First time, smoked turkey breast

[elevernier]

Guys,
Brand new to smoking. Love smoked turkey breast. I understand how to brine, if you don't mind could you walk me through the smoking process?

[tskeeter]

Elevernier, don't have my turkey breast smoke plan committed to memory.  I'll respond with what I do when I get home.

[KyNola]

No real magic to it.  Preheat your Bradley as hot as you can get it and fill the water bowl.  While the Bradley is preheating, wipe the bird down with a light coating of oil, apply your favorite seasoning rub and into the smoker.  Leave the Bradley running at the max because when you opened the door to put the cold turkey in, you lost a lot of heat.  Roll smoke for a couple of hours.  When the temp in the tower comes up to 250, lower your set point to 250 and let it cook until the turkey breast is done.

If you cook it 100% in the Bradley the skin will come out rubbery.  If you want a crisper skin you can always transfer to your house oven set at 325-350 to crisp up the skin for a while before the turkey is done.  Actually, once the turkey breast has had the smoke applied you could transfer it to your house oven and roast traditionally. Will save time and give you a crisper skin. 

[elevernier]

Great thanks for the replies, when you use the smoker do you always have smoke going, or just the tower heat for some time?

[tskeeter]

Elevernier, what I do is pretty similar to what KyNola does.  This is how I do about a 9 pound turkey breast.

Pat turkey breast dry
Set turkey breast on counter for an hour or two to dry the surface slightly and come up to temperature.

Preheat smoker to 250F (about an hour)
Fill puck bowl with boiling water
Optional-Add two foil wrapped bricks heated to 400F (in oven)

Smoke at 250F for 3 hours
I use apple bisquettes
Cook to an internal temp of 165F

Total smoking and cooking time about 4 1/2 hours.

As KyNola noted, turkey breast cooked completely in the smoker will have a rubbery skin.  If you are going to crisp the skin in the oven, you might want to pull the breast out of the smoker at about 160F.  The internal temperature of the breast should come up another 5 degrees or so while the skin is crisping and another few degrees while the breast is resting.

[tskeeter]

Great thanks for the replies, when you use the smoker do you always have smoke going, or just the tower heat for some time?

Most forum members only smoke for a portion of the total cooking time. 

A frequently used rule of thumb is to smoke for up to four hours.  The thought is that after four hours, minimal additional smoke is absorbed by the meat.  At least, not enough to justify burning up additional bisquettes.

[elevernier]

You guys are great. Thank you for the replies.
On a side note do you find the skin when done the whole time in the smoker to be not good? Do you prefer the crispy skin you get when done in the oven better?

[Jim O]

I've always prefer to serve a crispy skin,rather than a "rubbery" skin.

[KyNola]

Regarding the smoking time, it is a personal taste thing but poultry is a smoke sponge.  It absorbs smoke more so than other proteins.  My personal preference is about 2 hours.  Others may like more smoke.  I would suggest that for the first time of smoking a turkey breast you run less smoke than you might think you would need.  You can always increase the smoke time next time if you think it needs more smoke but you can't take it out if it is oversmoked.

[tskeeter]

KyNola makes a good suggestion.  Food with a little less smoke than you desire is preferable to something that is over smoked.

In addition to the amount of time you generate smoke, the wood you use and how windy it normally are also considerations.  I'm not sure which wood KyNola uses for his two hour smoke.  But, I use apple for my three hour smoke.  Apple is a bit lighter and sweeter flavor than some of the other woods, such as oak, hickory, or mesquite.  And, I live where it is nearly always windy in the afternoon.  I think that the wind probably draws smoke through my smoker faster than would happen in areas where it is not windy.  Since I don't have the benefit of the meat "soaking" in a fairly dense cloud of smoke, I probably tend to smoke things a little longer.

So, as KyNola says, lighter is better than over smoked.  Start light and add time or change woods until you get just the smoke your tastebuds prefer.  That's half the fun of smoking.  Fine tuning what you do in order to generate your personal signature flavor profiles.

By the way, keeping written records of what you do is helpful in being able to duplicate your past successes and to adjust your processes as you work toward that signature flavor.  My practice is to write up a smoke plan before I smoke something for the first time (includes things like cabinet temperature, wood used, duration of smoke period, finished internal temperature, basic process, etc.).  After the smoke is done, I might add a few notes about what I did (including how long things took to fully cook), or make comments about things to do differently next time.  I slip these smoke plans into a plastic sheet protector for a three ring binder and into a binder.  I've started to compile a pretty good smoking reference, so that I don't have to try to remember exactly what it was that I did six months ago.     

[elevernier]

If I am only going to smoke something for a portion of the total cooking time do you smoke for the first portion or the last portion?

[KyNola]

First portion.  As meat comes up to temp it begins to absorb smoke less and less.  There is a theory that when the temp reaches 140F the meat no longer takes smoke.

[elevernier]

Thank you, so much to learn!

[tskeeter]

And this is the place to learn it.  Lots of folks with tons of experience who very willingly offer advice, coaching, trouble shooting, ideas, and great recipes. 

Check out the Our Time Tested and Proven Recipes at the link below.  Recipes from the forum's most experienced smokers and a source of great ideas.

www.susanminor.org

[elevernier]

After a busy few weeks at work I am finally getting around to smoking my first turkey breast, actually first thing I am ever putting in my smoker, can't wait to try it out.