That time of year, Smoked & TBE turkey related

[SoCalBill]

Doing my first turkey for the holiday. I have smoked chicken and finished off in my TBE. I assume the process is much the same. I plan on smoking the turkey for 3 hours with pecan then into TBE

My past experience with chickens with out a ring has been the breast meat is done before the thigh. I know some has said to cook breast side down with no ring and that should even out the cook time.

Obviously a turkey being much bigger/taller I am worried if I use a ring not all the bird will be inside of TBE (13lb turkey)

Here is my question. Should I....

1. Bird in the basket legs down?
2. Bird in the basket breast down?

In either case should do so with out with out using a spring form ring to raise it up? The one concern I have with breast down is getting too brown. Would be hard to foil the skin once it is in the basket.

Thanks!

[beefmann]

I personally think breast down considering it is thicker then the legs and would cook slower

[zueth]

I have a vertical turkey cooker, similar to beer can chicken holder and will be using that so the legs will be down.  Seems to me the hottest part of the TBE or SRG is the top section so would make sense to have the largest piece of meat in that section. 

I think either way will work, just fine, don't over think it.  I know people on here and cooked both ways with great success.

[SoCalBill]

I guess my concern is what happened when I did a chicken and the breast was done and some of the thigh meat was still under cooked. I just don't want to over cook the breast nothing worse than dry turkey. Makes me think of this LOL

[Habanero Smoker]

Cooking whole poultry is difficult to do, and have the whole bird cooked they way you like. Most of today's turkeys are prebrined, and you shouldn't have a problem with dried out breast.

Though I don't think you will have a problem with dry breast meat, a couple of things you can do to slow down how fast the breast cooks. While you have the turkey on the counter, allowing it to sit at room temperature; partially fill a gallon sealable bag with ice and water and place it on the breast; making sure the ice water is not touching the legs. This cools the breast temperature lower then the legs. Another trick is to cover the breast with foil during the early stages of cooking. Another trick is to soak cheese cloth in melted butter, and drape that over the breast. This will baste the breast during cooking. If you do a google you will find a lot more tips.

[SoCalBill]

I guess I will cook it leg down that way I can foil the breast easier. I'll just put a probe in the thigh and in the breast to help monitor it.

I do plan on injecting with Tony Chachere's Creole Butter and I will take pics of the success of epic failure. Who doesn't like pics right?

[SoCalBill]

Ok lets see how this goes... Injected with Creole Butter and rubbed down with a mix of salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Into the BDS with 3 hours of pecan.

[SoCalBill]

3.5 hours in the smoker after 3 hours of pecan


Now into the TBE


It's 3:30 and dinner is at 5. i have a feeling it will be done before then so i have prepped the cooler in case i have to FTC

[JZ]

Looks great and I am sure you are gonna be a hero with that bird. :)

[SoCalBill]

I dont know what i was so worried about. The turkey turned out awesome. The breast meat was crazy moist. Turkey had a nice subtle smokey flavor to it.