# Cold Smoking Turkey



## mtesnohlidek (Nov 27, 2009)

I have a homemade grill and attached smoker.  If I can keep the grill (where the turkey is) below 40 degrees, can I cold smoke the bird and have good results.  I am brining it, smoking it early in the morning and finishing it in the oven (I coach and have basketball practice at nine and wife's family will be here at 1 to eat, otherwise I would finish it on grill
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






).  How long should I cold smoke it?


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## eman (Nov 27, 2009)

In good consience i could not recomend this . 
 Poultry is probably the easiest food to mess up and make someone sick with.
   I know we all preach that the safe zone is from 40 deg to 140 deg in under 4 hrs, But even if you can figure out how to cold smoke and keep the temp just under 40 degrees. The ammount of time you would have to cold smoke to get some good smoke flavor would keep the bird at an unrefridgerated temp for way to long IMHO.
  Now, being that i have never tried this ,I can't say it won't work. But i'm not going to be the guinea pig for this experiment.


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## rivet (Nov 27, 2009)

if I understand you correctly, you want to cold smoke your bird at under 40F to get the smoke flavor and then cook it in the oven, right?

If you cold smoke it, you are still gonna have to spend 3 or 4 hrs in the oven cooking it. 

Why not just smoke it completely in the smoker, at a safe 325 F and over some nice wood, and have it ready to feast on in about 4 hrs?

I guess what I'm wrestling with is the idea of smoke flavor infusion at under 40F into poultry.......don't think you are going to get any worthwhile smoke flavoring under 40 F like you would cold smoking cheese, and even then, isn't cold smoking cheese done at hotter than 40F? 

40 Degrees Fahrenheit is the refrigerated processing room temps for raw poultry.


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## mballi3011 (Nov 27, 2009)

What he said. I agree totaly and would suggest you do this at all If you want to smoke the bird then smoke the bird. Poultry is by far the most dangerous food to play with. so smoke it and smoke it at a hot temp too.


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## alx (Nov 27, 2009)

As mentioned bad idea.I did a 15 pounder yesterday at 325 with 3 chunks of wood for smoke and it had plenty of smoke flavor and was very juicy....


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## Bearcarver (Nov 27, 2009)

I know less than most here, and I agree with what has been said so far, but I do have one comment a little different:

If you started smoking at 6 AM, I don't know what kind of smoke flavor you could add until the 9AM you have to put it into the oven to go to your basketball practice. However, it is my opinion that if you could guarantee you don't go above 40*, I don't see how it would hurt anything, because the bird would be in the same temperature as it would be in the fridge. BUT !!, this would be only if you could guarantee it would stay below 40*.
I see what your problem is----You want it smoked, and you can't be there for the last 4 hours you need to oven cook the bird. That coupled with the fact that you can't be there to smoke cook it, because of basketball practice.
If I were you, in this occasion, I would just oven cook it. Smoke the next bird.

Bearcarver


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## rivet (Nov 27, 2009)

Bear, you have stated the answer more diplomatically than any of us has been able to. Congratulations, and points for that!


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## mtesnohlidek (Nov 27, 2009)

Maybe I'll just brine it, put in oven and forget the smoking due to my time contraints.  Thanks for the suggestions and advise.


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## Bearcarver (Nov 28, 2009)

Thanks John


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## nate_46 (Nov 28, 2009)

Thats the safest route.  I cured a turkey a couple months ago and it turned out great, but I smoked it at 275 till done afterward.  I understand wanting to add smoke flavor, but I don't think cold smoking is the way to go at all.  

Try curing one, it turned out really good.


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## mackconsult (Nov 19, 2012)

http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1660/eb1660.pdf


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## shaggyshaggyshaggy (Nov 8, 2017)

This thread is old as crap but I cold smoke turkey all the time and it rules. I do it the old-fashioned way in an offset smoker and find it easier to just smoke in one step and then bake it right before serving. You just need to do it on a cold night (8 - 12 hrs.) and leave the center of the turkey frozen. Easy peasy.


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## slider n copa (Nov 14, 2017)

I like the idea of cold Smokin, thanks for the info


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