a family get together that is an hour away. The ham is a 11# fully cooked spiral sliced ham and the turkey is a 9.5# Honeysuckle bone in breast. I have a a MES30. I am brining the turkey tonight. I'm a little worried about the timing. Done too soon and the food will be cold. Done too late and we'll get there late. So temps and timing are kind of important. I sure would appreciate some help tonight!

scarbelly · Jan 21, 2012

Smoke it like you would normally do for your house stopping about 5 * short and plan on it finishing 2 hours ahead of time so you have a cushion. Wrap it in foil and into a cooler filled with warm towels and go deliver it to the dinner

Enjoy and dont forget the qview

alblancher · Jan 21, 2012

Done to soon wrap in towels and put in an icechest to keep warm. The skin may not be as crispy as you like but the meat will only get better.

sprky · Jan 21, 2012

Scarbelly said:
Smoke it like you would normally do for your house stopping about 5 * short and plan on it finishing 2 hours ahead of time so you have a cushion. Wrap it in foil and into a cooler filled with warm towels and go deliver it to the dinner

Enjoy and dont forget the qview

X2

whistlepig · Jan 21, 2012

I have read about foiling the cooked meat, wrapping them in towels, and putting them in an insulated chest. I'm set up for that. So you think two hours in a cooler plus the hour drive and the meat will still be ready to put on the table when I get there? A two hour cushion sure would be nice.

davidhef88 · Jan 21, 2012

I foiled and coolerde 2 pork butts for 4 hours this past summer. when I went to pull them they were too hot to touch bare handed. couldnt believe how they stayed hot toweled.

JckDanls 07 · Jan 21, 2012

The only problem I have found with coolering turkey breast is that it seemed to dry out a lil... I would try to plan on it getting done right before you leave... If it takes a little longer, so be it. They will forgive you once they take a bite of either...

whistlepig · Jan 21, 2012

This turkey breast will be my second attempt at a bone in turkey breast. I overcooked on the first attempt and didn't brine. I did inject it with Butterball Buttery Creole. The flavor was good but the meat was way too dry. Also no water in my pan on the first try. I've made some adjustments. I bought a Thermopen and a Maverick ET-732 to watch the temps. I am brining for the first time tonight. And there will be water in the pan this time. I'm trying to get the best juicy turkey and the smoked flavor at the same time.

JckDanls 07 · Jan 21, 2012

well your on the right track then... I always brine turkey and chicken... and they are always juicy..

whistlepig · Jan 21, 2012

No advice on time and temperature as of yet. I'm guessing 5 hours on the 9.5# bone in turkey breast @240 degrees. Three hours @ 240 degrees on the precooked 11# spiral cooked ham. Gotta figure out what time and what temp to start the smoke in the morning. Ham and turkey at the same time tomorrow.

whistlepig · Jan 21, 2012

Guess I'll just wing it tomorrow on the time and temps.

berninga87 · Jan 22, 2012

I think that sounds about right for the turkey, but I dont usually do poultry under 260 (I aim for between 270 and 290), its not really a low and slow type meat and will stay a little juicier cooked at higher temp, also the skin will be a little crispier if there is any on it. Brining is for sure the way to go and you'll see why soon! As for the ham I wish I could offer more help, I'm fairly new with smoking myself and I've done a few butts but lots of chickens and a turkey. Knowing the ham is cooked helps a little so you dont have to worry about actually cooking it, it just needs smoke. I really dont know the best temp to smoke a pre cooked ham but im guess it's under 250, so to be on the safe side If I were in the same situation, I would use whatever time I have before I have to put the turkey on to get the ham in at a lower temp and get a good amount of smoke to it, and when I have to put the turkey on and turn up the temp just finish the ham in the oven. Im pretty confident on the advice i gave for the turkey but like I said I'm not 100% on the ham. However you choose to do it if you end up with both in the smoker at the same time, poultry always goes on bottom to avoid cross contamination. Also, Qview please! and good luck! PM me if you need anything else I'll try to help, If I dont know I'm sure I can find the answer

teeznuts · Jan 22, 2012

whistlepig said:
No advice on time and temperature as of yet. I'm guessing 5 hours on the 9.5# bone in turkey breast @240 degrees. Three hours @ 240 degrees on the precooked 11# spiral cooked ham. Gotta figure out what time and what temp to start the smoke in the morning. Ham and turkey at the same time tomorrow.

Here's a couple honeysuckles I did. I didn't time the 9.42# in the original thread but the next day I did an 8.8# that took 4hrs 23min cooking at 225 degrees in my mes30

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/112571/holiday-turkey-practice-with-q-view

Here's some partially cooked hams. They vary by weight but 10# were running me between 7-8 hours on average but they were not fully cooked.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/108964/another-sunday-ham-with-q-view

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/111882/smoked-ham-with-q-view-inspired-by-smokinal

Hope this helps and inspires you.

SmokinAl · Jan 22, 2012

Good luck & don't forget the camera!

africanmeat · Jan 22, 2012

SmokinAl said:
Good luck & don't forget the camera!

X2

scarbelly · Jan 22, 2012

Looking forward to seeing the qview

whistlepig · Jan 22, 2012

Thanks teeznuts. That was the kind of advice that I needed. And the help from others well appreciated also. This came out far better than I had hoped for. The family loved the ham but they really raved over the turkey. My best compliment was from my 28 year old nephew. He has hated the taste of turkey since he was a small child. I seen him go back for thirds on the turkey. The ham was rubbed with mustard and Simply Marvelous Cherry rub and glazed with pure maple syrup and honey. The turkey was brined overnight in the slaughterhouse brine, rubbed with Simply Marvelous Sweet Seduction, and injected with Butterball Buttery Creole marinade. 3 hours on the ham and 5 hours on the turkey @ 240 degrees. Used Cherry wood. You guys were right. Once you have tried brining a turkey you'll never do it any other way.

berninga87 · Jan 22, 2012

glad to see everything worked out for you!

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