# First turkey.



## fpnmf (Oct 4, 2010)

A 12 pound fresh turkey. Brined for 24 hrs.

Rinsed,dried and spkinkled with garlic and pepper.

Pecan in the AMAZEN.

In the MES at 250 for 6 hours.

Somehat crispy, very juicy and delicious tasting.

Had a small issue with the AMAZEN,talked with Todd and it was fixed.

Mashed potatoes,gravy and peas. The Woman sez yummie!

A great Sunday. Enough leftovers for a few days of not cooking.


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## eman (Oct 4, 2010)

Nice looking bird !

 Just did my first turkey breast last weekend.(nobody here eats dark meat) Chalk up another thing to do again.

 I have a question , Did you start w/ water or liquid in your pan or is that just  juices from the bird?


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## fpnmf (Oct 4, 2010)

No water or liquid. Just juice...made some terrific gravy too by golly.
 


eman said:


> Nice looking bird !
> 
> Just did my first turkey breast last weekend.(nobody here eats dark meat) Chalk up another thing to do again.
> 
> I have a question , Did you start w/ water or liquid in your pan or is that just  juices from the bird?


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## jbg4208 (Oct 4, 2010)

That looks great!! I loved me some smoked turkey. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I did 6 turkeys last year for our church thanksgiving meal. I brined them over night, water,half salt, half sugar and other spices. That was some good stuff. The thing is though, take the smoked drippings from the turkey and make the gravy. WOW that was an amazing flavor!! Just something to try.


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## bbqmzungu (Oct 4, 2010)

I have done a smoked turkey for the last few Thanksgivings.  Try this:  When you make the brine, use maple syrup instead of sugar and then brush the bird with maple syrup while it smokes.  FABULOUS.

BBQMzungu


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## dave54 (Oct 4, 2010)

Aren't you glad you saved the drippings?

 Nice looking turkey!!!


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## mballi3011 (Oct 4, 2010)

Now thats one fine looking bird you have there.


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## fpnmf (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks folks... I do appreciate the comments and all the help that I have found on this site.

 I am getting the hang of the electric smoker. Lots easier than fighting with the BGE for smoking.

Going to try the Bear chuckie recipe this weekend.


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## rdknb (Oct 4, 2010)

that makes me want to go get a turkey


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## jbg4208 (Oct 5, 2010)

BBQMzungu said:


> I have done a smoked turkey for the last few Thanksgivings.  Try this:  When you make the brine, use maple syrup instead of sugar and then brush the bird with maple syrup while it smokes.  FABULOUS.
> 
> BBQMzungu


That sound Excellent!! I will have to try that. Thanks for the tip.


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## tjohnson (Oct 6, 2010)

Did moving the AMNS up to the water pan work?

Todd


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## sqwib (Oct 7, 2010)

Skin crisped up nice, very impressive.


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## fpnmf (Oct 7, 2010)

I didn' tent it real well so it got dripped on and went out. Cleaned it and put in one lane and back to the bottom. Finished nicely.

Thanks for your help Todd!

Sliced the last of the juicy breast today.

Bought a 4 pound chuck roast today.. Will be doing a chuckie this weekend.
 


TJohnson said:


> Did moving the AMNS up to the water pan work?
> 
> Todd


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## tjohnson (Oct 8, 2010)

Tent is good.

Did skipping the middle row help, or did you place it in the water pan?

TJ


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## kathrynn (Nov 16, 2012)

This is the prettiest one I have seen yet.  Looking to get suggestions tips/tricks for this next week.I am whining because I don't wanna "brine"!!!


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## fpnmf (Nov 16, 2012)

KathrynN said:


> This is the prettiest one I have seen yet.  Looking to get suggestions tips/tricks for this next week.I am whining because I don't wanna "brine"!!!



Why would you not want to brine???


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## kathrynn (Nov 16, 2012)

Space and clogging up my kitchen...but I do have a cooler that I could use for it.  Just have never brined anything...and didn't want to.  I dont brine my chicken before I fry them...I know some do tho.  When I am thawing turkeys I usually fridge thaw...then use the sink with water to thaw the rest of the way...keeping watch on the water temps so the meat does not spoil.  Just very "terrified" of the turkey this go round.  Then I have noticed the cost of peanut oil!  Can you say YIPES!  Costco has some for $49.00 a box...and I need 1 and 1/2 boxes for my fryer.  We may have just 2 smoked ones this year. I guess you could say I am a little "chicken" about the turkeys!


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## fpnmf (Nov 16, 2012)

KathrynN said:


> Then I have noticed the cost of peanut oil!  Can you say YIPES!  Costco has some for $49.00 a box...and I need 1 and 1/2 boxes for my fryer.




I was going to buy peanut oil til I saw the price at Winn Dixie...16.99 per gallon..I got canola...


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## kathrynn (Nov 17, 2012)

Can you use Canola instead in the fryers?  I was always told the peanut oil was needed.  I would do that too.  Lynn's (Hubby) jaw dropped last nite when I told him about the cost of the oil this year.


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## yardbird (Nov 18, 2012)

KathrynN said:


> Space and clogging up my kitchen...but I do have a cooler that I could use for it.  Just have never brined anything...and didn't want to.  I dont brine my chicken before I fry them...I know some do tho.  When I am thawing turkeys I usually fridge thaw...then use the sink with water to thaw the rest of the way...keeping watch on the water temps so the meat does not spoil.  Just very "terrified" of the turkey this go round.  Then I have noticed the cost of peanut oil!  Can you say YIPES!  Costco has some for $49.00 a box...and I need 1 and 1/2 boxes for my fryer.  We may have just 2 smoked ones this year. I guess you could say I am a little "chicken" about the turkeys!


Turkey is just a big chicken. That's what I was told when I started and turns out to be exactly true. :)

You don't have to clog up your kitchen or fridge. Put the turkey in a brining bag, pour in the brine, and then put the bird-in-a-bag into a 5 gallon bucket or a small cooler and put ice around it. I'd use a cooler if brining over night. Mix the salt, sugar, vinega, spices, and whatever in just enough water to get things to disolve over heat. Then instead of waiting for a couple gallons of brine to cool, you mix it with enough ice water to make up the batch. That cools it off just fine. And you use less brine I think when you bag 'em. HAve to look at my notes but I think the last 14 pound turkey only needed a gallon and a half of brine in a bag. Squeeze the air out. Done. I can put them in a cooler on the back porch here in the summer time and still have ice in the cooler the next morning. So they're staying cool enough.


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## kathrynn (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks!  I have done chickens and they were easy. Got Big Poppa all cleaned up and ready for Wednesday.


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## sqwib (Nov 19, 2012)

Not to distract from Craigs post but I'm with these guys Brining is very easy.

I only brine big birds, It can be the difference between a dry bird and a extremely moist bird.

Brining gives you a larger window here.

My Method.

Bird goes in cooler, add Brine and ice, place cooler outside on the deck.

After the bird is removed I dump the water in the utility sink, clean the sink with a bleach based cleaner and the cooler as well. My wife does the rest.

I tried deep frying turkey as well, but to me its not worth the cost and hassle, if you have a place to store the oil and supplies and to fry the bird, then it may be worth it, or if you were doing multiple birds.

Craig have you posted the Chuckie yet?


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## kathrynn (Nov 19, 2012)

SQWIB....I do have a turkey fryer...and use it every year.  AND during the 4th of July..I do a large low country boil for our Annual 4th Pool party. My neighbor saves his oil...filters it and pops it into the freezer.  He will use it 2 times...then out it goes.  My freezer is a 5 footer and too little to store oil.  Need that room for stuff to Smoke!   I agree it all takes up room...gotta have a place to store it.  I have closed my quilt shop all week...may do the brine today.  We will see.


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## i bleed blue (Nov 19, 2012)

What was the issue Todd is talking about. I want to do a bird for Xmas, would the AMNPS on the rails next to the chip box on the MES 30 cause any issues?


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## wan2smoke (Nov 19, 2012)

Looks great and congratulations on the bird! Been doing this now for 3 years at Thanksgiving. No one I know that has tried my turkey after being smoked will go back to a regular bird. I use apple to smoke the poultry and the flavor is amazing. I just went up in size this year to a frresh18 pound bird. From the folks on this board I have to thank for all of the trips and tips for success on turkey! Looks like 2 fresh(never frozen) Ha ' lal birds will be going in the smoker Wednesday night. The biggest trick I have learned is that letting the meat rest after it comes out is key. I go 2-4hours in the ice chest before carving and it has made all the difference in the world to my smoking successes!


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## rong (Nov 19, 2012)

THAT! Looks tasty!!!!


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## reed larson (Nov 22, 2012)

You might try a wet rub instead of a brine.  I get wonderful results and if you use some lime juice or vinegar I hear it will reduce the carcinogens by 99%!!

Sample ingredients:

salt

pepper

paprika

brown sugar

cumin (not much)

garlic powder (or the real thing)

lime juice

olive oil

cinnamon

let it sit in the fridge overnight before smoking

P.S.  I use this for poultry or for beef or pork!!


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## integritybbq (Apr 28, 2013)

turkey.jpg



__ integritybbq
__ Apr 28, 2013
__ 1






Brined for 48 hours in gallon of water, 3 apples,3 oranges, 1 bundle of celery, 3 sweet onions, spices, and 1 cup of sea salt.(turned out good but dont add salt after brine, had a good flavor but added salt in a rub would of been too much)

22" WSM -1 ring of charcoal(stubbs)/lump charcoal(prime) and 1 full chimney of charcoal added using minion method.  5 chunks of maple wood.

Pineapple slices and bacon on top to help with breast meat drying out.  Had a few spikes in temp(450 deg) due to having the lid open I believe. 

Smoked for 4 hours around 350-325 and pulled at 175deg(wanted to pull at 165 deg. Investing in a maverick, cheap themometers are not getting it done, breast was a tad on dry side but dark meat was amazing. I really think leaving this on for the 10 degree longer was the difference in dryness, also hard to cook a 20lb bird evenly. Overall, was tender and had unique wood flavor, must of been the maple -very good taste for poultry.


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