first turkey - a little help with timing please?

[yardbird]

Gonna do a whole turkey in my Smoke Hollow propane cabinet smoker. :)

I've done whole chickens, chicken leg quarters, and a 4 pound meatloaf, but never a whole turkey.

I will be brining in the slaughterhouse brine overnight.

I'd LIKE to run the smoker about 325 as I seem to get my best chickens at that temp.

The turkey is a 12 to 14 pounder. I know there are variables, but how long would you guess a 14 pound turkey will need at 325?

I searched, but I'm not coming up with this and I have to get back to work on the kitchen remodel :)

Thanks!

Charlie

 

[mdboatbum]

OK, I'll be the first smart a$$. Just cook it 'til it's done. That being said, it will depend on whether not you spatchcock it. Probably a little under 3 hours if spatched, a little over 4 if it's not. 160˚ in the white meat before a 20 minute rest will give you perfectly cooked, moist tender meat. When the white meat hits 160˚ the dark should be around 170˚.

Since the higher temps will give you shorter cook times, a stronger wood like mesquite or hickory will give you good smoke flavor without overpowering.

 

[yardbird]

Won't be spatchcocking it. Might stand it on its tail if my holder will hold it nice and stable. If not, it'll be down and dirty. It'll be brined and rubbed, but not injected. I don't have the tools to inject it but I'll get the rub under the skin like I do on the chickens. I use apple wood on the chickens and I only run smoke about 1/4 to 1/2 the time they're in the box. The cook in 60 to 90 minutes though. My wife doesn't like stuff that's OVER smoked, but she likes the way the chickens have been coming out.

I'll be doing about 7 or 8 pounds of split chicken breasts today. Just got a call and have to pick up my island countertop tomorrow morning so probably won't do this turkey until Sunday.

Island counter top is 41 inches wide by 8 feet long walnut about inch and a quarter thick and I have to round over the edges, and cut the hole for the cooktop to set into and then sand the entire thing .... again.... and then start putting a finish on it (Waterlox). Applying the finish will take 5 days minimum. BUT.... once I get it here, cut and sanded, I'll have plenty of time to run the smoker. It's 24 hours between coats on this finish.

Anyways.... sounds like if I put it in around noon, dinner around 4:30 or 5 wouldn't be out of the question. Not that we have a set time that we have to eat dinner. Just trying to ballpark it so it's not ready at 2pm or 8pm :)

 

[scarbelly]

When I do a turkey I figure the cook time of 20 min # so in your case 14 X 20 = 280 /60 = 4.6 hours cook time and add 20 min rest. Adjust to the actual weight of the bird  

Use a therm and take it to 165-170 in the  breast then let it rest. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

At a consistent 325*F you can figure 20 minutes per pound...JJ

 

[kcphilaflyer]

but i split mine, so it will cook faster, but still get an idea

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125315/13lb-turkey-with-tqview#post_846514

 

[yardbird]

OK well so much for the smoker....  I went to start it up for the chicken and it wouldn't light properly. Big yellow flame. Figured it had tripped the regulator so I tried resetting it several times. No dice. It's not the tank, it's the regulator on the smoker. I have a couple tanks and it does the same thing regardless of which propane tank I try. Called Smoke Hollow and they led me through a couple things I had already done and then said it sounds like I need a new regulator.

YA THINK?

So.... I'm smoking the chicken in my Weber kettle using charcoal. Takes a bit more tending, but so far seems ok. I don't think I'd want to try a turkey this way though. The turkey was supposed to be a practice run for thanksgiving. Not sure I want to leave it in the fridge for a week until a new regulator gets here.

I'm bummed. Makes me want to have more than one smoker, that's for sure :)

 

[red dog]

There are several good videos of turkey done on the Weber kettle on youtube. Looks to me like it works pretty good.

 

[old_dog]

I had a similar problem with my propane cabinet smoker.  I couldn't get a good blue flame (mostly yellow) and couldn't get up to temperature.  Problem ended up being a web in the orifice of the venturi.  Cleaned it out with a small screwdriver, and it was as good as new.

If that wasn't one of the manufacturer's checks, you might want to try it.
 

 

[jirodriguez]

I had a similar problem with my propane cabinet smoker.  I couldn't get a good blue flame (mostly yellow) and couldn't get up to temperature.  Problem ended up being a web in the orifice of the venturi.  Cleaned it out with a small screwdriver, and it was as good as new.

If that wasn't one of the manufacturer's checks, you might want to try it.
 

Yup.... spider webs in the venturi is a definate must check. Can't tell you how many times my old gas grill would have that issue, just run a pipe cleaner through it.

 

[yardbird]

You guys are awesome. That was it. Webs in the venturi tube. I didn't have a spider brush or pipe cleaner, but I DID have a coil of 12 gauge primary wire (stranded). So I cut off a length, stripped the end about 3/4 inch back and "fluffed" the strands into a makeshift brush. Done deal. I have blue flame again. :)

Now.... since I don't have a cooktop in the kitchen yet, it looks like I'll need to fire up the charcoal grill to heat the water to make the brine for the turkey. This is turning into a lot of work! hehehe.

 

[red dog]

Glad you got it going Charlie. Hope your turkey smoke goes well.