I just bought my first OBS, having used charcoal for years. During that time I have never had a good brine or recipe. Would someone be kind enough to send me one or direct to to their favorite one. It is Thanksgiving in Canada soon and I would really like to impress everyone with my new toy.
Welcome to the forum don!
I too have yet to do a whole turkey, but just like you it'll be thanksgiving down here in the states before we know it and I'll be having to try my hand at one also! I have done turkey legs and breast with great success. Heres a link to the recipe site which has lots of great things from these brillant folks
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=180
I'm sure someone will be along soon, to give you better advice than I. Good luck and keep us posted!
C
W E L C O M E to the Forum don280!
I have adapted this recipie - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/honey-brined-smoked-turkey-recipe/index.html
1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey
Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
I then put in the bradley for 4 hours of smoke @ 225F - continue until an IT of 160F
I have used Hickory and Cherry with great results.
FLBent...I'm intrigued by your measurement of the honey at a "pound?" I have seen those whole "chunks" of honey but never seen them used in a recipe. Do tell?
No real tricks here. 16oz is what I use. I never noticed if they were fluid or not.
::) ::)
Quote from: FLBentRider on September 23, 2008, 05:05:05 PM
No real tricks here. 16oz is what I use. I never noticed if they were fluid or not.
::) ::)
I just looked at the package. 16 oz - 1lb. yes it is a liquid.
Ok...that's what I thought...just curious why you termed it a pound versus 2 cups...nothing else then that!
When it comes to water or liquids that are mostly water based, one ounce measured equals one ounce weighed. Such as in the recipe; 7 pounds of ice equals 7 pints of water. Sometimes natures makes it easy for us. :)
Hey thank you all for the recipe and clarification. I will let you know how I do!!!
sooooo what does a 40 pounder of scotch really weigh?
We sell smoked turkeys in our store.
5 gal H2O
2 lb salt
2 lb brown sugar
1/5 lb Instacure #1
this recipe is for 100 lbs of turkey
Hundred pounds of turkey...YUM!!! :D
never smoked a turkey,,, am planing to this year .... only thing is its gonna be the done the beefmann way... with a flame thrower
(http://usera.imagecave.com/beefmann/flame/flamethrower_straight.jpg)
last years turkey cook....
just kidding gonna season it .. let it stand in the fridge over night and then into the smoker for a long slow cook im figuring 18 to 20 hours for a 15 to 20 lb turkey.
beefmann
Interesting brine FL, can't wait to give this a try! Whole turkey is always a hit around here and this sounds good. I also like hickory and cherry but am likely to throw some apple in for turkey.
Still please mix our beloved hickory in...you will not be disappointed...
Quote from: T B S on September 30, 2008, 07:37:12 PM
sooooo what does a 40 pounder of scotch really weigh?
We sell smoked turkeys in our store.
5 gal H2O
2 lb salt
2 lb brown sugar
1/5 lb Instacure #1
this recipe is for 100 lbs of turkey
Out of curiosity, how do you get 100 lbs of turkey into 5 gallons of water?
Last Saturday I smoked a boneless turkey breast roast, using a rub from this forum, it turned out outstandisng!! so much so that the wife insists that I do a complete boneless turkey for Thanksgiving. I'll use the same rub and gage my time by the weight, pull at an IT of 160*. I also did some ABT's on Sunday and they were a big hit.
I just want to thank all of the people on this site for all the help they have given me, and the inspiration to do more. This stuff is addictive. :o
Congrats on your success! At least with this addiction ya don't have to go into rehab! ;D
C
Quote from: westexasmoker on October 21, 2008, 09:42:35 AM
Congrats on your success! At least with this addiction ya don't have to go into rehab! ;D
C
You obviously have not seen my expanding waist line! ;D
Quote from: Wildcat on October 21, 2008, 11:10:33 AM
Quote from: westexasmoker on October 21, 2008, 09:42:35 AM
Congrats on your success! At least with this addiction ya don't have to go into rehab! ;D
C
You obviously have not seen my expanding waist line! ;D
I was wrong time for rehab.....well or maybe Jenny Craig! :D ;D ::)
C
i know whats wrong with the bradleys... good food
Hi Gordo;
I haven't seen you post in a while, and when you do you come out with a zinger ;D
suck out all the air out of the turkey and use a repculator to make more brine.... ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Gordo on October 21, 2008, 06:58:32 AM
Quote from: T B S on September 30, 2008, 07:37:12 PM
Out of curiosity, how do you get 100 lbs of turkey into 5 gallons of water?
In a large 60 Gal plastic drum
or a rubermaid plastic garbage can.
I smoked my first whole turkey (about 12 lbs) this weekend as a practice run before thanksgiving. It turned out horrible. Here is what I did. I rubbed it with salt, pepper, garlic salt, paprika, and thyme. I smoked it at about 225 for 2 hours and cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees. I basted it with the juices inside the cavity every 1-2 hours. The skin was rubbery and the meat was very dry.
Anyone see what I did wrong? Would a brine cure my problems? Am I supposed to put it directly on the rack, or should I put it in a pan? Would rubbing oil on the skin make much of a difference?
Please help! I want to do 1 more practice run before thanksgiving. I am having people over, and I want to blow them away.
Jason.
Brining the bird will make it juicier.
Was it a frozen bird, I use a fresh one when I can get one.
Was the 165 in the white or dark meat ?
I oil the skin and put a spice rub. bacon on the rack above is an option as well
I put the thermometer between the leg and the breast. Is there a better place?
Oops. I use 160F in the breast. my method is adapted from Alton Browns recipe:
Ingredients
* 1 gallon hot water
* 1 pound kosher salt
* 2 quarts vegetable broth
* 1 pound honey
* 1 (7-pound) bag of ice
* 1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
* Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey
Directions
Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours. ( I have done up to 24 hours)
Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil. criss-cross bacon strips over breast.
I use 2 or three hours of Cherry, Apple or Hickory.
Cook @ 225F until the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from smoker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.
I read somewhere that cooking the turkey with the breast side down will make it juicier. Is this true? Has anyone tried it?
I have heard that somewhere, but I'm not sure I buy it.
In addition to the information that FBL gave you:
If you get a Butterball turkey, or a turkey that already has been inject (which most are these days) you will not have to brine it. The recipes I've seen for cooking turkey breast down was for only during the beginning to help brown the breast, then it is turned breast side up..
I measure the temperature at the thigh. If I fully cook it in the smoker, I will take it out when the thigh reaches 160°F measured at the thigh. If I want to crisp up the skin, I will take it out as soon as I finish applying smoke, or wait until it hits 140°F and finish in at 350°F - 375°F, and take it out when the thigh reaches around 155°F -158°F; the carry over should bring it to 165°F while it is at rest. The earlier you take it out of the smoker the better the skin will crisp up.
What was your total cooking time? You will be better off not basting, each time you open the door you can pretty much plan on an additional 20 - 30 minutes of cooking time.
Leather or rubbery skin is a problem for the Bradley. You can reduce this by making sure your vent is 3/4 to fully opened. Or you can remove the bird and finish roasting in the oven or on the grill.
Ohhhhhh, here I go again like a broken record! The best chicken and turkey I ever had was smoked and dumped into The Big Easy. No oil added, and plenty comes out into the drip tray. Ok I'm done for now.
Calm down Smookin...
Thanksgiving will be here efor you know it and will be making your own turkey.....Who said that ... looks around .. guess i did
I've been using this brine since 2000, I think it came from Alton Brown or Emeril originally, can't remember...
2 C Kosher Salt
1 C Sugar
1 Head Garlic - cut in half
4 T Thyme
5 Allspice berries crushed
2 Bay leaves
Water to cover
Stir it up so the salt an sugar dissolves then throw the whole thing in a bucket overnight, works great for smoking or just roasting in the oven... blows everybody away!
I've got a 22 pounder this year, not sure I want to get up at 2am, thinking about cutting it in half before smoking... hmmm, more surface area, sounds like more smoke flavor... ;D
jl
The turkey has been smoking now for 5 hours, smoke part done. I am thinking of bringing it in to the house to finish in the oven. It is still 10 hours from eating time. It can rest for an hour? Questions I have are, Should I put the oven at 225° and Should a I put a pan of water in the oven?
Thanks for the help.
One of the reasons to bring it in, it is 26° outside and the temp on the digital says 219 inside, hasn't gotten up to 225 yet. Is this a problem?
W E L C O M E to the Forum Rider!
Mine has been in FTC for 2.5 hours now. 1 hour rest should not be a problem. If it is at the target temp, I would put it in the oven at as close to 160F as you can. I don't think the water will hurt it.
Wow!, the bird is at 160 now and dinner isn't for 6 hours! I thought is would take longer. I turned off the Bradley. I am guessing I should just FTC till then? or try to keep it at 160 or so for another 5 hours then FTC? I really thought it would take about 14 hours, only took 9.
I know mine took less that I thought it would. It has been in FTC for going on 5 hours, I'm going to put in a roaster on low.
IMHO, FTC does not really help make poultry more tender, I am using it to keep it warm.
That's what I thought. I guess I will do the same, warm it up a bit before dinner time. FTC till then. I have one of those Coleman cooler/warmers but can't find the electrical cords for it dang it. Just hope it doesn't dry out. Let me know how yours comes out please.
Thanks
I just checked it, and after 5.5 hours of FTC, the IT is 140F!
I just put it in a 150F roaster (still in the foil) to keep it warm(er)
Oh what a beautiful thing!!! The ChickenFarmer did well this year... ;D
Brined (orange juice, apple juice, water, salt), rubbed (Paula Deen house seasoning), oiled, and smoked. 4 hours of apple & mesquite. 16 hours total to reach 160-165. At 225 degrees.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/onetallmama/100_2830.jpg)
Nice looking bird, better keep that Chickenfarmer around! ;D
C
On average when I smoke/cook turkeys fully in the smoker it takes an average of 8 hours. Sometimes longer sometimes less; that all depends on how quickly the smoker gets up to 225°F.
Chickenfarmers Wife;
That's a nice looking bird. What size was it?
Mine was really good. There were two birds at the feast and most wanted the smoked over the traditional. It had FTC'd for nearly six hours, was still at 140 degrees, but the breast meat was starting to dry. The flavor was top notch though. the dark meat was melt in your mouth. Next one will be timed to finish about eight hours like Hab says. Next one is in a few days as we have not many leftovers and we love them. We took our bird to a friends house so we have none of the usual leftovers. I am guessing we will have a whole meal deal real soon. Going bird shopping today.
Hi, I have read through many of your posts and need osme help. I am going to smoke a whole 12 lb turkey and am going to brine it ovrnite, then smoke using the Apple blocks. My question is, do I use the apple blocks for the entire time until the IT reaches 165, or do I shut the smoker part after 4 hours and leave it in with just the heat on until it reaches the 165?
also, does brining the turkey cut down on how long it needs to cook? If I do not brine, will I need more time to cook?
so, some suggestions, start to finish for a 12 pound turkey!
thank you, Stan
I would apply no more than 4 hours of smoke.
At that point you can leave it in the smoker, or move it to the house oven at a higher temp to crisp the skin, if you are so inclined.
Hey Stan,
brining the bird will not greatly impact the cooking time one way or the other. Brining in this case simply adds more moisture and flavor to the meat. Be sure your vent is 100% open as poultry holds a lot of moisture and you want that to escape your tower!
KyNola