Hi everyone! First off, I want to say how thankful I am for this site. I have only just begun smoking this past year and it has been an awesome ride!
So I picked up a 21 and 3/4 lb Turkey from a local turkey farm. It is a free range chicken and fresh as can be. I was able to get a decent discount but it was by far the most expensive turkey I have ever paid for ($69). I brined the bird Tuesday night until about 9am Thanksgiving morning. I used 3 cups of brown sugar/1 cup of sea salt/ 1 teaspoon of #1pink salt for each gallon of water. I used 5 gallons of distilled water and placed the bird in a cooler with some ice cubes. Here is what he looks like:
After rinsing and drying the turkey I let it sit for 45 minutes to air dry. I then towel dried it one more time. I then cut up some butter and packed it in between the skin and the breast. I used one stick for this. I then rubbed on some olive oil and used a rub that consisted of a teaspoon each of Mickey and T's Gourmet Poultry rub, Fat Boy Sweet Rub, Coarse Ground Black Pepper and 3 TableSpoons of Brown Sugar. Here he is after that:
I then placed the turkey in a round pie tin. I filled the pie tin up with a half a can of Hoptronix Beer, 4 oz of Makers Mark Bourbon, 4 oz of Apple Cider Vinegar. I then quartered two small apples, two small pears, fresh garlic cloves, and half of a Vidalia Sweet Onion.
I loaded him up in my Masterbuilt 40 inch vertical smoker. I put him in at 10:28am and kept the temp at 290 the entire time. I used a mixture of apple and cherry chips at three points during the smoke. I used them as soon as I put the big guy in, one time after we passed the danger zone of 140, and then again when the IT was at 160. We passed the danger zone about 3 hrs in. I took him out at 3:10pm so just shy of five hours. Here he is:
Here it is being carved up and served. The smoke ring on the breast came out great!
So how did it taste? Full disclosure, I am not a fan of turkey. Quite frankly, I have NEVER had a turkey I liked. I smoked this for my family and then took it to my mother in laws house who cooked a turkey the normal way. It was a Butterball. I will say this, no one touched her turkey and mine was gone. It was the best turkey I have ever tasted. My wife whispered in my ear that this was the best turkey she has ever had and that she hopes I am prepared to do this every year. I then reminded her about the cost and she said, I don't care! Happy wife happy life, right!
Now I don't know if the turkey tasted so good due to the free range turkey it was or if it was because of the smoke. I plan on doing the exact same thing with a butterball next and will update you all!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Smoke On!
So I picked up a 21 and 3/4 lb Turkey from a local turkey farm. It is a free range chicken and fresh as can be. I was able to get a decent discount but it was by far the most expensive turkey I have ever paid for ($69). I brined the bird Tuesday night until about 9am Thanksgiving morning. I used 3 cups of brown sugar/1 cup of sea salt/ 1 teaspoon of #1pink salt for each gallon of water. I used 5 gallons of distilled water and placed the bird in a cooler with some ice cubes. Here is what he looks like:
After rinsing and drying the turkey I let it sit for 45 minutes to air dry. I then towel dried it one more time. I then cut up some butter and packed it in between the skin and the breast. I used one stick for this. I then rubbed on some olive oil and used a rub that consisted of a teaspoon each of Mickey and T's Gourmet Poultry rub, Fat Boy Sweet Rub, Coarse Ground Black Pepper and 3 TableSpoons of Brown Sugar. Here he is after that:
I then placed the turkey in a round pie tin. I filled the pie tin up with a half a can of Hoptronix Beer, 4 oz of Makers Mark Bourbon, 4 oz of Apple Cider Vinegar. I then quartered two small apples, two small pears, fresh garlic cloves, and half of a Vidalia Sweet Onion.
I loaded him up in my Masterbuilt 40 inch vertical smoker. I put him in at 10:28am and kept the temp at 290 the entire time. I used a mixture of apple and cherry chips at three points during the smoke. I used them as soon as I put the big guy in, one time after we passed the danger zone of 140, and then again when the IT was at 160. We passed the danger zone about 3 hrs in. I took him out at 3:10pm so just shy of five hours. Here he is:
Here it is being carved up and served. The smoke ring on the breast came out great!
So how did it taste? Full disclosure, I am not a fan of turkey. Quite frankly, I have NEVER had a turkey I liked. I smoked this for my family and then took it to my mother in laws house who cooked a turkey the normal way. It was a Butterball. I will say this, no one touched her turkey and mine was gone. It was the best turkey I have ever tasted. My wife whispered in my ear that this was the best turkey she has ever had and that she hopes I am prepared to do this every year. I then reminded her about the cost and she said, I don't care! Happy wife happy life, right!
Now I don't know if the turkey tasted so good due to the free range turkey it was or if it was because of the smoke. I plan on doing the exact same thing with a butterball next and will update you all!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Smoke On!
