First Turkey Breast Smoke ?

[LanduytG]

The women want me to smoke a turkey breast for this coming Sunday. I have been looking at a lot of different receipts and the more I look the more confused I get.

1. To brine or not to brine? A lot brine their turkey (my daughter has down this with her whole turkeys that she roast for sometime) but it seems that they all call for kosher salt. I have pickling salt which I think the only difference is the coarseness of the salt, neither has iodine. Any problem using the pickling salt and would I use less?

2. It is a bone in 7lb breast. I see most setup for 225 deg and smoke for 2 hours. How long does it take for a breast this size to cook at 225?

3. So many rubs what is the most popular here?

Internet is a great information source but I think to much information and to many different opinions make it difficult to choose. I trust what guys have to say here and thats why I'm asking.

Thanks
Greg

[Habanero Smoker]

If it has already been injected with a brine solution at the factory, I would say there is no reason to brine it. If you want to go ahead and brine anyway, you can do so.

You can use pickling salt but use less of it. For example if the recipe calls for 1 cup of Morton Kosher salt, use .75 cup of pickling salt. If it specifies Diamond Crystal and it calls for 1 cup of salt; use .5 cup of pickling salt. If it doesn't specify the type of salt, use the Morton Kosher salt conversion.

I've never smoke/cooked only a turkey breast in the Bradley.

The best rub I like for poultry is the Basic Poultry Rub

[LanduytG]

If it has already been injected with a brine solution at the factory, I would say there is no reason to brine it. If you want to go ahead and brine anyway, you can do so.

You can use pickling salt but use less of it. For example if the recipe calls for 1 cup of Morton Kosher salt, use .75 cup of pickling salt. If it specifies Diamond Crystal and it calls for 1 cup of salt; use .5 cup of pickling salt. If it doesn't specify the type of salt, use the Morton Kosher salt conversion.

I've never smoke/cooked only a turkey breast in the Bradley.

The best rub I like for poultry is the Basic Poultry Rub

Thank Habanero
Do you use a bit of oil on the bird first? I see a lot of receipts do. Also I see you have recommended let the bird set in the frig for some time to dry and allow pellicle to form. Would that still be the case here? One place I saw that 1-1.5 hours per pound of breast at 225. That seems like a long time, but I don't know. Hopefully someone will comment.

Thanks
Greg

[tskeeter]

I smoke turkey breasts for a neighborhood holiday get together every November.  The breasts I have used have been injected or "enhanced", so I've never bothered with brining.  Never used a rub or oil either.  I just want breast meat with a bit of smoke flavor.  So, pat the breast dry, slide in the smoker and apply apple wood smoke for, if I remember correctly, two hours, then finish cooking to about 165F or so.

Note that a smoked breast will not have the crispy skin of an oven roasted turkey breast.  The skin will be a bit rubbery.  If you want to crisp the skin, pull the breast from the smoker a bit before it reaches the finished temperature and put into the oven or the grill to finish cooking and crisp the skin. 

[LanduytG]

I smoke turkey breasts for a neighborhood holiday get together every November.  The breasts I have used have been injected or "enhanced", so I've never bothered with brining.  Never used a rub or oil either.  I just want breast meat with a bit of smoke flavor.  So, pat the breast dry, slide in the smoker and apply apple wood smoke for, if I remember correctly, two hours, then finish cooking to about 165F or so.

Note that a smoked breast will not have the crispy skin of an oven roasted turkey breast.  The skin will be a bit rubbery.  If you want to crisp the skin, pull the breast from the smoker a bit before it reaches the finished temperature and put into the oven or the grill to finish cooking and crisp the skin.

How long did it take to cook in the Bradley?

[Habanero Smoker]

I always use an oil, or butter to coat the skin, it helps the seasonings adhere. For poultry I always try to factor in enough time to develop the pellicle. It helps improve the smoke flavor, and reduces a lot of moisture that is contained in the skin.

The 1.5 hours per pound, is a guideline for tough cuts of meat such as butts, and briskets, that need time for the tough connective tissue to breakdown; and you are taking the internal temperature to what many use; to 190°F or so. For poultry you will be taking the meat out at a much lower internal temperature, and there is no tough connective tissue that will be requires to break down. So your cook times will be much less.

[LanduytG]

Thanks once again Habanero for the help. I got to looking at the package closer and I see it is injected so I will not bother with brine.

We will be eating around 1pm so I will get it on by 6 or 7 to be sure its done on time. Will let you know how it turned out.

Thanks
Greg

[tskeeter]

Greg, the breasts I've used have been between 8 and 9 pounds.  And it seems to me that they took about 5 hours to cook.  So, for your 7 pound breast, I'm thinking about 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

If you breast is getting done early, FTC (foil, towel, cooler) the breast.  It will keep hot for at least a couple of hours for you.  If you're into crispy skin, you'll have to crisp the skin when it comes out of the FTC.

(If you're not familiar with the FTC process, it is a means of holding hot food and it allows for a "resting" period for the temperature to even out and finish cooking in large cuts of meat.  You wrap the meat in foil.  Then wrap the meat in an old terrycloth towel.  Then put the meat in a cooler (the microwave also works for cuts of meat that will fit into the microwave).  I've had pork shoulder still be too hot to pull with bare hands after four hours FTCing in a little igloo cooler.)

[LanduytG]

Thanks tskeeter, thats what I was looking for. If I have it in by 7am I should be good to go at 1pm. Not sure if I will pop it in the oven to crisp the skin or not, most of the family wouldn't eat it anyway. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Thanks
Greg

[LanduytG]

OK, I have Habanero's basic poultry rub ready, the turkey breast is cleaned up and letting it dry a bit in the frig.
My question is that I will be putting this in the smoker around 7am. I will not be back till about noon. What I planned on was setting up the pid for 225 deg and was going to have it cut back when meat temp reached 175 deg to a smoker temp of 175 deg. I thought this way if its done before I get back it will stay hot but not over cook it. I'm I on the right track or should I do something different?

Thanks
Greg

[Habanero Smoker]

Sorry for the late reply, but 175°F if very high for breast meat. You should stay below 165ºF. The 165°F is the USDA recommended internal temperature, I will only take breast meat to 152 -  155ºF.