# Smoking turkey



## pg77 (Nov 13, 2019)

Smoking a turkey for the first time on thanksgiving. Any and all recipe ideas and tips
Are appreciated.


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## fivetricks (Nov 13, 2019)

Search results for query: Smoking a turkey


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## kelbro (Nov 13, 2019)

Hot and fast.

Don't use Mesquite.


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## ofelles (Nov 13, 2019)

spotchcock, wet brine if fresh dry rub with favorite rub on and under skin, on your smoker at 225F with pecan/cherry until 150 at the breast baste with butter last hour.  rest for 20 minutes.


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## eddiememphis (Nov 13, 2019)

ofelles said:


> spotchcock, wet brine if fresh dry rub with favorite rub on and under skin, on your smoker at 225F with pecan/cherry until 150 at the breast baste with butter last hour.  rest for 20 minutes.


That sounds like a bird with rubber skin.
The turk needs to go in the smoker with dry skin, brought up close to temperature then crisped up in the oven or a hot grill.


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## ofelles (Nov 13, 2019)

Yeah the skin was throw away but the meat was great.


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## sandyut (Nov 13, 2019)

splatcock and slaughterhouse brine.  run it 240-250 till about to temp 165.  crispy skin can be attained by buttering below and on the skin an d cranking the temp up towards the end.


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## noboundaries (Nov 13, 2019)

I do 4-6 turkeys a year. I get my smoker as hot as it will get, usually 300-350F. Definitely wait until you get clean smoke before loading the bird. I have smoked spatched, whole, beer canned, etc. Hickory and cherry wood give a nice color and taste. We love mesquite, but use half as much as any other wood. Do not use the water pan. 

All techniques work. If beer canning, use only an inch of beer or soda in the can. Any more is a waste and slows the cook.

In a nutshell, I thoroughly dry the skin, coat with butter or oil, apply rub on and under skin, and load it in the smoker with the breast turned away from the heat source. If a vertical smoker, turn the breast away from the vent. I've found it cooks evenly, whether spatched or whole, if placed on the grate and not in a pan. You can put a pan on the level below the bird to catch dripping.


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## hardcookin (Nov 14, 2019)

I smoke my turkeys at 300. I do them in a pan and start them breast down for 2 hours and then flip. I usually use around 15lb turkeys.
If the birds are already enhanced I don't brine.


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## Nole4L (Nov 14, 2019)

I'll second the recommendation to spatchcock the turkey.   It will cook faster and will definitely cook more evenly.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 14, 2019)

What type of smoker do you have?

Chris


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## zwiller (Nov 14, 2019)

pg77 said:


> Smoking a turkey for the first time on thanksgiving. Any and all recipe ideas and tips
> Are appreciated.



I advise against a first time on TG.  Too much opportunity for error.  Enjoy the holiday.  Also, I much prefer oven roasted over smoked for TG.  I you have to do it, maybe halve the bird, one in the oven and one in smoker or do 2 birds.  All this being said, my personal favorite is Pop's low salt brine, netted, and long low smoke.  Way too rich for dinner tho.  Perfect appetizer for ball game or poker.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Nov 14, 2019)

Ill second 

 sandyut
 post above. I brine mine in tips slaughterhouse brine, spatchcock, and smoke at 300 until the breast hits 165. Comes out great every time...juicy and crispy skin.

Ill also second doing a trial run prior. Nothing worse than something turning out like crap and ruining thanksgiving!


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## sandyut (Nov 14, 2019)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Ill also second doing a trial run prior. Nothing worse than something turning out like crap and ruining thanksgiving!


well said!  my first attempt at turkey breasts was not good.  I learned alot tho...


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## zwiller (Nov 14, 2019)

1+  OMG.  First turkey...  The memories.   

If I ruined TG my family would NEVER let me forget.


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## tallbm (Nov 14, 2019)

pg77 said:


> Smoking a turkey for the first time on thanksgiving. Any and all recipe ideas and tips
> Are appreciated.



Well my $0.02 would be:

Brine, brine, brine the Turkey.  No matter if it says "enhanced" or "solution added".  If you do a brine where you add up the turkey and water weight together and then add salt at 2.25% of that weight then you will be golden and will ENSURE you do not have a dry turkey.... unless you overcook it lol
Tip: prepare to get a 5 gallon bucket or a big meat tote/lug to brine a turkey AND I hope you have extra space in a garage fridge to that can hold the bucket/tub + turkey


If you want to avoid rubbery skin and ensure edible (maybe crispy, maybe not, but definitely edible and not rubber), then look to smoke your turkey at 325F or higher if you like


If you aren't going to brine the turkey then option #2 is to go buy Tony Cachere's Creole Butter injectable marinade
If you don't brine or you don't inject then chances are you don't have a good turkey and it will be DRY DRY DRY.  If you don't smoke at a hot enough temp or throw the turkey on a screaming hot grill to fix up the skin, chances are you have a rubbery skinned turkey.  It is hard to manuever a turkey on a grill so having good smoker temps to begin with will avoid the issue.

I hope this info helps and here's a few pictures of some turkey's I've brined and smoked at 325F for inspiration :D
Turkey Galantine: Deboned, brined, stuffed with stove top stuffing, and smoked at 325F









Just a Brined and smoked Turkey


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## noboundaries (Nov 14, 2019)

Answer...trial run.  TG is still two weeks away but they are already on sale.  If you have a freezer, pick up two turkeys and smoke one now.  Save the second for TG.  The first one can be taste tested and frozen for soup, sandwiches, etc. It will tell you whether you want to put a smoked one on the table for TG, or stick to the oven. 

There are years I do a turkey the week before TG, one on TG, and one the weekend after TG.  $.39/lb is cheap protein that ends up in sooooo many dishes.

BTW, my first turkey ever, decades ago, was oven baked and dry as chalk using my family's technique.  I threw out the family recipe, did cookbook research, and have been enjoying moist and tender turkeys ever since.

Avoid low n slow. It doesn't work for turkey skin and complicates a simple cook. The only thing intimidating about a turkey is the size of the bird and the expectations of the diners. It's just a big-ass chicken. A trial run takes away the threat.


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## sandyut (Nov 14, 2019)

tallbm said:


> Brine, brine, brine the Turkey. No matter if it says "enhanced" or "solution added".


YES!  I drank the "dont use enhanced, solution added" kool aid once.  Had to buy from whole paycheck and was not worth it what so ever!  I buy whats on sale, what kroger has etc.  brine it, and its always great.


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## tallbm (Nov 14, 2019)

I'm also 100% in on the trial run.  At 325F a 22pound turkey smokes runs just under 4 hours for me.
This a fast smoke so not much time is spent there compared to most smokes.

We haven't mentioned it but the major time spent on doing turkey is the process of defrosting and then brining the thing.  You may need 4-5days to defrost in the fridge and then I brine turkeys a minimum of 3 days.  If you brine you can get away with a turkey that is still slightly frozen in the center and the brining process will still work without an issue.

So in a 4 day defrst and 3 day brine u are looking at 7 days of prep BEFORE you pull it out and season and put on the smoker!  This probably kills more turkey smoking attempts than anything else!
People run out of time, panic, skip steps, and in the end make a poor turkey.

So moral of the story, TRIAL RUN to figure out the prep just as much as the actually smoking/cooking.
Just be sure you prep with a turkey that is about the same size as the one you plan to smoke for Thanksgiving.  If you do a 12 pound turkey now and a 25 pound turkey later you will be in for a big surprise in the differences lol.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Nov 14, 2019)

Here's a question...who prefers what type of smoking wood with turkey?


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## tallbm (Nov 14, 2019)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Here's a question...who prefers what type of smoking wood with turkey?



I most often do 65% Hickory with an even split of Cherry and Maple.
I also like Mesquite at about 70% with 30% cherry.
I also like 80% apple with 20% hickory.

It just depends on the mood or where I'm taking it.  I like Mesquite myself but for flavor that suites the most people the Hickory, Cherry, Maple is what I lean on.


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## zwiller (Nov 14, 2019)

For mine I use a blend of cob, PM blend, oak, and apple.  I call it farm house blend.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Nov 14, 2019)

I have been mainly using apple in the past but thinking about switching to hickory this year


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## fivetricks (Nov 14, 2019)

Cherry and hickory for me. Good color, assertive smoker flavor.


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## sandyut (Nov 14, 2019)

I have been using a hickory oak blend on pretty much everything.  diggin it


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## hardcookin (Nov 15, 2019)

I like using cherry.


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 19, 2019)

Is it safe to smoke a whole 22 lbs bird? That is the smallest I could find at the local store. It will be on a pellet smoker using lumberjack fruitwood or pecan mix. Temp/time recommendation?  Last year I did a 14 that was ok, minus rubber skin on a different pellet grill.


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## fivetricks (Nov 20, 2019)

Sure. 325+ temps, I'd recommend spatchcocked for both time and even cooking.


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## tallbm (Nov 20, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> Is it safe to smoke a whole 22 lbs bird? That is the smallest I could find at the local store. It will be on a pellet smoker using lumberjack fruitwood or pecan mix. Temp/time recommendation?  Last year I did a 14 that was ok, minus rubber skin on a different pellet grill.



Yeah and as 

 fivetricks
 says, smoke at 325F or higher and you will be fine.  This will also solve your rubber skin issue.  Poultry skin is rubbery if it isn't cooked at a high enough temp and 325F should guarantee edible skin and possibly even crispy skin :)

I would also suggest brining the turkey and if you dont brine it then definitely inject it with an injectable marinade to avoid a dry turkey :)

Let us know how it turns out!


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## mike243 (Nov 21, 2019)

I plan on smoking mine for 2 hours on the PB with LJ comp blend then into a cooking bag and into the preheated oven to finish, works very well and no rubbery skin lol, seasoned as if just roasted also


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 21, 2019)

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately the Yoder I got is a junker so it's being returned for a refund so no smoked turkey this year. Now to find a grill that is actually built with some semblance of quality, Yoder is not.


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## pg77 (Nov 21, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> What type of smoker do you have?
> 
> Chris


Masterbuilt dual fuel propane 2 door


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## Twops41997 (Nov 22, 2019)

When smoking a whole turkey. Is it best breast up or down? And why.


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## fivetricks (Nov 22, 2019)

Breast up, spatchcocked.

Because that's the side I put all the rub on :-P


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 22, 2019)

What about non spatchcocked, cause I don't know how?


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## tallbm (Nov 22, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> What about non spatchcocked, cause I don't know how?



I put my bird on a vertical turkey rack so it is standing up BUT if just using traditional racks to lay a turkey down then breast up that way the juices from the breast are better held in by the bone and ribs supporting the breast meat and the skin locks in juices from the top side.

That is my take on it at least, not sure I have a whole lot of scientific reasoning behind those claims but it makes practical sense and the results seem to agree :)


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## hardcookin (Nov 23, 2019)

I always do breast down for 2 hours. Feel the juices flow down to the breast meat.
After 2 hours flip breast up.
Usually don't spatchcock because most people want a  whole bird presentation for Thanksgiving .
But spatchcock is the fastest & easiest.


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## schlotz (Nov 25, 2019)

There is an easier way to get an excellent smoked turkey with yummy crispy skin too!  A number of years ago I decided to use the gas grill with a rotisserie and the A-MAZE-N tube smoker.  Set the grill to 350º, use indirect heat, ie no flame under the bird with the tube in the same area. If tight on room, you might have to tent some foil over the tube to prevent drips from putting out the pellets. Results are a moist smoked bird with great skin. FYI as usual, look for an IT of 165º in breast and 175º-ish in the thighs.

The rotisserie by itself does an amazing job of keeping the bird moist.  One step better is to first brine the bird for 4-6 hours (or overnight). This further enhances the moisture content.  Note: Do NOT stuff the bird.


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## noboundaries (Nov 25, 2019)

Twops41997 said:


> When smoking a whole turkey. Is it best breast up or down? And why.



Hmmm. It's been a while since I did the breast down-flip-breast up thing. In fact, the first time I did it I left the breast down the entire time. Nice meat, lousy skin.

It was too windy to fire up the smoker today, so into the oven went big bird: pan roasting, no veggies or stuffing. I'll do the veggies later.

I did the flip thing (breast down for 90 mins, then flip) and so far it appears the technique puts the breast about 20-30F behind the dark meat, and that gap appears to narrow as the roast nears the end. America's Test Kitchen has a YouTube video about flipping but they don't say anything about juices, only the temp. I'm 3 hrs 20 mins into the roast of a 22.3 lb bird. 126F breast/147F thigh.

Edit update. The breast down then up is definitely to help time the two different finishing temps. When I first flipped the bird from breast down to up after 90 minutes, the breast was 57F IT, the thigh 88F. The difference got as large as 40F at one point after turning the breast up, but as the cook progressed, the two got closer and closer. Click the link below to see the pic.






						Turkey plans-expect the unexpected and adapt
					

So I took a 22.3 lb Butterball turkey out of the freezer Sunday morning, putting it in cold water in a cooler to thaw over a day or two. Big 'uns like that can take longer than 24 hours.  My wife asked when I was planning on smoking the bird. "Tuesday," I answered confidently. "You know, there's...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 25, 2019)

Ok, got a Pitts and spitts 850. Seems to work as it should. How should I prep the 9% solution turkey? Brine? Dry brine? Just rub and butter under skin? Breast down for 1-2 hours then up till done?


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## noboundaries (Nov 25, 2019)

Don't wet or dry brine a 9% solution bird. I do put a 50/50 salt sugar blend under the skin just before loading the meat to smoke/cook, dry the skin, oil the skin,  then rub.  I'm a breast down then up convert for IT control. Old dog, new tricks.


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## boognish (Nov 26, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> Thanks for the replies, unfortunately the Yoder I got is a junker so it's being returned for a refund so no smoked turkey this year. Now to find a grill that is actually built with some semblance of quality, Yoder is not.



Sounds like someone's a Pitts & Spitts employee.  haha

Anyone have any experience with duck fat spray?  Curious as to the validity of the hype and if it really imparts that much flavor/helps crisping up the skin.

Great advice so far.  Much appreciated!


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 26, 2019)

Not a Pitts and spitts employee, I live in Idaho not Texas. I'm a welder/fabricator and mechanic, the Yoder is built using heavy steel but they put a few measly tack welds on their grills to hold them together and told me they don't fully weld them because they would warp, not true at all, especially since they don't have the welder set correctly by the looks of their tack welds or the poor welds on the heat diffuser. For what they charge there is zero excuse for that except being Uber cheap and trying to pinch pennies in exchange for build quality. Plus the Yoder used about 2x's the pellets in the same amount of time or less and the grate temp was not the same as set temp. If the Yoder would do away with all the cheap silicone and fix their pellet consumption and temp issues, I'd buy one. I like their looks better than all the other brands but looks don't cook meat.


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## soccerhawg (Nov 27, 2019)

Just my two cents but I like pecan wood for my smoke.  Brined, spatchcocked, and smoked somewhere around 350 gives it a nice color, crispiness, and taste.  This wood is actually the best taste I have had.


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## kazoo (Nov 27, 2019)

Spatchcock, dry rub for 24 hours before, cherry wood smoke.  No complaints from anyone!


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 27, 2019)

Would the lumberjack pecan blend work, it's mostly oak like all their blend woods. I do have premium blend, competition blend, fruitwood, and pecan blend. I was thinking either competition or fruitwood.  

And no brine of any kind, correct? Since it's a 9% solution bird.


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 27, 2019)

How do you spatchcock? Any good videos?  Do I put bird on a rack in a foil tray? Direct on grate? I do have a turkey cannon but not sure it will hold a 22lbs bird


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## kazoo (Nov 27, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> How do you spatchcock? Any good videos?  Do I put bird on a rack in a foil tray? Direct on grate? I do have a turkey cannon but not sure it will hold a 22lbs bird


Easiest description:  Remove all packing from inside bird.  Using poultry shears, cut down one side of backbone from breast to opening, repeat for other side.  Save backbone for stock, if you want.  Flip bird over so that cut is on the bottom.  Spread out cut to the sides, pushing down on top to flatten bird.  Should have an even contour on both sides.  My preference is to place breast side up on smoker rack.

Or check out these videos [same technique, different applications]:


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## tallbm (Nov 27, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> Would the lumberjack pecan blend work, it's mostly oak like all their blend woods. I do have premium blend, competition blend, fruitwood, and pecan blend. I was thinking either competition or fruitwood.
> 
> And no brine of any kind, correct? Since it's a 9% solution bird.



An oak and pecan blend should give you some good smoke.

As for not brining a 9% solution bird, I think you will get differences of opinion on that.
If you did a 2-2.25% salt equilibrium brine I don't think the 9% solution would interfere AND you would pretty much guarantee a moist and tasty bird... as long as you don't over cook it :)

All up to you though :)


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 27, 2019)

How do I do a 2% salt equilibrium brine? Sorry, I'm not a cook and don't wish my cooking on anyone. Guy at work said he brines with chicken broth and herbs.


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## tallbm (Nov 28, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> How do I do a 2% salt equilibrium brine? Sorry, I'm not a cook and don't wish my cooking on anyone. Guy at work said he brines with chicken broth and herbs.



Take the weight of the turkey + the weigh to of the water added (1 gallon water = 8 pounds) and then multiply that number by 0.02 (which is 2%).  The number you get is the weight of the salt you  need to add in, which makes  your 2%  equilibrium brine! :)
You can add herbs and other stuff as well just don't add anything that has more salt :)


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## ShakeNbake (Nov 28, 2019)

Thank you


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## tallbm (Nov 28, 2019)

ShakeNbake said:


> Thank you



No problem.  I did a 2.25% plus onion, garlic, and cure #1 for 24 hours (I also injected the liquid into the breast to help spread the cure #1) and man the turkey was great!  I oven roasted it due to rainy weather and I have plenty of amazing leftovers for the weekend :)

Best of luck with yours


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