I've got two twelve pounders split out and coming to room temp before putting in at 230 for a 4 hour hickory smoke, I'm planning to keep them in until done. I figure I need to rotate the racks during the cook front to back and top to bottom, but this it the first time I've done this much at one time so I could use some input on how long between rotations and preferred rotations. Also do I rotate during the smoke or wait till it's done? The turkey's were brined at the plant so I didn't add any more brine to it.
They're in at 230 after heating box to 250 and using boiling water in the puck bowl, I'll swap it out after the smoke with a cake pan of boiling water. I was able to get both halves of each bird on one doubled up rack each so rotating should be easier. I had to go with the second rack from the bottom and the top rack.
The smoke and total cook in the Bradley will take a long time. I have done a spatched turkey in the Bradley with cook and smoke ( hickory ) of 4 hrs and finished in my SRG on low. It was moist and perfect for my taste. Skin was crisp. I hope you do pics, I will look forward to your post.
I'll definitely do pictures, I may pull to oven at some point, I haven't decided. Of course that's one of the benefits of the Bradley. for the skin I may use the grill for a few minutes to crisp up.
Just an observation from my perspective(which is worthless but free of charge). 4 hours of smoke on poultry is a lot of smoke. Poultry is like a sponge magnet.
That being said, drive on. Will look forward to your finished product.
That's what I thought to, I was going to do 2 of pecan and SWMBO said that wasn't enough smoke so I went 4 with hickory to give her what she's asked for. Would you rotate racks?
Ok, here's some pictures and a status update.
Here they are cut up and ready for seasoning
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130727-00369_zps4727f3bd.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130727-00369_zps4727f3bd.jpg.html)
Here they are getting ready to come out of the smoker at an IT of 151 after 6 1/2 hours and into a 350 oven to finish,
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130727-00374_zps3853bb12.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130727-00374_zps3853bb12.jpg.html)
I'll post the finals tomorrow after we feast on it.
Those look great!
I have done whole turkey and spatchcocked chicken, but never spatched turkey.
Probably the way to go.
I too am anxious to hear how the 4 hours of hickory tastes. I used 2 hours of pecan on my turkeys both times & they could have maybe used a little more smoke taste.
Having said that, I don't personally care for a strong smoke taste on my poultry like I do on my pork or beef, (especially my brisket)
Quote from: Roget on July 28, 2013, 01:29:55 PM
Those look great!
I have done whole turkey and spatchcocked chicken, but never spatched turkey.
Probably the way to go.
I too am anxious to hear how the 4 hours of hickory tastes. I used 2 hours of pecan on my turkeys both times & they could have maybe used a little more smoke taste.
Having said that, I don't personally care for a strong smoke taste on my poultry like I do on my pork or beef, (especially my brisket)
We loved the 4 hours of hickory, my wife even said it could have used more smoke for her, but we like a lot of smoke and I've always liked a strong smoked turkey. I think I would do 2 hours of pecan on chicken when I get around to trying chicken.
I definitely think the spatchcocking is the way to go with turkey.
Here is the finished product after being pulled from the oven at an IT of 174 and tenting for an hour
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130727-00375_zpsda6b6385.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130727-00375_zpsda6b6385.jpg.html)
It sliced up nice and moist and had a good hickory flavor, we had sandwiches for lunch on some sourdough bread
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130727-00376_zpsa6e4f319.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130727-00376_zpsa6e4f319.jpg.html)
Everything packaged up, I split off the breasts, thighs, wings and legs from one turkey and Ziploc bagged them for sandwiches and meals and then I vac sealed the other two halves to freeze for later meals.
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130727-00378_zps91fe94b7.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130727-00378_zps91fe94b7.jpg.html)
Those are beautiful!
That's a lot of smoke. (but it looks good)
I love the coloring.
I may try more smoke next time I do turkey.
Wow, these looked like they turned out great! Congrats and enjoy your meals!
Good looking turkeys
Dang, I'd like to have been at your place for dinner, Saber!
You've got about an hour to get here pz, we had to skip the turkey last night and go out with friends to dinner so tonight's menu is smoked turkey thigh's with fresh spinach and home made scalloped potatoes. ;D
Makin' me drool Saber! No way I can make it in an hour ;D
Well pz we ended up with wild rice instead of scalloped potatoes but here's a picture to keep you drooling away.
(http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w599/Robert_Shulter/IMG-20130729-00386_zps89849384.jpg) (http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/Robert_Shulter/media/IMG-20130729-00386_zps89849384.jpg.html)
The turkey was so moist and tender it needed no gravy or sauce just a knife and fork. ;D
one of these days we will have smell a vision
Dang, Saber; I'm going to need to quit looking at forum posts before lunch! ;D
Seriously, that looks absolutely delicious ;)
Quote from: pz on July 30, 2013, 01:17:37 PM
Dang, Saber; I'm going to need to quit looking at forum posts before lunch! ;D
Seriously, that looks absolutely delicious ;)
I know what you mean, I have to quit looking after dinner so I can stay out of the fridge late at night
Quote from: rveal23 on July 30, 2013, 09:10:41 AM
one of these days we will have smell a vision
I wish someone would hurry up and invent smell a vision, I get hungry looking at everyone's pictures :D
Nice color! Nothing like smoked turkey!
I really like the looks of that! Very nice. I too am not afraid of heavy smoke...
I am going to smoke a 12lbs turkey this weekend and plan to spatchcock. I viewed various ways to debone a turkey but it seems all want to completely debone the bird. I want it to look like Saber4's. I can take the backbone our with no trouble. To divide into halves it seems all I would need to do is separate each breast from the breast bone like I would do carving a whole turkey. Should Ii break the breast bone first, then carve it out?
Sometime back I did see a YouTube video and the separated the turkey like I want. Can't find the video.
This has got to be simple as normal I am making it complicated.
Quote from: JohnM70 on August 29, 2013, 02:39:50 PM
I am going to smoke a 12lbs turkey this weekend and plan to spatchcock. I viewed various ways to debone a turkey but it seems all want to completely debone the bird. I want it to look like Saber4's. I can take the backbone our with no trouble. To divide into halves it seems all I would need to do is separate each breast from the breast bone like I would do carving a whole turkey. Should Ii break the breast bone first, then carve it out?
Sometime back I did see a YouTube video and the separated the turkey like I want. Can't find the video.
This has got to be simple as normal I am making it complicated.
John, looking at Saber's pictures, it looks like he cut out both the backbone and the breast bone. You can cut out the breast bone by using the slight crease in the skin to locate the breast bone, and then use a heavy knife to separate the keel from the ribs. (This will be easier if you flatten the carcase first.) If you have a pair of heavy kitchen shears or poultry shears, those would work even better than a heavy knife to cut out the breast bone as you won't have to flatten the carcase.
I just cut the backbone out, then like tskeeter said I sliced down the breast bone, then turned it over and applied a little pressure to both sides till the back bone cracked then I used my shears to cut through the rest of the bone and it was done, give it a shot, you will find it really easy and intuitive when you get the backbone out. Be sure to make a post of the results of the spatchcocking and smoking