What if you don't have a roaster like TBE or SRG?
Can you smoke a turkey then just finish it off in the oven or something?
good morning bozer,
sorry don't have an answer for you,
don't want to hi-jack your thread, i just wanted to
keep track of this thread as i am in the same boat
and am very curious about an answer
Quote from: bozer on November 12, 2011, 06:30:51 AM
What if you don't have a roaster like TBE or SRG?
Can you smoke a turkey then just finish it off in the oven or something?
Yes bozer you can finish it off in the oven. I would pop it in the oven at 325º - 350ºF and pull it when the breast temperature hits 165ºF.
This is my Turkey i smoked the turkey for 4 hours then finished it off with the bradley for a total time of 9 hours the bird was 12lbs.(http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc409/ShastaBob/P1000690-1.jpg)
Yes you can smoke your turkey in the Bradley and then put it in the oven.
I use this brine:
1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
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 your favorite rub, smoke @225-250F for up to four hours of smoke, then you can continue to cook in the Bradley or transfer to your house oven @325F
Using the house oven will result in a more appetizing skin on the bird.
As far as smoke, poultry takes smoke quite readily, you may not want 4 hours of Hickory, particularly if you are feeding guest that have not had smoked turkey before. You can serve a lightly smoked turkey to everyone, if you over do it there is no "undo" button.
Yes, as FLBR says. You can smoke-cook in the Bradley, then crisp up the skin in a hot oven or in the BIG Easy. Here are some pic's of one I did in the Bradley last year. Brine first 24 hr, rinse well and season overnight in refer. I did not try to crisp up the skin. I removed at IT if i62* and used FTC for over an hour until it was time to carve and serve.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XKkGQGWLYcY/TQAcMvxjd0I/AAAAAAAABic/qyubcZG7380/s800/P1010013.JPG) (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bx0q2strkmw/TQAggCxKvFI/AAAAAAAABig/m0R3cHDObqU/s800/P1010014.JPG) (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-L5LYDJ0q2ok/TQAkd1-SyFI/AAAAAAAABik/1tqwomsJ-0c/s800/P1010016.JPG) (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-09WuJ6lGlLU/TQAl4QM86QI/AAAAAAAABio/sP4cKWo6hUE/s800/P1010017.JPG)
If you do need to transport the bird (say, to grandma's house) I would pull it at 158-160F and put in the oven when I get there to finish and crisp the skin.
If you take it to the final IT and use FTC to hold it until you serve, the moisture from the bird will soften that skin that you worked hard to get crisp.
If you do the whole cook in the Bradley, you will have rubbery skin anyways.
The reason the skin is rubbery is that the heat in the smoker is not hot enough to render the fat out of the skin.
I agree with the skin being rubbery, but either way you will have some fine eats!
I've been doing some extensive Google research on smoking a turkey and here's what I've learned and some methods I will be using.
After preparing the brine (Google search - there are dozens of recipes) let it sit for a day to distribute the flavor throughout the juice. Then put the turkey in it and let it soak for up to 24 hours. Don't get a turkey that has already been seasoned or it will be too salty after brining.
After the brine wash the turkey completely, inside and out, and pat it dry. Rub the turkey with olive or vegetable oil or melted butter and sprinkle your favorite rub on the outside as well as several tablespoons inside the cavity. Carefully lift the skin and add some rub underneath. I just received a shipment of Rub with Love Turkey Rub (http://store.tomdouglas.com/products/turkey-rub-3-5-ounce) that had great reviews on several sites and I'll be using that.
Smoke at 225-250*F using a fruit smoke. They say heavy flavors such as hickory or mesquite are too strong for turkey. Bring the turkey up to temp quickly rather than a long, slow smoke so there's less danger of food contamination. A maximum size of 14 lbs for smoking is recommended. Larger birds than that take longer to cook and risk a greater danger of contamination.
Smoke until the internal temp reaches at least 140*F. At that point place it in the oven at 350*F and finish cooking until the coldest part of the meat reaches 165*F. That will crisp the skin and avoid the rubbery skin effect that is common with smoking poultry. If the skin is getting too dark cover with a foil tent until it is done.
After removing it from the oven let it rest for 15 minutes before carving to distribute all the juices. They say if you carve it too soon after cooking it will be dry.
That's all I have. I might try smoking a test turkey this coming week to see how it turns out.
Thanks everyone. I'm going to try Ted's method posted above my reply here.
Ted, what are you using for the brine? I'm going to follow your steps exactly.
Also Ted, what about injecting? I guess brining it means you don't need to inject?
Quote from: bozer on November 13, 2011, 08:18:49 AM
Ted, what are you using for the brine? I'm going to follow your steps exactly.
I'll be following the method I found here on How to Make Turkey Brine (http://www.smoker-cooking.com/turkeybrine.html). In the instructions they have a link for Turkey Brine Recipes (http://www.smoker-cooking.com/turkeybrinerecipes.html). I haven't decided on which one I'll try but I'm leaning toward the Apple and Spice brine, since I'll probably be using apple or cherry flavor pucks.
I don't use an injector. I tried that once before I got into smoking meats and it tasted more like the marinade than turkey. I probably used too much but from my Google smoking ideas I've been reading about this past week most of the people don't inject the turkey if they're going to brine and smoke it.
I noticed some people have their Turkey's hanging in their bradley in some sort of spiderman-like web. DO we need to do that because the Turkey won't fit on the tray? If so, how the hell do you rig that thing?
What's the biggest size turkey I can fit in the OBS without hanging it?
Quote from: bozer on November 13, 2011, 10:31:42 AM
I noticed some people have their Turkey's hanging in their bradley in some sort of spiderman-like web. DO we need to do that because the Turkey won't fit on the tray? If so, how the hell do you rig that thing?
I saw a few pics with the turkey hanging in a sack or something, too. I was wondering if whatever it was in would block some of the smoke from reaching it.
As far as hanging it I think it would be easy enough to do by running the string up through the vent. I'm thinking of getting a 12-14 lb fresh turkey.
I really don't want to hang it because I have no idea how to do that. I'd prefer to put it on a tray and into the smoker like everything else. Question is, how big of a Turkey can I jam in there I guess.
Just got done smoking four chickens hanging. Ran the cotton string around it under the wings and tied. Worked great.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Quote from: bozer on November 15, 2011, 07:58:48 PM
I really don't want to hang it because I have no idea how to do that. I'd prefer to put it on a tray and into the smoker like everything else. Question is, how big of a Turkey can I jam in there I guess.
I either lay mine on the racks and smoke breast side up (no one at the table will see the grid marks on the bottom), or vertical using a vertical roaster. If you smoke/cook it vertical double up your racks for more support. If the turkey is enhanced or kosher, then I don't brine. I have been able to fit a 14 pound turkey inside the smoker. I've seen post where some members have fit an 18 pounder inside. I've never tried a bird over 14 pounds and that was a tight fit.
Quote from: bozer on November 13, 2011, 10:31:42 AM
I noticed some people have their Turkey's hanging in their bradley in some sort of spiderman-like web. DO we need to do that because the Turkey won't fit on the tray? If so, how the hell do you rig that thing?
This is the hook that i use to hang my turkey in the smoker , it is a bag hook from Allied Kenco and i put it through the vent hole.
http://www.alliedkenco.com/search.aspx?find=Bag+hooks
What is the benefit of hanging a turkey? I always just put in SRG basket on beer can holder.
I like the looks of the bird hanging, it also provides smoke all the way around the bird. when i do this i soak the bag or stockinette in liquid smoke for a few minutes i think it also helps to keep it from sticking to the bird.
Quote from: bozer on November 15, 2011, 07:58:48 PM
I really don't want to hang it because I have no idea how to do that. I'd prefer to put it on a tray and into the smoker like everything else. Question is, how big of a Turkey can I jam in there I guess.
I was at Cabela's today looking for some cherry wood bisquettes and I bought this turkey rack show below. With this I should be able to smoke it vertically, like it was hanging, but be able to just set it on the bottom rack. No grill marks or anything. I guess I'll see how well it works next week.
(http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_550614_236_01?rgn=0,0,1308,2000&scl=5.2631578947368425&fmt=jpeg&id=1KFPgM3d2Cezi0PW_rZMGI)
Quote from: TedEbear on November 16, 2011, 06:56:43 PM
Quote from: bozer on November 15, 2011, 07:58:48 PM
I really don't want to hang it because I have no idea how to do that. I'd prefer to put it on a tray and into the smoker like everything else. Question is, how big of a Turkey can I jam in there I guess.
I was at Cabela's today looking for some cherry wood bisquettes and I bought this turkey rack show below. With this I should be able to smoke it vertically, like it was hanging, but be able to just set it on the bottom rack. No grill marks or anything. I guess I'll see how well it works next week.
(http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_550614_236_01?rgn=0,0,1308,2000&scl=5.2631578947368425&fmt=jpeg&id=1KFPgM3d2Cezi0PW_rZMGI)
looks great let us know how it works for you!
That is called a vertical roaster, I have several in different sizes. They works well. That size looks like it was made for turkeys, you can also get them in sizes to fit chickens, and smaller ones for Cornish hens. If possible I try to position the turkey so the breast is facing the door, then rotate front to back once, towards the very end of the smoke/cook time. If I can't position it that way, then I will rotate about every 1.5 - 2 hours.
Make sure you double up on your racks, since the weight will not be evenly distributed, it will be exerting all the force at the center of the rack causing it to bend. Another thing I've learned, after I place the turkey on the racks, I put it on a sheet pan to carry to and from the smoker. It makes it more stable, and after its finished cooking, you don't get any drippings on your floor.
Shasta bob;
I have seen stockinette pre-soaked in liquid smoke on the Sausage Maker site. I'm not one that likes to add additional smoke when I smoke something. How well do they work?
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on November 17, 2011, 01:31:57 AM
That is called a vertical roaster, I have several in different sizes. They works well. That size looks like it was made for turkeys, you can also get them in sizes to fit chickens, and smaller ones for Cornish hens. If possible I try to position the turkey so the breast is facing the door, then rotate front to back once, towards the very end of the smoke/cook time. If I can't position it that way, then I will rotate about every 1.5 - 2 hours.
Make sure you double up on your racks, since the weight will not be evenly distributed, it will be exerting all the force at the center of the rack causing it to bend. Another thing I've learned, after I place the turkey on the racks, I put it on a sheet pan to carry to and from the smoker. It makes it more stable, and after its finished cooking, you don't get any drippings on your floor.
Shasta bob;
I have seen stockinette pre-soaked in liquid smoke on the Sausage Maker site. I'm not one that likes to add additional smoke when I smoke something. How well do they work?
I myself cannot notice the additional smoke from the liquid smoke but i does stop the bag from sticking to the skin. when i do my bird this way most people think its ham if they don't see the bird carcass. it must be the cure no#1.
Thanks for the reply. I'll stick with the regular stockinette.
For the long term forum users, you might want to be sitting down when you read my next statement.....I am FINALLY going to smoke something besides salmon :o :o
ThanX for all the GREAT advice on smoking a turkey cuz THIS turkey is gonna give it a go....I'm on this thread today figuring out the brine/rest/thaw/smoke/roast schedule. I'll be using the OBS smoke then TBE to give the turkey a ride. TBE ride will be interesting because it's currently in the 7-10°F range...
Because of all the help on this (and other previous threads and Olds recipe site), I'm confident that the 17 folks (5 locally assigned military guys away from home) coming for 'Dinner Above the Bay' will be in gastronomical Nervana ...pics to follow...
Quote from: Kummok on November 18, 2011, 10:55:56 AM
For the long term forum users, you might want to be sitting down when you read my next statement.....I am FINALLY going to smoke something besides salmon :o :o
ThanX for all the GREAT advice on smoking a turkey cuz THIS turkey is gonna give it a go....I'm on this thread today figuring out the brine/rest/thaw/smoke/roast schedule. I'll be using the OBS smoke then TBE to give the turkey a ride. TBE ride will be interesting because it's currently in the 7-10°F range...
Because of all the help on this (and other previous threads and Olds recipe site), I'm confident that the 17 folks (5 locally assigned military guys away from home) coming for 'Dinner Above the Bay' will be in gastronomical Nervana ...pics to follow...
Oh NO!!!!!!!!!!! I better check and see if the moon has fallin' from the sky....lol
Kummok doing something other than salmon
Hope all goes well and look forward to the pictures, and that's a great thing for the military guys as well.
Don
Quote from: TedEbear on November 13, 2011, 08:07:32 AM
I've been doing some extensive Google research on smoking a turkey and here's what I've learned and some methods I will be using.
After preparing the brine (Google search - there are dozens of recipes) let it sit for a day to distribute the flavor throughout the juice. Then put the turkey in it and let it soak for up to 24 hours. Don't get a turkey that has already been seasoned or it will be too salty after brining.
After the brine wash the turkey completely, inside and out, and pat it dry. Rub the turkey with olive or vegetable oil or melted butter and sprinkle your favorite rub on the outside as well as several tablespoons inside the cavity. Carefully lift the skin and add some rub underneath. I just received a shipment of Rub with Love Turkey Rub (http://store.tomdouglas.com/products/turkey-rub-3-5-ounce) that had great reviews on several sites and I'll be using that.
Smoke at 225-250*F using a fruit smoke. They say heavy flavors such as hickory or mesquite are too strong for turkey. Bring the turkey up to temp quickly rather than a long, slow smoke so there's less danger of food contamination. A maximum size of 14 lbs for smoking is recommended. Larger birds than that take longer to cook and risk a greater danger of contamination.
Smoke until the internal temp reaches at least 140*F. At that point place it in the oven at 350*F and finish cooking until the coldest part of the meat reaches 165*F. That will crisp the skin and avoid the rubbery skin effect that is common with smoking poultry. If the skin is getting too dark cover with a foil tent until it is done.
After removing it from the oven let it rest for 15 minutes before carving to distribute all the juices. They say if you carve it too soon after cooking it will be dry.
That's all I have. I might try smoking a test turkey this coming week to see how it turns out.
How long should I expect the cook process to take using this method?
Quote from: GoCobbers95 on November 19, 2011, 02:10:51 PMHow long should I expect the cook process to take using this method?
I posted that, based on some Google tips I've been reading lately. This will be my first smoked turkey but the Perdue turkey website says to allow 12-20 minutes per lb to smoke a 10-16 lb turkey. I bought a 13.2 lb Perdue hen turkey last night because it was the only brand that hadn't been seasoned with lots of things already. I plan on brining it and I don't want to overdo it with the salt.
Perdue Turkey Cooking Times (http://www.perdue.com/Tips_From_The_Kitchen/Cooking_Times/Turkey_Cooking_Times/whole_turkey.asp)
It looks like your game plan, is going to be the basis for my own.
Good luck to you sir!
If you smoke the Turkey for say 2 hours, can you just take it out and put it in the oven at the 2 hours mark, or do you need to wait for it to hit 140 degrees before transferring? I would think you can just smoke for 2 hours, then put in oven at 350 and be good but I see some people think you could get Turkey aids by moving it before its at 140. any ideas?
Be careful using the cooking times from poultry manufacturers, those times may be geared to higher end temperatures than you personally would want to cook to.
It may be a good guideline, but use a probe or instant read to get to your desired doness.
I really like all these great ideas. I'm gonna start the brine for my turkey's tonight. I'm using a simple brine recipe I found on the allrecipes.com website. Here's a link in case anyone is interested.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/detail.aspx
The brine recipe has 5 stars with over 300 reviews. I've cooked dozens of things from the website and the star user ratings are usually pretty spot on. I'm still a little undecided on whether I'll cold or hot smoke. I'm leaning towards hot smoke to an internal temp of no more than 140. To crisp it I'll put it in a 375 degree deep fryer till int temp reaches 160. The wife is doing the other turkey in the oven, conventially. We'll see who's turns out better. ::)
Quote from: Kitchen Commander on November 21, 2011, 04:42:30 AM
I really like all these great ideas. I'm gonna start the brine for my turkey's tonight. I'm using a simple brine recipe I found on the allrecipes.com website.
That looks like a simple enough recipe for even me to prepare. I'll add it to my list of which one to make and decide later today. :)
The recipe site says to brine it for two days. That seems like a long time. Most of what I've been reading say to brine for 12-24 hours. How long are you planning on soaking it? My "better half" says 12 hours, since she doesn't want it to taste too salty, but I was planning closer to 24 hours. Then another 24 hours with the rub before starting the smoking.
Edit: After a bit more Googling a few sites recommend brining for 1 hour per lb. That's 13 hours for my 13.2 lb turkey. I think I'll go with that.
TedE, I know, 2 days does seem like a long time to brine. I see all those reviews though and I didn't catch one where anyone said they did 24 hours.
I brine about 12 hours or overnight, longer and it tends to get too salty.
It also depends on your brine concentration.
The brine recipe I'm using from allrecipes.com calls for a day brine and has awesome reviews. I did cut down on the salt a little though. The recipe calls for 1.5 cups of kosher or canning salt for a 2 gallon mix. I needed 4 gallons, but only did 2 cups instead of 3. First time brining and the brine actually smells pretty good. Can wait to cook and eat these birds.
Thoughts on this brine recipe?
* 1 gallon of water
* 2 cups salt
* 1 Woodchuck apple cider (I use Granny Smith)
* 1 Tablespoon pepper
* 1 Tablespoon favorite rub
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
Also, do you guys put the turkey in a tin tray in the bradley. I havent used my bradley for so long I forget if theres a drip tray at the bottom.
How about taking it from the oven after 2-3 hours of baking into a preheated Bradley for a couple hours of smoke and then back to the oven until its done? Is there any harm in this or has anyone tried it? Looking for a little quicker cook time and not messing with a brine. Thanks.
P.S. I don't mean to be hijacking the thread but there seems to be alot of knowledgable advice coming forth in ths thread
I think you want to start your cooking with the smoke, the meat will absorb more smoke while at a cooler temp. This is my understanding of meat smoking anyway. I am sure the pros will be along to correct me.
Quote from: .204 on November 22, 2011, 09:42:13 AM
How about taking it from the oven after 2-3 hours of baking into a preheated Bradley for a couple hours of smoke and then back to the oven until its done? Is there any harm in this or has anyone tried it? Looking for a little quicker cook time and not messing with a brine. Thanks.
P.S. I don't mean to be hijacking the thread but there seems to be alot of knowledgable advice coming forth in ths thread
Quote from: DoxinMan on November 22, 2011, 09:34:55 AM
Also, do you guys put the turkey in a tin tray in the bradley. I havent used my bradley for so long I forget if theres a drip tray at the bottom.
I'm using a turkey rack that I bought at Cabela's recently. There's a pic of it elsewhere in this thread. The Bradley comes with a bowl for catching used pucks and a tray under that. I replaced the small bowl with a 9x13" (or whatever size fits) aluminum baking pan so it wouldn't run out of water as fast. I still dump the spent pucks after the smoking part of the cooking session is finished.
On the brine recipe, there are many ones. I'm using one that includes lots of apple juice and orange juice. They say to be sure and get a turkey that hasn't been pre-injected with salt from the factory or it will be too salty after you brine it.
Quote from: DoxinMan on November 22, 2011, 09:34:55 AM
Thoughts on this brine recipe?
* 1 gallon of water
* 2 cups salt
* 1 Woodchuck apple cider (I use Granny Smith)
* 1 Tablespoon pepper
* 1 Tablespoon favorite rub
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
Also, do you guys put the turkey in a tin tray in the bradley. I havent used my bradley for so long I forget if theres a drip tray at the bottom.
What type of salt are you using? That will make a big difference, since pickling salt, and various kosher salts measure differently do to the size of their crystals. If it is pickling salt, that is a large amount, so you would not want to brine too long. If it is kosher salt, it would be good to know if it is Morton's or Diamond.
You can place a small pan on a rack below the turkey to catch drippings, just make sure the pan is small enough to allow ample heat and smoke to pass. Those drippings may dry up, but you can always deglaze the pan. If you smoke/cook the turkey horizontally, a lot of juices collect in the cavity. Be careful when you move the turkey out of the smoker. The first time I did this I gave myself a hot foot. I always take a sheet pan with me and place the rack with the turkey on the sheet tray to carry into the house. That will catch the dripping for you to use, and avoid a mess.
Brining an already enhanced turkey may or not make is saltier, usually it doesn't. That will depend on the salinity of the brine, compared to the salinity the turkey was injected with, but generally it may not have any effect at all.
Hello All, new guy here. We have 24 people coming to dinner. Think I'm more scared than the turkey was prior to becoming dinner. Anyway, we are doing one in the oven and one on my new Digital Smoker....and i don't know squat.
Here is what I think I know....
13lb bird not seasoned...
We are going to brine starting tomorrow and then over night for at least 12 hours...
My wife has some crazy brine recipe that uses a cup and a half of BURBON. May sneak a bit as well to calm the nerves...
Plan to use 75% apple chips and 25% Hickory...I think? Putting bird on rack and will double up rack for security.
Open top vent half way.
Set smoker side to 4 hours, set oven side to 225 or higher? Do I have to set a timer on over side?
Smoke until 140 and then turn off smoke side and just use oven side until 160...I wont have access to inside over due to larger Turkey cooking inside. So I'm stuck with the over on the BDS or possibly using the grill.
Does any of this sound right or will this be my last time having these friends and family over for Thanksgiving? Any help would be appreciated.
Happy Thanksgiving To All!
JAM
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on November 22, 2011, 01:13:57 PM
Quote from: DoxinMan on November 22, 2011, 09:34:55 AM
Thoughts on this brine recipe?
* 1 gallon of water
* 2 cups salt
* 1 Woodchuck apple cider (I use Granny Smith)
* 1 Tablespoon pepper
* 1 Tablespoon favorite rub
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
Also, do you guys put the turkey in a tin tray in the bradley. I havent used my bradley for so long I forget if theres a drip tray at the bottom.
What type of salt are you using? That will make a big difference, since pickling salt, and various kosher salts measure differently do to the size of their crystals. If it is pickling salt, that is a large amount, so you would not want to brine too long. If it is kosher salt, it would be good to know if it is Morton's or Diamond.
You can place a small pan on a rack below the turkey to catch drippings, just make sure the pan is small enough to allow ample heat and smoke to pass. Those drippings may dry up, but you can always deglaze the pan. If you smoke/cook the turkey horizontally, a lot of juices collect in the cavity. Be careful when you move the turkey out of the smoker. The first time I did this I gave myself a hot foot. I always take a sheet pan with me and place the rack with the turkey on the sheet tray to carry into the house. That will catch the dripping for you to use, and avoid a mess.
Brining an already enhanced turkey may or not make is saltier, usually it doesn't. That will depend on the salinity of the brine, compared to the salinity the turkey was injected with, but generally it may not have any effect at all.
I am using Mortons salt. Its an 11b pound so I plan on brining it for 10-12 hours. How long should I plan on smoking the bird to get it up to 145. Then I'm gonna throw it in the oven. Have you guys ever stuffed your birds with apples/onions/garlic while in the smoker? I've seen a few recipes that look really good with fruit/vegetable stuffing
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on November 16, 2011, 01:56:26 AM
I've seen post where some members have fit an 18 pounder inside. I've never tried a bird over 14 pounds and that was a tight fit.
I have done a dozen or so 20+ pounders - it is a tight fit, but they do fit.
Did a post on here 6 years ago about my first 20 pounder: http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=2409.msg22551#msg22551 (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=2409.msg22551#msg22551)
The only difference is that sometimes the turkeys take ~10 hours, and sometime a few hours more. Doing a 22 pounder for Thanksgiving this year and planning on 13 hours. Can always use the Ramp feature of my Procom to have it done when I want.
Quote from: JAMBF750 on November 22, 2011, 02:52:18 PMOpen top vent half way.
The only suggestion I'd make is to open the top vent all the way when smoking poultry. That seems to be the recommendation I've read over and over from some of the long-time smoking gurus on here.
I got my turkey today and its 15pounds. I plan to smoke it for no more then 4 hours, then finish it in the oven. Does anyone know how long it should take? I'll be smoking it for 4 hours with the Bradley set to as high as possible. I plan to give it 4 hours of smoke, then into the oven for the rest until it reaches 165. Just wondering how early should I begin.
Quote from: DoxinMan on November 22, 2011, 06:56:08 PM
I am using Mortons salt. Its an 11b pound so I plan on brining it for 10-12 hours. How long should I plan on smoking the bird to get it up to 145. Then I'm gonna throw it in the oven. Have you guys ever stuffed your birds with apples/onions/garlic while in the smoker? I've seen a few recipes that look really good with fruit/vegetable stuffing
With Morton's kosher salt you are adding 1 pound of salt to one gallon of brine. Morton's kosher salt weighs 8oz per cup; table or pickling salt weighs a little over 10oz, and Diamond Crystal Kosher weighs 5.5 oz; all weights are per cup.
I don't usually brine enhanced meat. This brine is about 11% salt, which I'm sure it has a higher salinity then an enhanced turkey, so it will brine much faster. You may want to cut your brining time down. I would suggest 8 hours. What brining time does the recipe recommend?
I have added lemons, herb bundles inside the cavity of the turkey and chickens, but don't over stuff them in. Just loosely add some, you want the smoke and heat to get inside the cavity.
As for smoking/cooking instructions, this thread have got that well covered.
Sacrifice;
I wish I had a ProCom.
I understand that it is important to cook bird to temperature not time, but as a total noob I need some recommendations of when to put in my smallish bird.
If being precise within the hour is not possible, recommendations for keeping the bird warm without drying it out?
Thanks for the help guys. I can totally see where the forum gets flooded with people like myself around the holidays. I just really want to do well for my family. (inlaws)
QuoteFor the long term forum users, you might want to be sitting down when you read my next statement.....I am FINALLY going to smoke something besides salmon
Holy Frijoles!!! Kummok smoking finless flesh?? Dogs and cats living together?! ;D
T2
So I did it and it came out excellent. I brined my 2 turkey's for 2 days. The brine was 4 gallons of water, 2 cups of kosher salt, 1/2 cup worchestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons pepper, 2/3 cups brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of minced garlic. It smelled pretty good. I brined the birds for about 44 hours and rinsed them really well after they came out of the brine. I believe rinsing well is the key to avoiding a salty taste. The wife got one to cook traditionally, the other was mine. I applied a simple rub of Emerils Essence. I added 12 pucks of applewood to the smoker and turned it as high as it would go. The bird stayed in the smoker till the internal temperature reached 140. After that it went into 375 peanut oil in the deep fryer and cooked to an internal of 160. I think the internal temp of smoker maybe reached 200 or so and I don't recall how long it took to reach internal of 140. It stayed in the smoker a bit longer after the pucks were done. I cook thick meat by temperature not time, especially poultry.
The bird was excellent. Sorry no pics, we were pretty busy with all the good food and drinking the outstanding microbrews and imported beers my buddy brought over. Pictures of food weren't our focus.
I guess if I was going to tweak the recipe, I would go for a little less smoke the next time. Maybe 3 hours instead of 4. As far as the rub. I like just about any of the rubs from Emerils and it's pretty easy to doctor them up with a little additional spices if you have a craving for a particular spice.
Quote from: TedEbear on November 13, 2011, 08:53:44 AM
Quote from: bozer on November 13, 2011, 08:18:49 AM
Ted, what are you using for the brine? I'm going to follow your steps exactly.
I'll be following the method I found here on How to Make Turkey Brine (http://www.smoker-cooking.com/turkeybrine.html). In the instructions they have a link for Turkey Brine Recipes (http://www.smoker-cooking.com/turkeybrinerecipes.html). I haven't decided on which one I'll try but I'm leaning toward the Apple and Spice brine, since I'll probably be using apple or cherry flavor pucks.
I don't use an injector. I tried that once before I got into smoking meats and it tasted more like the marinade than turkey. I probably used too much but from my Google smoking ideas I've been reading about this past week most of the people don't inject the turkey if they're going to brine and smoke it.
I really like the looks of the Apple/Spice brine from this website as well. Has anyone here tried it? If I wanted to include some MTQ for a little more food safety how much salt should I pull from the recipe per TSP of MTQ.
Quote from: gcn11 on April 08, 2012, 02:17:35 PM
........I really like the looks of the Apple/Spice brine from this website as well. Has anyone here tried it? If I wanted to include some MTQ for a little more food safety how much salt should I pull from the recipe per TSP of MTQ.
Hi gcn11;
Welcome to the forum.
Morton's TQ is about 70% salt, so reduce your salt accordingly. I'm not sure what recipe you are referring to, but when it come to a wet brine; a few teaspoons of TQ in a gallon of liquid is not going to provide any protection. The brine itself and the temperature you are cooking at (at least 225°F) is safe enough, but if you are looking for protection I would say you would need 8 - 9 ounces of TQ per gallon. That should give you enough cure for the extra protection that you are looking for, give the turkey some color; without adding much of the traditional ham like flavor.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on April 09, 2012, 02:12:18 AM
Quote from: gcn11 on April 08, 2012, 02:17:35 PM
........I really like the looks of the Apple/Spice brine from this website as well. Has anyone here tried it? If I wanted to include some MTQ for a little more food safety how much salt should I pull from the recipe per TSP of MTQ.
Hi gcn11;
Welcome to the forum.
Morton's TQ is about 70% salt, so reduce your salt accordingly. I'm not sure what recipe you are referring to, but when it come to a wet brine; a few teaspoons of TQ in a gallon of liquid is not going to provide any protection. The brine itself and the temperature you are cooking at (at least 225°F) is safe enough, but if you are looking for protection I would say you would need 8 - 9 ounces of TQ per gallon. That should give you enough cure for the extra protection that you are looking for, give the turkey some color; without adding much of the traditional ham like flavor.
It's a brine recipe that TedEbear provided a link to on page one of this thread. It does use a cup and a half of kosher salt and I just get real nervous about poultry because of a food poisoning incident I had from a chicken restaurant. I don't mind substituting TQ for some of the salt. I may consider using pink salt instead though as it may be easier to convert into the brine recipe.
I believe I found the recipe you are referring to. Who every developed that recipe doesn't understand TQ and/or the curing properties of nitrites. Two tablespoons of TQ in two gallons of water may make you feel safer, but it adds no protection against food borne bacteria. Or maybe the person was trying to add some color to the turkey, but I don't believe that is enough TQ to add any color to the bird.
My feeling is the salt it the brine, and smoking/cooking at a temperature of 225°F and higher is safe; as long as you properly handled the turkey prior to placing it in the Bradley. If you decide to go with cure #1, and you actually want to add enough for protection, you would have to add about 1.5 ounces or two tablespoons per gallon of liquid. It's too early for me to be working with math, but later I will calculate the actual minimal amount of cure #1 you can add that will provide the actual safety level you are looking for.
gcn11
For the minimal amount of cure that can be use to provide the level of protection you are looking for, and the amount of salt you plan to use, you will need 1.2 ounces (2 Tablespoons) of cure #1 per gallon, with a 10% injection. That means after you make the brine you still need to inject the turkey with enough brine to equal 10% of the weight of the turkey; prior to submerging the turkey in the brine. For example if you have an 20 pounds turkey, you will need to inject it with 2 pounds (32 ounces) of brine. That will give you a nitrite amount 40 - 50 ppm. When you make the brine, reduce the salt (by weight) by the same amount of cure you add.
If you want to add a ham like flavor add 3 ounces of cure #1 per gallon. Again reduce the salt accordingly.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on April 18, 2012, 02:00:52 PM
gcn11
For the minimal amount of cure that can be use to provide the level of protection you are looking for, and the amount of salt you plan to use, you will need 1.2 ounces (2 Tablespoons) of cure #1 per gallon, with a 10% injection. That means after you make the brine you still need to inject the turkey with enough brine to equal 10% of the weight of the turkey; prior to submerging the turkey in the brine. For example if you have an 20 pounds turkey, you will need to inject it with 2 pounds (32 ounces) of brine. That will give you a nitrite amount 40 - 50 ppm. When you make the brine, reduce the salt (by weight) by the same amount of cure you add.
If you want to add a ham like flavor add 3 ounces of cure #1 per gallon. Again reduce the salt accordingly.
Thanks a lot....I really appreciate the members with expertise helping us newbies out.