Does size really matter?

[willito]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum and smoking. I was wondering if this smoker will fit an entire turkey, and if so how long would it take to smoke?
If this unit is too small for a turkey, could you all recommend one that would do a whole turkey. Is this too much to ask from a smoker? Is smoking a whole turkey a bad idea?
Thanks,
Willito

[iceman]

Hi ya willito and welcome to the forum. The Bradley can do a small turkey. The largest recommended turkey to smoke is 15 pounds. If it's any bigger the interior meat remains in the danger zone to long and bad things can happen. I usually keep them around 12 /13 pounds. I flavor brine them overnight and pop it in the smoker after it sits covered on the counter a bit to get some of the chill off from the refer. Four hours of smoke at 210 / 220 then finish it lightly covered with no smoke. When it gets close you can always pop it in the oven at 375 for a bit to crisp up the skin. There are so many seasoning tricks you can use I won't even go into that. Hab and MW usually have some neat ideas. I'm sure others will input soon so sit back and enjoy the forum. The information around here is awesome.

[Habanero Smoker]

Welcome Willito;
I can't add much more, other then make sure you keep your vent open enough to let the smoke and moisture escape. Like Iceman, I keep the size of the turkey down to 12 or 13 pounds. I rotate the tray from front to back after about four hours to ensure that it cooks evenly. I've smoked turkeys both vertically and horizontally. To me, smoking them vertically you get better results, but it is more difficult to rotate the tray. One precaution, if you smoke whole turkey or chickens horizontally, hot juices collect in the cavity. So be careful when you take them out of the smoker. There were many of days I've given myself a hot foot

Check out this site for brines and other recipes http://www.susanminor.org/

[Smokin Joe]

I did two turkeys last year on Turkey day, one in the fryer and one in the Bradley.  The one in the Bradley was just pushing the 13 pound mark...it did an amazing job.  Moist and succulent.  Both were huge hits with our guests...I basically was left to suck on the wishbone!!

The other guys hit it on the head for sure though...stay lower in weight to prevent bacterial growth.