Howdy

[brazos]

Nice site. I'm relatively new to smoking, have a new Bradley 6 rack digital which I am enjoying a lot. I'm making a practice run on a 12 pound turkey right now. I'm a little concerned about the inner temp on the bird. It has been in the smoker about 4 hours now (about 3 at cooking temp) and the temp in the breast is not quite 140 yet. Is that safe? I pre-heated the smoker to 200 degrees, then put 2 chickens and the turkey in. Then it took about an hour for the temp to get back above 200.
Thanks.

 

[ba_loko]

Welcome to the site, Brazos.

As far as your turkey, I'd crank the temp up. With poultry you can cook at higher temps, and probably should. I'd try 300 and see what your results are. A 12lbs turkey should take about 4 hours or so at 300F degrees, if I remember correctly.

 

[crewdawg52]

Big HOWDY to SMF, glad ya found us! Hope you enjoy the place as much as we do!

 

[ron50]

Hey Brazos:


First of, welcome to the forum. I think your temperature is too low. You should be shooting for at least 250 degrees even higher for poultry as there isn't really any benefit to low and slow for poultry. In addition you shouldn't have put the bird in until the smoker until it had reached cooking temperature.

You really don't want the bird in the 40 - 140 degree range for more then 4 hours due to excessive bacteria growth.

 

[rip]

Welcome to the site, you came to the right place.

 

[brazos]

Thanks all. I've been cooking at 240. I'll crank the next one up some. Sounds like the bird should be OK if 4 hours is the guideline for below 140. Thanks for the help and tips.

 

[deejaydebi]

Welcome Brazos -

I've never used that kind of smoker can you get higher temperature in there? I brine em and go 300 to 375 for a nice crispy skin. That birds skin is gonna be like rubber!

 

[smokeys my pet]

Welcome Brazos to smf keep coming back for tons of smoke and great info.

 

[twomill]

Welcome,

Pull up a chair and read lot of experience to be had in here and share your own~ good and bad.

 

[homebrew & bbq]

Welcome to SMF! As you're already finding out, the folks around here are always willing to give you a hand if you just ask.

Glad to have you with us.

 

[richoso1]

Welcome to the SMF, once you get use to your smoker you'll be keeping your brazos (Spanish for arms) busy! Be the way, where are you from? Anypace where you can setup a smoker has got to be good.

 

[brazos]

Hola Richoso!
I live in Washington State now, but I grew up on the banks of the Double Mountain fork of the Brazos River in west Texas.